How to Find Computer Hardware and System Specifications

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A user-friendly guide to view your PC specs and check what type of computer you have

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Rain Kengly

Last Updated: December 15, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using Windows 8, 10, and 11

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Using Windows 7

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Using Mac Ventura or Earlier

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Using Linux

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Video

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

Do you need to check your laptop or computer specs? If you're using a Windows PC, you'll be able to find your CPU, memory, RAM, storage, and more in your System Information or Device Manager. If you're using Mac, you can use the Apple menu. This wikiHow will show you how to find your computer's hardware specifications using Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, and MacOS Ventura or earlier.

Things You Should Know

Click the "Start" menu and enter "System Information". Click the result to view your specifications.
On Windows, open the Command Prompt. Type "systeminfo" and press "Enter".
On Mac, open the Apple menu. Click "System Settings/System Preferences" → "General" → "About".

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Windows 8, 10, and 11

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1
Click the Start menu. This is the Windows logo.
- You can also use the Command Prompt to view your specifications. Open CMD, type in systeminfo, and press Enter.
Search results will begin to appear.

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3
Click About your PC. This will be the first result.
- A new window will open.
4
View your specifications. Under Device specifications, you'll be able to see: device name, processor, installed RAM, device ID, product ID, and system type.^{[1]
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Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

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- Under Windows specifications, you'll be able to see: Windows edition, version, installed on date, OS build, and experience.
- You can also type System Information into the Start menu. Click the first result to view your specifications.
5
View your graphics card. To view your graphics card, you'll need to check your Device manager. Do the following:
- Click the Start menu.
- Type in: Device manager and click the first result.
- Click the arrow next to Display adapters to expand the section.
- View your listed graphics card(s).
- Make sure you don't uninstall or disable anything in Device Manager without explicit instruction on how to do so, as accidental uninstallation can cause your computer to stop working. You can also find and update drivers in the Device Manager.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Windows 7

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This will be in the bottom left corner.
2
Right-click Computer. You can find this on the right side of the Start menu.
- A pop-up window will open.
3
Click Properties. This will be at the bottom of the pop-up window.
- A new window will open.
You'll be able to check your Windows version underneath Windows edition. Under System, you can find: manufacturer, model, rating, processor, installed memory (RAM), and system type.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Mac Ventura or Earlier

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1
Click the Apple menu. You can find this at the top-left corner.^{[2]
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- Use this method to check computer specifications on your Mac or MacBook.
On Monterey and earlier, this will be System Preferences….
This will be next to the cog icon. You may need to scroll down to find it.
This will be on the right of the window.
You'll be able to see your Mac's name, chip, memory, serial number, coverage, macOS, and displays.
6
View a system report. With a system report, you'll be able to view some additional information about your Mac. Do the following:
- Click the Apple menu.
- Click System Settings or System Preferences.
- Click General.
- Click About.
- Click System Report.
- View your computer's installed or connected hardware, network connections, and software.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Linux

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1
Open terminal by pressing ctrl + alt + T.
2
Type neofetch.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do I get to the system command center?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

You can either hold the Windows key and hit the pause break button, or press Command-Shift-Escape all at once.

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Question

What hardware specifications would I focus on to determine performance/reliability?

Community Answer

Ram amount, processor speed, video card, and motherboard would be a good start.

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Question

What do I have to look for in the system specification while trying to download a new program?

Sujan Shrestha

Community Answer

Look for processor speed and type, RAM, storage and graphics.

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When shopping for a computer online, you should be able to find the specifications listed in the description (if not the title) of the posting.

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If you haven't yet purchased the computer on which you want to check specifications, you can usually find the specs listed on the computer's packaging, in the computer's manual, or on the computer's in-store display plaque.

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