HARDiNFO 8 PRO is a pretty much harmless app -- I can't fully monitor installs in my Win10 64-bit VM, but other than the program's folder I only found 80db9.msi added to Windows\ Installer\ [800KB]. The app uses one new registry key for it's settings & the activation key, though there are several new entries related to the Installshield installer. As old as it is I'm a little surprised that there isn't a 32-bit version.
Do note that this sort of app is not 100% guaranteed to give you accurate results -- they're usually pretty good, but some components &/or their drivers just don't accurately report their make & model [there's something to be said for writing down the actual numbers on chips like those for audio - you may never need them, but on rare occasion they can be priceless].
The main fault with HARDiNFO 8 PRO is that it's an installed app & not portable. When you 1st get hands-on a device, you might have reason to find out what's in it, but you'd only run an app to find out that one time. The hardware's certainly not going to change unless you replace something, and in that case you know what you bought.
If you really stretch you *might* make the case that HARDiNFO 8 PRO offers benchmarking, but I honestly think you're better off sticking with the most popular tools if/when you're going to benchmark. That's because you'll find all sorts of other comparable benchmarks that people have done using the same software, so you can either brag or make comparisons.
Personally I've got a USB stick loaded with stuff like VLC, and I'll add those apps to most any PC I get my hands on. I've also got some tools on there -- the 3 most used [all free & portable] are HWiNFO, TMX, & WinSlap.
neowin[.]net/news/hwinfo-642/
neowin[.]net/news/mitec-task-manager-deluxe-378/
neowin[.]net/news/winslap-14/
The 4th most used tool isn't an app, but a .reg file I often merge with the registry. It adds "Take Ownership" to the right-click context menu -- that allows me to delete files that users [even admin] don't have permission to delete, e.g. the stored *old* copy of a graphics driver taking up 1GB+. To get that .reg file, copy/paste the following into a plain text file [i.e. using Notepad], naming it [whatever you want].reg.
============
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"
===========
