By selecting one of the four primary areas a detailed view of each item is readily available and itemized by each resource.
CPU offers an image of programs running, it's PID, description and number of threads read. Current CPU readings are updated instantly along with the average CPU usage. By clicking on the title bar of each area, you can sort the information ascending or descending. High CPU utilization can indicate the need for more memory or the prioritizing of running programs.
Physical hard disk monitoring offers the image, PID, individual file usage, the read/write (b/min), the input output priority and response time in milliseconds.
Memory resource gives a breakdown of usage for each program along with the PID, hard faults per minute, committed memory in kilobytes, working set, shareable memory and private memory. This breakdown allows for system administrators to best utilize memory and determine whether more memory is needed for the unique use of an individual system.
Network monitor shows the network traffic traveling in and out of your nic card. Windows Vista gives a better look at the services being used on your network. During my research, I watched the connections (broadcast) going from a network printer, a mapped network drive and to DNS servers.
These four resources give a great overall profile of your system. One of the key components to watch on your system is system memory. Research shows that most computers lack system memory. One of the biggest problems with end users using Vista is memory. Adequate CPU and hard drive space are important but system memory prevents hard drive thrashing. Thrashing is a term used to describe the virtual memory on a hard drive being accessed.
