How To Check Computer Specifications?

Whether you’re considering upgrades or simply aiming to optimize your current applications, understanding your computer’s specifications is essential for optimizing performance, troubleshooting issues, and making informed hardware or software decisions. Most computers have variations in supporting different applications, which means that every computer is not going to run what you want to install in it. This makes it necessary to know the computer specifications to run what the user wants without damaging the computer.

This guide outlines a clear, step-by-step method to identify key hardware components like RAM and CPU, enabling you to assess your computer’s capabilities and limitations effectively. With this system’s configuration knowledge, you can make informed decisions that enhance performance and ensure smooth software installations (new programs) and upgrades.

Let’s get into details of how to effectively check and understand your computer’s specifications to maximize its potential.

How To Check What CPU You Have

CPU is said to be one of the most integral parts of the computer. Hence, you don’t want anything to happen to it. If you want to know the condition of your processor or CPU, you can easily do it. The following are the steps by which you can figure out what kind of CPU your PC has:

  • Right Click on the start button on the left-hand side of your computer screen.
  • Next, out of the menu that appears on clicking on the start button, click on the ‘System‘ option.

system option

  • Then, immediately next to the ‘Processor‘ you will have detailed information about your CPU.

cpu

This was a quick process to know about your CPU. On knowing what kind of CPU you have, you will know what application your CPU will be able to process, and hence, you will not mess it up.

  • If you’re using a Windows 11 OS, then you can perform this action to find out computer specifications…
  • Right-click the Windows Start button, then click on System (or simply go to Settings -> select System in the left panel -> click About at the bottom of the list).

There you will get detailed information of the Device Specifications, Windows Specifications, and more.

Device, Window Specs-my pc specs

How To Check What GPU You Have

A Graphics Processing Unit or a GPU is no less important than a CPU. After all, a GPU plays a vital role in casting the images and graphics of the games users play on their pc, and also other images and videos that are required to be cast on the computer screen.

The steps of knowing the information of your GPU is slightly dissimilar from the steps of knowing about the CPU.  Hence, to know what type of GPU you have, follow the steps given below:

  • Right-click on the Windows start button.
  • From the menu that comes up, click on the ‘ Device Manager‘.

system option

  • Once you click on ‘Device Manager‘, click on the arrow that appears next to the option of ‘Display Adapters‘.
  • Your GPU details shall be listed.

GPU

Now, remember one thing that if the ‘Display Adapters’ show two options, then the users must look for the dedicated graphics card.

There are usually two types of cards in the option: dedicated graphics card and integrated graphics card. Users must go for the second option. Checking your GPU status and information is very important as your computer’s graphics entirely depend on the GPU.

Most of the time, when there is a problem with the display, the technician considers altering the graphics care. A lot of programs are not supported by many graphics cards. Hence, before installing any software or application on your PC, users need to check their GPU status to match whatever they are installing.

How To Check What Motherboard You Have

A motherboard is the main circuit board on your computer. Most of the logical functions are carried out because of the motherboard. Hence, whenever your PC behaves weirdly, the technicians always prefer to analyze the motherboard too.

This also adds to the fact that if you want to install anything in your system, you need to be sure that your motherboard is going to support it.

Thus to know what type you have, you need to check your motherboard. It is different from checking the other parts of the computer. To find about the motherboard that you have, you need to check its manufacturer name, chipset, and socket as well.

To know these elements, you need to open your desktop and check the details of your motherboard. Motherboards have a unique naming pattern.  For example, if your motherboard is named ASUS Z370-A, it means that Asus is the name of the manufacturer of your motherboard and Z370 is the motherboard chipset, which is also its socket type.

There is also an easier option to know about your motherboard details. The following steps may guide you through the process of knowing your motherboard details:

  • In the left-hand side bottom area of the desktop, lies the Windows search bar. Type in there ‘System Information‘.

System Information

  • On the left side of the window, there is the ‘ Summary Tab, ‘ scroll down on it. You will find the  ‘ Motherboard Manufacturer’ or the ‘Baseboard Manufacturer‘.
  • You will see all the required information regarding Motherboard/BaseBoard Manufacturer’, ‘Motherboard or BaseBoard Model’, and ‘Motherboard/BaseBoard Name’.

motherboard

However, most of the time, the information of the motherboard that you will try to find out using the above-given steps may be confusing to understand. But actually, the easiest way to know what type of motherboard you have is to open your computer.

Thus, the next time you need to install anything on your computer, you must check your motherboard. Since it is an integral part of your computer, you cannot afford anything to go wrong with it. Many software are too heavy for the motherboard to process, thus always check your motherboard capacity to know what type of motherboard you have.

Also, you can find computer specifications using this System Information (an overview of your specs) and the current version of Windows you’re running. Type “System Information” on the taskbar search field after right-clicking the Windows button.

Computer Specs Via System Information-how to check the specs on a laptop

You will get the OS name, System Model, Type, Manufacturer, Motherboard information, Processor, physical memory, and virtual memory (all about device information) in the System Summary Section.

Also, you can get the information about Hardware Resources, Components, and Software Equipment under System Summary.

Information on different categories - System Information

How To Check Your Computer’s Memory?

RAM denotes how much memory does your computer has. Most of the time when you are trying to install too much space taking software, your computer tend to misbehave because of the fact that it cannot take big apps.

Also forcefully installing software on your computer without knowing about your computer’s RAM can ultimately destroy it. However, knowing about yourself is similar to know about your CPU. To know what type of RAM or memory does your computer have, follow the steps given below:

  • Click on the Windows start menu button.
  • Out of the menu that pops up, click on System.

system option

  • Scroll down and you will find out how much RAM does your computer has.

installed ram

If you have windows 10, you can find out about your computer’s RAM details by referring to the ‘ System Information ‘. Thus, knowing about RAM is important and you should never miss it.

How To Find Computer Specs Using Command Prompt

The use of Command Prompt and PowerShell is one of the better ways to navigate Windows computers. However, the usage of Command Prompt is the traditional way that offers a user-friendly interface.

  • Type “Command Prompt” or “Powershell” into the Windows taskbar and click the corresponding icon.

Command Prompt on Windows-my pc specs

  • Type “systeminfo” (without any space or caps letters) and hit enter to run the script.

Command prompt-giving PC specs

  • This will display comprehensive system information including OS configuration, hardware info, and network connections.

That’s it! You will get detailed PC information on your system (like operating system, processor, and memory) via this command prompt.

How To Find Computer Specs With Task Manager

Task Manager on the PC will help you to get information about the multiple hardware components. Here is the detailed procedure on how to check the computer specs using Task Manager.

  • Right-click the Windows Start button and select Task Manager among the options.
  • A Quick Tip – You can open this task manager by pressing Ctrl + Esc + Shift without clicking on the Windows Start on your computer.

Find Task Manager on Windows-computer system specification

  • Under the Performance Tab, you will see the performance graph of various hardware components on your PC.
  • This includes CPU, Memory, Disk, Wi-Fi, and GPU.

Check out the CPU, GPU, Memory Performance on Task Manager

For detailed information, click on the particular hardware component and you will get a graph about the system usage.

With this, you can easily know what your PC is built of and how its hardware components are working to run your computer safely and seamlessly.

How To Find PC Specs Using DxDiag

DirectX Diagnostic Tool (Dxdiag) is an effective sound and video diagnostic tool used widely to find detailed information about your audio and video settings. However, the tool is unable to fix the audio (malfunctioning), yet it displays the information that an expert uses the information to troubleshoot the problems.

All you need is to type “dxdiag” in the taskbar (after clicking the Windows Start button). This DirectX window has different tabs at the top that will navigate for various audio and video information.

Type Dxdiag-how to check the specs on a laptop

Click Yes to know System Inf-Dxdiag

In case, you’re having trouble with your PC’s sound, try updating your audio drivers to fix the problem and enjoy amazing sound quality.

System Information shown via Dxdiag-how to check the specs on a laptop

How To Check Your PC Storage

Disk storage is a crucial specification that users should regularly check. Whether you use an SSD or HDD significantly impacts both the volume of data your computer can store and the speed at which your system loads files and transfers data. SSDs surpass hard drives in terms of speed, though they may not match HDDs in capacity.

For this, you can check the device storage by clicking System Information in the taskbar.

  • To check out the device storage, type System Information in the taskbar and then click System Information.

System Information to Get Inf-my system specs

  • Navigate to Components under System Summary on the left navigation panel.

System Information to Find Out PC Storage Info-computer system specification

  • Then select Storage and finally click on the Disks.
  • Finally, look at the Media Type and Size on the right panel of the specifications.

In case, you’re running out of storage, you need to free up disk space by deleting the junk files in your PC folders. Also, ensure to uninstall the programs, apps, and games that aren’t in use. Yet backing up anything is essential before cleaning up your hard drive.

How To Check Your Specs On A Mac

If you’re using a Mac and want to understand its specifications, follow this detailed guide:

  • Click on the Apple icon located at the top left corner of your computer screen.
  • Choose About This Mac from the dropdown menu to view your computer’s specifications.
  • The Overview tab displays essential information such as model, processor, memory, startup disk, graphics, and serial number.
  • For additional details, navigate through other tabs like Displays, Storage, Support, and Service.
  • At the bottom of the window, you’ll find options for Software Update and System Report. Click on System Report to open the System Information app, which automatically displays detailed hardware information.
  • Within the System Information app, explore various components listed under the Hardware, Network, and Software sections on the left column for more detailed specifications.
  • To check storage details, select Storage under the Hardware section to view information about your Mac’s internal storage capacity.

Third-Party Tools To Check Your PC’s Specs

While knowing about the required specs of your computer can require a lot of effort, there are some third-party software to help you know about your computer specs. These third-party apps can be easily downloaded and help you to keep a check on your computer specs, including CPU, motherboard, RAM, graphics card, and other peripherals. They also provide good information about the PC’s performance metrics to get an idea of how well it works. Some of the recommendations for third-party tools are:

These are the most helpful software that enables you to monitor your computer specs very easily.

Also Read: File Explorer Not Responding on Windows – Fixes

Why Should I Check My PC Specs?

You cannot just upgrade your computer with anything latest when you have older elements in it. For example, you cannot install a brand new GPU card when your system cannot process a high power supply. The compatibility between the elements needs to match otherwise your hardware is going to get heated up or it may just collapse.

Anything that’s too new for your computer can be problematic. Thus, you must properly know your computer specs and then think of upgrading it.

FAQs:

1. How to find my computer specs using the Run command?

In Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can quickly access your computer’s specifications through the Run command. Follow these steps:
* Press the “Windows key + R” to open the Run dialog box.
* Type “msinfo32” and hit Enter.
* This will launch the System Information app, where you can find detailed information about your PC’s hardware and operating system.

2. How to find any hardware information?

The computer’s internal hardware components (like processor, memory, and any video cards) are listed in the System Information app. System Information provides a much more detailed breakdown of your Mac’s hardware. However, System Settings can help view information about hardware that is connected externally to your Mac/computer, such as keyboards, printers, and other peripherals. These are typically listed under Connected Devices or Printers & Scanners.

3. How do I find my computer’s specifications on Windows 10?

Open the Start menu, type System Information, and press Enter. This tool provides detailed information about your hardware, system components, and software environment.

4. What is the quickest way to view specs on a Windows 11 system?

Right-click on the Start button and select System. This shows basic information like device specifications, including installed RAM, processor type, and system type.

5. How can I find out the specifications of my Linux system?

Open the Terminal and type these commands to get detailed information about all hardware components of your Linux system.
* lshw: Offers a comprehensive overview of hardware components.
* lscpu: Provides detailed information about the CPU.
* Sudo dmidecode: Focuses mainly on system-specific information stored in the system’s BIOS/UEFI.
* lspci: Lists PCI devices, including graphics cards.
* lsblk: Displays information about block devices (hard drives, SSDs).
* free -h: Shows memory usage statistics.
* uname -a: Displays kernel and system information.

Conclusion

Knowing about your computer specs is a great thing to do before you install any new software or upgrade your computer. Once you know about the computer specs, it becomes easier for you to know what software your computer will be able to take in. After all, you do not want to damage your computer in the midst of upgrading it, which is why knowing about your computer specs is a much safer option. You should never miss out on any element details of RAM, CPU, GPU, and Motherboard. This will help you make informed decisions and optimize performance, as it saves you from issues.

Feel free to share your queries with us in the below comments section. We will respond promptly and resolve those queries to help you maintain a smooth computing experience.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *