How Can I Tell What Hardware Is in My Computer

Whether you're looking to upgrade your PC and you need your organisation's specs to know what kind of new PC hardware you can buy, or you lot're going to sell your current system and you lot demand to know what specs you have and then you tin can list them in your ad, checking your estimator'southward specs is really a pretty easy task.

In this easy-to-follow guide, we'll walk you step-by-step through how to quickly bank check your reckoner's specs so that you tin can get the data y'all need.

How to Check Specs of A Laptop?

While this post might seem more than geared towards people who accept desktop computers, the methods outlined below will piece of work for laptop owners as well.

If y'all're a laptop owner and y'all're looking for more information on your laptop's configuration, check out the following guide: What Kind of Laptop Practise I Have?

How to Check What Processor (CPU) You Have

If you're wondering what kind of processor you have, you lot tin easily find out that data on a Windows ten computer in two clicks.

To observe out what CPU you accept, just practice the post-obit:

1. Right-click on the Windows start menu icon on the bottom left-paw side of your screen.
2. Click on 'System' in the carte that pops up.
3. Next to 'Processor' information technology will listing what kind of CPU you have in your computer.

Easy, correct?

How to Check What Graphics Card (GPU) You Have

If yous desire to find out what kind of graphics carte you take, the procedure is similar to finding out what CPU you accept, but checking to see what GPU is in your system is 50% more than work than checking to come across what your CPU is. (Beause you have to click 3 times, instead of ii.)

To find out what GPU you lot have, simply exercise the following:

1. Again, right-click on the Windows start menu icon.
two. Click on 'Device Manager' in the menu that pops upward.
3. In 'Device Manager' click on the arrow next to 'Display Adapters'
4. Your GPU will be listed at that place.

It should be noted, though, that it might show two options nether the 'Brandish Adapters' tab. If it shows ii, that ways it is showing both the integrated graphics on your processor and the dedicated graphics card on your laptop.

The one that yous are looking for is the dedicated graphics card, equally information technology is the more than powerful (and the i your system uses) of the two.

And, your dedicated graphics carte volition typically be the second option listed. If y'all take an Intel processor, the integrated graphics will be named something like 'Intel HD Graphics 4000.' In that instance, the other selection volition be the 1 yous want to.

And, it will likely either exist something similar NVIDIA GeForce GTX 700M or AMD Radeon (or HD) R9 M470. Only note, though, that if yous accept an AMD processor in your system, the integrated graphics volition also likely be 'AMD Radeon…" Only in that case, but go with the 2nd pick, every bit that is likely your dedicated graphics.

How to Check What Motherboard Y'all Have

To notice out what type of motherboard you have (and, really, who manufactures your motherboard and what socket and chipset it is), the process is a bit different than above.

Yous could of course open up your desktop (if y'all accept a desktop and not a laptop) and bank check and see who manufactures your motherboard and what the model name is on the board.

However, motherboard's are typically named something like ASUS Z690-A, or MSI B550M, or Gigabyte GA-AX370-Gaming5, where ASUS, MSI, and Gigabyte are motherboard manufactures, and Z690, B550, and X370 are the motherboard chipsets (which can also pb you to the socket type of the motherboard as well.)

So, if you're not somewhat familiar with who the main motherboard manufacturers are and what string of letters and numbers to look for that designate the chipset and motherboard name, yous might desire to go with an easier selection.

For some users, you can try the post-obit:

1. In the Windows search bar, blazon in 'System Information'
2. Ringlet down on the System Summary tab (opens on the left side of the window) until you observe 'Motherboard Manufacturer', or 'BaseBoard Manufacturer'.
3. The information side by side to 'Motherboard/BaseBoard Manufacturer', 'Motherboard/BaseBoard Model', and 'Motherboard/BaseBoard Proper noun', should give you the data yous are looking for.

Although, in a lot of cases, the information you lot'll find in these tabs might exist kind of vague. For instance, on my desktop, the BaseBoard Manufacturer is 'ASUSTek COMPUTER INC.', the BaseBoard Model is 'Not Available', and the BaseBoard Name is 'Base Board'.

It's non actually a whole lot to go off of, but it does at least let yous know who manufactured your motherboard. And, it could help make it easier to notice the data you're looking for when y'all open up your computer to check.

How to Cheque How Much Retention (RAM) You Have

Checking how much RAM y'all have in your reckoner is some other very like shooting fish in a barrel task. In fact, yous can discover how much retentiveness you accept on the same screen that lists what CPU you have.

1. Right-click the Windows start carte du jour icon.
2. Select 'System'
3. Ringlet down and it should list how much retentiveness y'all take.

Y'all tin also discover out how much RAM you lot have by looking in 'Arrangement Information' on Windows ten equally outlined in the department above on how to find out what type of motherboard you have.

Third Party Tools

While the methods above volition easily all you to check your computer's specifications, y'all can also utilise third-party hardware monitoring tools to help y'all find necessary info nigh your system.

Nosotros recommend the following tools to help you monitor you computer'southward performance, equally well equally give y'all data (like what CPU and GPU you take, too as how much RAM you have):

• CPU-Z
• Speccy
• Core Temp (CPU only)
• HWInfo

After Yous Check What Computer Specs Y'all Have…

Now that yous know what specs your reckoner has you tin can make a better decision on whether or not your current system is worth upgrading or not. Yet, it should be noted that if you are looking to upgrade your components, it isn't every bit simple as just picking out a new and improve component and putting information technology into your arrangement.

Your current components will dictate what new components you tin can buy. For instance, if you lot have an older motherboard, you can't only go out and upgrade to the newest processor, considering your motherboard and the newest processor probably won't exist compatible.

You also can't leave and upgrade your graphics card to the biggest and all-time option bachelor if your existing power supply doesn't have enough power supply to accommodate the new GPU.

In fact, in a lot of cases, if you have an older organization, it might make more sense to just purchase or build a brand new system, as your older system might not accept any components worth keeping around. If that'due south the case, bank check out our heir-apparent's guide on ownership/building a inexpensive PC, or if you want to spend more, our buyer's guide on buying/building a loftier-end computer.

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