No matter whether you have a desktop or laptop PC, whether that desktop PC has been built by yourself or bought as a prebuilt machine, and whether you know lots or barely anything about PC hardware, you need information about your PC specs from time to time. Your machine might misbehave, you might want to learn which hardware you have running under the hood, or just be sure that a game you plan on getting soon will work on your PC.
No matter the reason, you’ll learn how to check computer specs below. We have included seven different methods of checking your PC hardware specs, six of which don’t require internet access or access to a third-party app. All of the methods listed below should work both in Windows 10 & Windows 11. Also, it doesn’t matter whether you own a laptop or a desktop. You can use the following techniques to determine the hardware specs of both laptops and desktops.
If your desktop or laptop PC runs too hot or the fan noise is too high you might want to check our CPU & GPU undervolting guide. If you own a laptop read our guide on how to reduce CPU temperature and see whether any of the method listed there can help decrease thermals. To find out whether your CPU is overheating in the first place, read our guide on CPU overheating.
How to check your PC specs in Windows 10 & Windows 11
1. In Windows settings
The easiest and quickest way to check your computer specs in Windows 10 is doing the following:
- Click on the Start button
- Click on Settings
- Click on System
- Select the “About” button
Once you click on the “About” option, you should see your basic PC specs. They should include your CPU and the amount of memory you have installed. This info should also include information about your OS; the edition of the Windows you have along with the version of the OS you have installed, and the build number.
Aside from the info regarding your CPU and the amount of memory you have, the settings menu also includes information about your monitor and GPU.
To find out what GPU and monitor you have, do the following:
- Click on the Start button
- Click on Settings
- Click on System
- Click on Display
- Click on Advanced Display Settings
Once you click the “Advanced Display Settings” button, you will see a window listing your main display along with its model number and the model of your graphics card. To find out more about your monitor, just type its model number in Google. Also, while you’re there, make sure to select the highest refresh rate possible for the best experience.
2. In Task Manager
Another way to quickly and easily find out about your PC hardware specs is via Task Manager. While this may sound weird, Windows 10 & 11 Task Managers include the essential info regarding your PC hardware. To check your PC specs in Task Manager, do the following:
- Right-click on the Taskbar
- Click on “Task Manager”
- Click on the “More Details” button if needed
- Click on the Performance tab
You can also press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager and then click on the “More Details” button.
Now, the Task Manager lists your most important hardware. You can find out what CPU and GPU you have, the amount of RAM installed, and the storage information. You can also find out how much dedicated GPU memory (read: physical) your graphics card has, as well as the amount of shared GPU memory (read: physical + virtual memory).
You can also find just how much storage you have in total and the names of specific storage drives. Just click on each available button to find out the details.
3. With Dxdiag command
The following method of checking your PC specs directly in Windows includes a tool called Dxdiag, short for DirectX diagnostics. This Windows tool lists information about the hardware used for DirectX sound & video and is pretty solid as the first help during the troubleshooting process. To run the DirectX diagnostics tool, do the following:
- Click on the Windows search box
- Type “dxdiag”
- Click on the Dxdiag button
Once you click the button, the DirectX diagnostics tool will open, and you should be greeted with your computer specs. PC specs listed here include your CPU, amount of RAM installed, as well as info regarding your GPU. Finally, the “sound” and “input” tabs include basic info about your sound and input devices.
4. Via System Information
As you have probably noticed by now, none of the procedures we included doesn’t show motherboard information. The DirectX diagnostics tool does include some information, but that’s basic info about the manufacturer and the BIOS. To find out more, we’re going to need the help of another Windows tool. To open System information, do the following:
- Click on the Search box
- Type “System Information”
- Click on the first result (it should be the System Information app)
Once opened, the System Information app should list information about your motherboard as well as your CPU, RAM, and GPU. The motherboard model you have should be listed under “BaseBoard Product” in the System Information app.
You can also check which motherboard you have just by looking at it. Most manufacturers print the board’s model name just above the primary PCI-E slot or next to the RAM slots.
In the first case, you won’t be able to read the model if you have a dedicated GPU installed. In the second case, you won’t be able to read the model if you have an air CPU cooler. For a foolproof way of finding out which motherboard you have, scroll down to the section talking about how to check your computer specs in BIOS.
5. With Windows PowerShell
The last method of checking your PC specs directly in Windows 10 & 11 is via Windows PowerShell. Here’s what you need to do:
- Click on the Search box
- Type “PowerShell”
- The first result should be the Windows PowerShell app
- Click on the “Run as administrator” option
Once inside Windows PowerShell, type the following and then press Enter key:
Get-ComputerInfo
Once you do that, you should have detailed PC specs listed in the Windows PowerShell app. The list includes a lot of unnecessary data, but it also provides everything you need to know about your PC hardware specs.
To only list your motherboard model and manufacturer, open the Windows PowerShell app and type the following and hit Enter:
wmic baseboard get product,Manufacturer
This command should list your full motherboard model and manufacturer. Pretty handy since most methods shown here don’t include detailed motherboard information.
How to check your computer specs in BIOS
Now, the methods shown above are pretty simple and can be done directly in Windows. But what if you cannot even access the operating system? If that’s the case, you can check your PC specs directly in BIOS. Note that you can access your PC’s BIOS both if you have an OS installed and if you don’t.
In the first case, restart your PC and then keep hitting the F12 and Del keys, two keys used for accessing BIOS settings on different motherboards. If you don’t have an OS installed, simply turn on the PC and hit F12 and Del.
Once you’re inside the BIOS, the welcome screen should show you your PC specs. In our case, they’re shown in the upper right part of the screen. You can find out about storage drives by clicking on the settings button and then clicking on the “System Status” option.
Do note that BIOS options differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. We have an MSI motherboard, so we have shown you how to find your PC specs in case you have an MSI motherboard also.
If you have a board made by a different manufacturer, it should show the basic specs on the home screen too. The only difference should be the procedure for clicking on the “System Status” option.
How to check your computer specs with CPU-Z
Last but not least, let’s show you how to use CPU-Z, the best application for listing PC hardware specs. First of all, download the app by clicking on this link. Next, install the app and open it. Once there, you can list through detailed hardware specs of your PC by cycling different tabs.
And for the first time today, you can find out detailed specs about your motherboard. Just hit the “Motherboard” tab in CPU-Z and learn everything about your board. CPU-Z also includes a lightweight CPU benchmark tool that’s pretty solid for troubleshooting and quick CPU torture testing.
How to get detailed info regarding your GPU with GPU-Z
In case you need in-depth information about your graphics card, use GPU-Z. GPU-Z is a lightweight app that shows everything you need to know about your GPU. GPU-Z also includes a suite of monitoring data. Perfect for troubleshooting, overclocking, or stress testing your GPU.
The best thing is that you don’t even have to install the app. Just download it from this link and run it. Also, in case you want to find out the exact model of your graphics card, hit the “Lookup” button. Clicking on the button should open a page on the TechPowerUp site listing your exact GPU model.
