If the Windows Task Manager is a little too basic for you, you should try a more advanced tool like MKN TaskExplorer.

With MKN TaskExplorer you get a full analysis of all currently active processes and applications on your computer, plus a real-time monitoring tool that measures performance and checks memory status on your system.

After an easy installation, all you have to do is launch MKN TaskExplorer and you'll immediately have access to a list of all the active processes, applications and services. This list also includes a short description, the developer's name and the amount of system resources used by every application or process.

The list is accompanied by a real-time graph, which is probably the most outstanding feature in MKN TaskExplorer. This graph shows the performance of the selected process and is complemented by two other monitoring tools for the processor and memory respectively.

On the downside, I didn't find the application very intuitive – and the documentation didn't help either. I also missed the possibility to look up more information online, something you find in other similar task managers.

If you need a greater depth of analysis when checking system performance, MKN TaskExplorer is your program. If not, the standard Task Manager is enough for you.