You need to know the processor, memory, graphics card, Windows version, or storage in your PC, usually because a game, app, upgrade, or support form asks for it. Windows 10 and Windows 11 include enough built-in tools for the basics, so you do not need a download just to identify your specs.
Does This Affect You?
Whether you are comparing your PC against a game requirement, deciding which component to upgrade, or sending details to support, Windows can show the important hardware and software information in a few places. Start with the fast overview, then use the display and storage tools for the parts not shown there.
Check the Basics: CPU, RAM, and Windows Version
This is the quickest way to see the core information.
- Open Start, choose Settings, then go to System > About.
- Under Device specifications, read the Processor, Installed RAM, System type, and device name.
- Under Windows specifications, check the Windows edition, version, and OS build. This is useful when software requires a certain Windows release.
- For a more detailed single page, press Windows+R, type msinfo32, and press Enter. System Information also shows BIOS version, motherboard/baseboard model, and many other hardware entries.
Check Your Graphics Card and Storage
GPU and drive details live in different Windows tools.
- Press Windows+R, type dxdiag, and press Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
- On the System tab, confirm the CPU and RAM details.
- Open the Display tab, or Display 1 and Display 2 on multi-monitor systems, to see the graphics card model and display memory/VRAM.
- For drive capacity, open File Explorer, choose This PC, and check total and free space under Devices and drives. Right-click a drive and choose Properties for exact numbers.
- To see whether a drive is an SSD or hard drive, press Windows+R, type dfrgui, and press Enter. The Media type column identifies each detected drive.
If you need deeper details such as RAM speed, exact motherboard model, sensors, or GPU memory type, tools like CPU-Z and GPU-Z provide more depth than Windows built-ins. For most support tickets and game checks, the built-in CPU, RAM, GPU, VRAM, and Windows version are enough.
When comparing against a game or app requirement, check both minimum and recommended specs. Pay special attention to graphics card model and VRAM, because those are common reasons a game launches poorly even when the CPU and RAM look acceptable.
In System Information, use File > Export to save a full text report. If Windows will not boot, the BIOS/UEFI screen can still show basics such as CPU model and installed memory.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Find out which Windows operating system I have (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Check your PC system information (2025)
- Intel – How to check what CPU I have (2024)