How to Find the Technical Specifications of a Computer

Knowing your computer's technical specifications helps you make informed decisions when selecting hardware and software. Being aware of the exact product lines of each component can also minimize technical problems. Regardless of the operating system, you can easily find the specifications of your computer.

Open the Run dialog. You can access it from the Start menu or by pressing the keyboard shortcut ⊞ Win+R.

Type .msinfo32 and press ↵ Enter. The System Information window will open.

• This may take a few minutes to load.
• There are several ways to check your system specifications in Windows. System Information offers the most comprehensive report all in one place.

Review the System Summary to find your basic information. There are several important items to note in the System Summary screen – the default view when you open the System Information window, including:

• OS Name – The version of Windows you are using.
• System Manufacturer/Model – The information about the computer’s manufacturer and model.
• System Type – This shows whether you are running a 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) version of Windows.
• Processor – The product line and speed of your processor. The speed listed is the advertised rate. If the processor has multiple cores, that information will also be displayed. Note that if the processor has been overclocked, the updated speed might not be reflected. Click here for more information on measuring processor speed.
• Installed Physical Memory (RAM) – The amount of RAM installed in your computer.
• Baseboard Manufacturer/Model – Information about the manufacturer and model of your motherboard. Note that the motherboard model may not always be correctly reported.

Expand the "Components" section. This section provides detailed information about your graphics card and hard drive.

Select "Display". The graphics card installed in your system will be listed here. If your motherboard includes integrated graphics and you have also installed a dedicated card, the two different sets of specifications will be displayed.

• When checking graphics card specifications, the most common details you need are Name and Adapter RAM. The Adapter RAM is shown in bytes here, but in system requirements, it is usually presented in gigabytes (GB). One gigabyte contains approximately 1 billion bytes (Windows may display this differently from the manufacturer’s specs).

Expand the "Storage" section and select "Drives". The free space and total capacity of all hard drives and partitions in your computer will be displayed.

• Select the "Disks" option to read the specifications of the physical drives and the different partitions within each drive.

Explore other sections. The information provided above helps you understand the technical specifications related to hardware and software system requirements. However, these are just the basic details. You can find more detailed information on each of the topics mentioned above.

• The "Software Environment" section provides details about all your drivers, running processes, and startup programs.

Export a file for computer repair purposes. If you consult a technician to resolve any issues with your computer, they may want to see a report on your computer's specifications. You can export your system specifications by clicking the "File" menu and selecting "Export". Name the file, and it will be saved as a text document.

Click the Apple menu and select "About This Mac". A window will appear displaying the OS X version and a summary of your system’s specifications, including processor speed, memory (RAM), and graphics card (if installed).

Use the tabs at the top of the window (Yosemite). The latest version of OS X includes tabs along the top of the About This Mac window, allowing you to quickly switch between different hardware categories. If you are using Mavericks (OS X 10.9) or an older version, proceed to the next step.

• The Overview tab provides a brief report on the most common specifications. This page should contain enough information for you to determine whether your computer can run a program.
• The Displays tab shows all connected screens.
• The Storage tab lists your hard drives and the storage capacity of each one.

Click on .More Info (Additional Info - For Mavericks and older versions). A new window will open, displaying detailed hardware information. Use the navigation pane on the left to locate the specific hardware information you're looking for.

• The "Hardware" section will display detailed information about all your hardware components. When you select "Hardware", the processor (CPU) details will appear in the right panel. If the CPU has more than one core, they will be listed here as well.
• Note: The processor speed shown here is the advertised speed from the manufacturer, and you can use it to determine whether your system meets the requirements for a program. However, it will not show the results of overclocking, which increases speed. Click here for more information on how to find your processor's actual speed.

Launch the emulator. You can use a lightweight hardware listing program available in many Linux distributions. If you don't have it, installation is fairly straightforward. You can quickly open the emulator in most distributions by pressing the key combination Ctrl+Alt+T.

Install lshw (if needed). Many Linux distributions, including Ubuntu and Mint, come with lshw pre-installed. Use one of the following commands to install lshw. If it's already installed, you will be notified.

• Debian distribution - sudo apt-get install lshw
• Red Hat/Fedora distribution - sudo yum install lshw

Run lshw to read information about your computer's hardware. Use the following command to filter out most unnecessary content and display only the most commonly sought-after items:

• sudo lshw -short.

Locate the item you're searching for. Use the "Class" column to search. You'll be able to find the processor, memory (RAM), graphics card ("display"), and hard drives.

Create a text file to record your hardware specifications. This will be useful when asking someone to repair your system or if you're selling your computer.

• Type sudo lshw -short > specs.txt. You can rename the file as you wish. You'll find this text file in your home directory.
• Alternatively, type sudo lshw -html > specs.html to create an HTML file. This might be easier to read when opened in a browser.

Install the GUI (Graphical User Interface). This interface allows you to view hardware information in a graphical window and navigate through it. It might be more comfortable for users familiar with Windows or OS X.

• Use the command sudo apt-get install lshw-gtk (Debian) or sudo yum install lshw-gui (RH/Fedora).
• Use the command sudo lshw -X to open the GUI for lshw. The GUI uses a "3-pane" design. Expanding something in the left pane will display additional details in the right pane. Expand the different groups to view your system's specifications.

Download a terminal emulator app. While you can access basic information about your phone through the Settings menu, you won't be able to view detailed information about the processor or memory. By using a terminal emulator app, you can run Linux commands to display system information.

• If you have access to Developer Tools on your device (Settings → Developer Tools), you can open the Terminal Emulator from there. If you don't have access to these tools, you can download a terminal emulator app. One of the most popular free apps is "Terminal Emulator for Android", which you can get from the Google Play Store. This method does not require root access, allowing full access to and modification of the file system.

Open the Terminal Emulator. You will be taken to a Linux-style command prompt.

Type the command .cat /proc/cpuinfo and press Enter. The information about the mobile processor on your Android device will be displayed.

Type the command .cat /proc/meminfo and press Enter. The information about your device's memory (RAM), including total capacity and used space, will be shown.