Have trouble accessing the details of your computer and you’re not sure how to check your computer specs? I know this feeling, even when I was looking to upgrade my first PC for gaming, I wasn’t sure what specs it carried and how can I upgrade it further for boosting the overall performance of my system.
In this situation, I’ve done a lot of research on Google for “how to check computer specs,” and the results have been both hilarious and instructive. This is where I came up with the idea of writing a helpful guide for people like me who’re having difficulties determining their computer’s specifications.
So, whether you want to know your computer specs for upgrading purposes or just out of curiosity, this guide will show you how to find your CPU, GPU, motherboard, and RAM without breaking a sweat.
Let’s get started…
How to Check Your Computer Specs
The methods you can use to check your computer’s specifications will differ depending on what type of information you are searching for. These steps may also differ depending on the operating system you are using.
As for this guide, I am going to cover all the possible methods for Windows (all versions, including Windows 11, 10, and 8), macOS, and Linux. Therefore, regardless of what operating system you’re using, you will be able to find your computer specs.
Here’s a general overview of what we’ll be covering:
- Checking Your CPU Specs
- Checking Your GPU Specs
- Checking Your Motherboard Specs
- Checking Your RAM Specs
Depending on the requirements you have, you can choose to check the specs of your computer using one of the methods listed below.
How to Check What Processor (CPU) You Have?
A CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the brain of our computer, and it is responsible for handling all our computations and processes happening in the background. The CPU will also affect the kind of application or games you can play on your PC, so it’s really important to know what type of CPU you’ve.
And when it comes to CPUs, there are two things which you need to look at: the clock speed and the number of cores. The clock speed is measured in GHz, and it determines how fast your CPU can process information. As for the cores, they determine how many tasks your CPU can handle simultaneously.
Now that we know the basics, let’s take a look at the methods you can use to check your CPU specs.
When using Windows, the first thing you must do is open the “Start Menu.” The simplest method to accomplish this is to merely click on the “Windows” icon that appears in the lower-left corner of your computer display. Alternatively, you may access this page by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard.
Look for the “System Information” page in the start menu once it has been opened. This page is usually found in the “Control Panel.” However, using the search bar to get there is the quickest method, so you simply need to type “System Information” in the search box and click on the appropriate result.
Upon opening the “System Information” page, you will need to scroll down until you see the “Processor” option on the right-hand side. Here you will find all the information you need to know about your CPU, such as the manufacturer, model name, the number of cores, and the clock speed.
Since we have just shown you how to check out your CPU specifications on Windows, let’s move along and see how we can do the process on Linux and macOS.
On Linux, all you need to do is open your terminal and then type in the following line: “cat /proc/cpuinfo.” After that, hit enter, and all the information you need about your CPU will be displayed on your screen.
In case you are a macOS user, you need to open the terminal and type “sysctl -a | grep machdep.” This will show you all the information about your CPU, including the model name and the number of cores.
How to Check What Graphics Card (GPU) You Have?
The GPU, also known as a graphics card or a video card, is responsible for creating the images you see on the screen of your computer. If you are a gamer or a professional who edits videos, then you will need a GPU that can handle those tasks.
In terms of GPUs, the two main things that you should take into account are the clock speed and the memory. The memory is measured in GB, and it stores all the data that is being processed by the GPU. As for the clock speed, it is again measured in GHz, and it determines how fast the GPU can process information.
Once we have an idea of what we should look for, let’s check how to check our GPU specifications.
The first thing you need to do if you’re using Windows is to right-click on the start menu and when the menu appears, click the “Device Manager” option. Alternatively, you can open the menubar by clicking the Windows icon (or the Windows key) and then searching for the “Device Manager” option.
When the “Device Manager” window appears, you need to go to the “Display Adapters” section and expand it. After that, you will be able to see your graphics card listed there. If you have more than one GPU installed on your computer, then they will all be listed here.
✍️ Author’s Note;
Since I am taking screenshots on my old laptop, this laptop comes with an Intel integrated graphics card only and you can clearly see the name of this card by looking at the screenshot we shared above.
If you see more than one graphics card in the “Display Adapters” list, that means either you have two graphics cards installed on your device, or your CPU has an integrated graphics chip.
If you wanted to get more information about your GPU, you can right-click on it and then select the “Properties” option from the menu that appears. Here you will find all the information about your GPU such as the name, manufacturer, memory size, etc.
As for Linux users, the only thing you need to do is open the terminal and type the following command: “lspci -vnn | grep VGA.” This will report all the information that you need about your GPU, such as the name and the size of the memory.
For users of macOS, things are a bit different since there is no definitive way of finding out what type of graphics card they are running. However, one method that you can try is to open the “About this Mac” window and then click on the “System Report” button. After you have done that, you can go to the “Graphics/Displays” section, and you should be able to find your GPU listed there.
How to Check What Motherboard You Have?
Since we are using an Intel-based CPU on our laptop, we are sure to find a motherboard that supports LGA 1151 socket, which is used by Intel-based CPUs. If you are not sure what socket your CPU has, then you should check out this guide on the CPU socket.
Anyways, once we know the socket type, we can narrow down our search for motherboards significantly. Even so, there are still a number of different models and manufacturers to choose from.
One way of finding the model number of your motherboard is to look for the model number on the box in which your computer came in. If you don’t have the box anymore or if you’ve built your own PC, there are a few other ways of finding out what motherboard you have.
To do this, the first thing that we are going to do is to open the start menu and click on “System Information,” as we did in the previous steps. Once you have opened the “System Information” page, you would need to click the “Baseboard” section, where you should be able to see the model number of your motherboard.
We often find that the model number of our motherboard is not printed on the “System Information” page, so we need to find some alternative solutions for getting the model number of our motherboard.
In this case, the second way is to open your computer’s case/cabinet and look for the model number on the motherboard itself. Usually, it is printed in large letters near the center of the board.
If you can’t find the model number on the motherboard or if it is not visible, then you can try to look for a sticker that has the barcode and serial number information. This sticker is usually placed on one of the sides of the motherboard.
And the last method is to use a software tool that will scan your computer and tell you what motherboard you have. We recommend using the CPU-Z tool for this purpose.
When you have downloaded and installed the tool, open it and click on the “Mainboard” tab. Here you will be able to see the model number, manufacturer, and other information about your motherboard.
How to Check How Much RAM You Have?
Checking the amount of RAM (Random Access Memory) installed on your computer is very important, especially if you are planning to upgrade it. After all, you would need to know how much RAM your computer currently has so that you can buy the correct type and amount of RAM for the upgrade.
The easiest way to check how much RAM your computer has is to use the “CPU-Z” tool which we’ve used in the previous step. Once you have installed and opened the tool, go to the “Memory” tab, and you should be able to see all the information about your RAM here.
Another way of doing this is to right-click on the start menu and select the “System” option. From here, go to the “About” page, and you should be able to see the total amount of RAM installed on your computer under the “Device Specifications” section.
If you’re a Linux user, then all you need to do is open the terminal and type in the following command: “grep MemTotal /proc/meminfo.” This will show you the total amount of RAM installed on your computer.
macOS users can also open the “About this Mac” window and click on the “System Report” button. From here, go to the “Memory” section to see how much RAM is installed on your computer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Finding out the specs of your computer can be a daunting task, especially if you are not very tech-savvy. In this section, we will try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about checking computer specs.
Q. Why is it important to know the specs of my computer?
There can be a number of reasons why you might need to know the specs of your computer. For instance, if you are planning to upgrade your computer, then you would need to know what parts are compatible with your system.
Additionally, if you are trying to troubleshoot a problem with your computer, then the specs can be helpful in determining what might be causing the issue.
Moreover, some games or software programs might require a certain type of hardware, and if you don’t have that, then the game or program might not run properly on your computer.
Q. What are some of the most important specs that I should know about my computer?
Some of the most important specs to know about your computer are the CPU, GPU, motherboard, and RAM. These are the main components of your computer that determine its performance and capabilities.
Be aware that there are other important specs as well, such as the storage ( HDD/SSD), and cooling system. These are usually not as important when it comes to upgrading your computer. However, if you are planning to build a computer from scratch, then you need to take all of these specs into consideration. And the power supply is included too.
Q. How to check computer specs by using cmd or run prompt?
First of all open cmd or run prompt and enter cmd and press entre. After that, you can use the “systeminfo” command in cmd or run prompt and press enter. This command will give you a lot of information about your computer, including the specs of the CPU, GPU, and motherboard.
Q. Should I be worried if my computer doesn’t have the latest and greatest specs?
Not necessarily. While it is always nice to have the latest and greatest hardware, it is not always necessary. For instance, if you are just using your computer for basic tasks such as browsing the web or checking email, then you don’t need to worry about having the latest CPU or GPU.
However, if you are planning to do more demanding tasks such as gaming or video editing, then you would need to make sure that your computer has the necessary specs.
Q. How to know if my computer can run a certain game or software?
In order to find out if your computer can run a certain game or software, you need to check the minimum system requirements. These requirements are usually listed on the game or software’s website.
If your computer meets or exceeds the minimum requirements, then there is a good chance that the game or software will run properly on your system. However, if your computer falls below the minimum requirements, then you might have to upgrade your hardware in order to run the game or software.
Q. Can I upgrade the specs of my computer?
Yes, you can, If you have a custom-built computer, then you can easily upgrade the specs by adding or replacing certain parts. However, while upgrading your build make sure that your new component is compatible with the existing ones. And if you have a pre-built computer, then it might be more difficult to upgrade the specs. This is because the parts are usually proprietary and only available from the manufacturer.
That being said, it is still possible to upgrade the specs on a pre-built computer, but it might not be worth the effort or money.
Wrapping Up!
Checking your computer’s specs is a very important thing to do, especially if you are planning on upgrading any of its parts. By knowing what components are inside your computer, you can make sure that you buy the correct parts for the upgrade.
And there are a few different ways of checking your computer’s specs. The easiest way is to use the “System Information” option in windows – but if you want to get more detailed information about your components, then you can use a software tool like CPU-Z.
Once you know what components are inside your computer, you can start looking for upgrades. Just make sure that you buy the correct parts for the upgrade, and you should be good to go!
We hope that this guide has helped you in checking the different specs of your computer, and if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below!