FinalWire released the latest update to AIDA64, a comprehensive system information, diagnostic, and benchmarking suite for engineers and enthusiasts alike. Version 1.60 introduces a host of changes. To begin with support for AMD's Fusion "Ontario" and "Zacate" APUs was added, it was improved for Intel's "SandyBridge" processors. Tests in the benchmark suite which became 64-bit optimized since AIDA64's first release, is now optimized for the AVX SIMD instruction set. PCI-Express 3.0 controllers and devices are now supported. Support for new AMD Radeon HD 6000 series and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti GPUs was added. Lastly, support for AMD and JMicron storage controllers was improved.DOWNLOAD: FinalWire AIDA64 1.60 EXE Installer, ZIP Package

FinalWire Ltd. today announced the acquisition of diagnostics, hardware monitoring, network audit, and benchmarking software, Lavalys EVEREST. "Today is a significant step forward in our progress to deliver a class-leading diagnostics and benchmarking solution," said Tamas Miklos, managing director of FinalWire. "The addition of Lavalys' customers and technologies will enable us to accelerate investments, meet a wider set of customer needs through a richer solution set, increase efficiencies and significantly expand our opportunities for growth."

Beginning immediately, FinalWire will execute on the planned integration of the two companies' technologies and customers to ensure a smooth transition that will deliver immediate value for customers, partners and investors.

FinalWire Ltd. today announced the immediate availability of AIDA64 Extreme Edition 1.00 software, a streamlined diagnostic and benchmarking tool for home users; and the immediate availability of AIDA64 Business Edition 1.00 software, an essential network management solution for small and medium scale enterprises.

As a descendant of the award-winning AIDA16 and AIDA32 software, and the successor to the widely popular diagnostic utility Lavalys EVEREST, the brand new AIDA64 version leaps forward into the next decade by introducing a collection of 64-bit processor and memory benchmarks, an enhanced 64-bit system stress test module, and a further expanded hardware database.

Popular system information, diagnostics, and benchmarking suite Lavalys Everest (or plain "Everest"), is said to be undergoing an organizational overhaul, with its developer, Lavalys Inc. forking into two companies. Currently Lavalys is split into two parts, with software development and aftersales support located in Hungary, and sales located in Canada. We're getting to know that the Hungarian part is breaking up the partnership into a company of its own, named FinalWire and working on its own software functionally identical to Everest, called (for now?) as AIDA64 (pronounced /ˈaɪdəˌ/ 64). Incidentally, AIDA32 is the first name of Everest before it went on to become Everest.

What's with the change, and why is it important? Well, Everest has been commercially successful to enterprise users, as well and enthusiasts. If virtually every developer in Lavalys is now under FinalWire, there won't be an update of Everest for a very long time, if not forever. Under Everest's license, a user is entitled to updates for a mentioned period of time. To ease out the transition, FinalWire will likely provide continued support and updates to existing Everest users. As for what's going to be distinctly new about AIDA64, our contact mentions that the software will retain the UI of its predecessor (since Lavalys developers reserved copyrights to almost all of the code), all its functionality, and new features: notably all 64-bit benchmarks, a new SSD module that provides model-specific diagnostics of any SSD installed, and a new 64-bit system stability test mode (helps overclockers or high-uptime server builders). FinalWire should make an official announcement later this week.