Software based hardware diagnostics?

[Link]

I'm trying to build a list of all the software out there that can help track down hardware based issues. Things like memtest, motherboard monitor etc etc. Ideally I would like to be able to create a CD that I can put into any windows based PC and diagnose hardware faults without having to start swapping out components. I realise that its not possible to get every hardware fault through software, so I'm going for as comprehensive as possible. What do you guys use/suggest?

 

[psyno]

It's not really a diagnostic, but I like to know specifically and in detail what CPU/MB/RAM is installed on a computer before working with it, and CPU-Z is a great way to do that. It's small, fast, and detailed.

memtest86+, as you've said, is indispensable.

Unfortunately it's much harder to determine with absolute certainly if a peripheral has a hardware problem or a configuration issue. There are a variety of tools to check HDDs, but I don't know of one tool that works well with the majority of drives. I usually go to the manufacturer to find a diagnostic...

Great idea, btw.