Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Guides

How to check your PC’s specifications on Windows 11

Monica J. White
Michael Bizzaco
By and

Whether you’re planning on upgrading your graphics card, or want to know what version of Windows your machine is running, it pays to know your PC’s specifications. Luckily, you have quick access to most of these details.

For your consideration, we’ve put together this guide to teach you how to locate, and understand, your PC’s specifications in no time at all.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

How to check your specifications in Windows 11

Step 1: Click on the Windows logo in the bottom-left of your screen on the taskbar. Alternatively, press the Windows button on your keyboard — it should be located close to the space bar, on the bottom-left side.

Step 2: Click the Gear icon above the Power button, highlighted in red on the above screenshot, in order to enter Windows Settings. You can also type in “settings” with the Start menu open. The system will then suggest the right app to you.

A screenshot of Windows 10 Settings.
Digital Trends
Related

Step 3: Click on the System section in the top-left corner. This will take you to a basic overview of your computer.

Step 4: Scroll down on the left side of the Windows Settings until you locate the About section at the very bottom. Clicking on it will tell you some basic things about your PC.

Entering the About section will tell you the kind of processor (CPU) you’re running, the amount of memory (RAM) you have installed, and the device ID. It also shows you the version of the operating system you’re using.

This kind of information will suffice in many cases, but if you want to know more about the hardware inside your desktop PC or laptop, keep following through the next few steps.

A screenshot of Windows 10 system information.
Digital Trends
A screenshot from Windows 10 system settings.
Digital Trends

Check the Device Manager for more information

Step 1: The Device Manager in Windows 11 contains a full list of all the components that you own. There are two ways to access it, and the first one can be found without exiting the previous Settings window.

In the Related Settings menu in the top-right corner of the About section, click the link labeled System Info.

Step 2: Next, find the link labeled Device Manager in the top-left corner.

Alternatively, you can enter the Device Manager by using the Start menu. Simply repeat the first step of this guide. Open up the Start menu by clicking the Windows logo.

Step 3: With the menu open, type in “device manager.” Click the highlighted search result or simply press Enter on your keyboard to enter the Device Manager.

Step 4: The Device Manager contains information about all the components in your PC or laptop. It lets you see the exact model of most pieces of hardware, including the processor, the graphics card, disk drives, ports, peripherals, and more.

Expand the categories that interest you by clicking on them — this will show you more information about your hardware of choice. For example, clicking Display Adapters will show you the graphics card (GPU). Similarly, clicking on Processors tells you all about the processor (CPU) installed in your PC and shows you the number of cores that your CPU has.

You can double-click any component in the Device Manager in order to learn more about it, such as its status, installed drivers, and more.

Device Manager contains most of the information you need about your current PC. However, if you want to dig a little deeper, check the alternative option below.

A screenshot of Speccy.
Digital Trends

Use Speccy to quickly see the specs of your PC

Speccy is a program that will show you how to check PC specs easily. It’s a lightweight, quick-to-use tool that offers bite-sized information without delving into too much detail. You can download Speccy here and then choose between the free and premium versions. The free version is sufficient for most users.

Once you’ve installed Speccy, run the program. After a quick analysis, you will be presented with a summary of the components in your PC. Speccy also highlights temperatures and alerts you if your PC is too warm. If the temps are too high, you may be in need of a better cooler, but there can also be many other reasons behind the issue.

You can also click around the program on the left-hand side. Going into any of the sections will tell you more about that particular component.

If you find that you need even more information about your system and its status, a good alternative is HWiNFO. You can download it here.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Monica J. White
Monica J. White
Computing Writer
Monica is a UK-based freelance writer and self-proclaimed geek. A firm believer in the "PC building is just like expensive…
How to choose the best RAM for your PC in 2024
RAM inside the Starforge Navigator.

If you want to choose the best RAM for your PC, you'll be faced with a lot of terms that may not sound familiar at a glance. DDR? DIMM? CAS? XMP? When you just want something that goes well with the rest of your PC, having to pull out a dictionary before you shop can be pretty daunting.

Fortunately, picking RAM is fairly straightforward once you understand what you're looking for and what it means. In our RAM buying guide, we'll walk you through the process so that you can be happy with your choice.
Understanding RAM
The thing about RAM is that you don't need to fully get what each and every spec is responsible for -- not unless you want to. If you're building a barebones office PC, even sub-optimal RAM will make it run; the problem is that it won't run nearly as well as it could.

Read more
The next big Windows 11 update has a new hardware requirement
Windows 11 device sitting on a stool.

Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update is expected to arrive with yet another hardware requirement. Centered around SSE4.2 or Streaming SIMD Extensions 4.2, a crucial component for modern processors, the new Windows 11 24H2 with build 26080 will only boot on CPUs that support the instruction set.

This information comes from Bob Pony on X (previously known as Twitter), following earlier reports in February where he claimed that CPUs lacking support for the POPCNT instruction were no longer compatible with Windows 11. The updated requirement is essentially the same, except that they now mandate the entire SSE 4.2 instruction set instead of just the POPCNT instruction within it, as was previously required.

Read more
You’re going to hate the latest change to Windows 11
A laptop running Windows 11.

Just two weeks after rolling out a preview build to Windows Insiders, Microsoft is pushing out an update to Windows 11 that adds advertisements to the Start menu. Build KB5036980, which is now slowly rolling out to the wider Windows 11 user base, includes recommendations in the Start menu, and they sneakily sit beside your real apps.

These apps comes exclusively from the Microsoft store, and they sit in the Recommended section of the Start menu. This section includes recently used, frequent, and new apps, but one (or more) slots will now be dedicated to an ad. As the update reads: "The Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps. These apps come from a small set of curated developers. This will help you to discover some of the great apps that are available."

Read more