How to Check Your PC Specifications in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Introduction

Knowing exactly what hardware sits inside your computer is one of the most practical skills you can develop as a Windows user. Whether you are a beginner trying to figure out if a new game will run, or an IT administrator auditing a fleet of machines before a Windows 11 upgrade, the ability to check your PC specifications quickly and accurately saves time and prevents costly mistakes. Windows 10 and Windows 11 both ship with several built-in tools that reveal your processor model, amount of RAM, graphics adapter, storage configuration, motherboard details, and system architecture — no third-party software required.

This guide covers How to Check Your PC Specifications in Windows 10 and Windows 11 in practical, step-by-step detail. You will learn where each piece of information lives, how to read it correctly, and how to interpret the results. Beginners can follow along using only the Start menu and a few keyboard shortcuts, while IT administrators will find references to command-line tools such as systeminfo, wmic, and PowerShell CIM queries that can be scripted across many devices.

One detail that trips up many users is architecture. Modern Windows devices run on either x86 (traditional Intel and AMD 64-bit processors) or ARM64 (Qualcomm Snapdragon and similar chips found in Surface Pro X and many thin laptops). You must always verify software compatibility with your hardware architecture (ARM64 vs x86) before downloading drivers or applications, because a program built for x86 may run under emulation on ARM64 with reduced performance, or may not run at all. Checking your specifications is the first step in that verification process.

Another recurring theme is system currency. Keeping your operating system updated before installation prevents dependency conflicts — this applies whether you are installing a new graphics driver, a development toolchain, or an enterprise agent. An out-of-date build of Windows 10 or Windows 11 can lack the runtime libraries or security patches that newer software expects. As you work through this guide, treat the specification check as the foundation for every subsequent software decision.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, confirm that you have the following in place. None of these require special hardware, but they ensure the process runs smoothly.

• A Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC that boots normally and where you can sign in. If the machine is domain-joined, a standard user account is enough for most checks, though some commands return fuller detail when run as administrator.
• A keyboard with a Windows key, or knowledge of where the Start button is on your taskbar. Many of the fastest methods rely on keyboard shortcuts.
• Basic familiarity with the Start menu and search box. Beginners can complete every step using search alone.
• Administrative rights (recommended, not always mandatory). Tools like msinfo32 and dxdiag run fine as a standard user, but commands such as wmic and certain PowerShell queries may need elevation to return complete results.
• A way to record the findings, such as Notepad, a screenshot tool, or a spreadsheet. IT administrators auditing multiple machines should capture results systematically.

There is no installation required to check specifications — Windows already includes all necessary tools. However, if you intend to install additional diagnostic utilities afterward, remember two rules. First, always verify software compatibility with your hardware architecture (ARM64 vs x86); a 64-bit x86 utility will not install natively on an ARM64 device. Second, keeping your operating system updated before installation prevents dependency conflicts, so run Windows Update first if you plan to add third-party tools.

Preparation

Preparation is mostly about deciding what information you actually need, then choosing the most efficient tool for the job. Different tools expose different levels of detail, and knowing which one to open first avoids repeated clicking.

• For a quick overview: the Settings app (Windows 10 and 11) shows processor, installed RAM, device ID, product ID, system type, and edition in one screen.
• For deep component detail: System Information (msinfo32) lists motherboard model, BIOS version, baseboard manufacturer, total physical memory, and hundreds of other values.
• For graphics and audio specifics: DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag) reports GPU name, video memory, driver version and date, and display modes.
• For scripting and remote auditing: Command Prompt and PowerShell let administrators pull specifications from many machines without touching each one manually.

Decide whether you need a one-time snapshot or a repeatable report. If you manage endpoints, plan to export results to a text or CSV file. Also confirm your Windows build number, because menu labels differ slightly between Windows 10 versions (especially pre-1903) and Windows 11. Keeping your operating system updated before installation of any new tool prevents dependency conflicts and ensures the menu paths described here match what you see on screen. Finally, close resource-heavy applications before running dxdiag or PowerShell queries, since these tools read live hardware state and can be slowed by a busy system.

Installation Steps

Step 1: Review prerequisites and compatibility

Start by confirming which edition and build of Windows you are running, because this determines the exact menus you will use. Press Windows key + R, type winver, and press Enter. A small dialog shows the version and build number. Note whether you are on Windows 10 (builds 19041–19045 for recent versions) or Windows 11 (builds 22000 and higher).

Next, determine your architecture. Open Settings > System > About. The System type line reads either “64-bit operating system, x64-based processor” or “64-bit operating system, ARM64-based processor.” This single line tells you whether you are on the x86 or ARM64 branch. Record it, because you must always verify software compatibility with your hardware architecture (ARM64 vs x86) before downloading anything. If the machine is ARM64, most legacy x86 applications run under emulation, but drivers and low-level utilities usually do not.

As an administrator, run systeminfo from an elevated Command Prompt to capture OS name, version, build, system manufacturer, total physical memory, and processor details in one pass. Verify that the machine meets any baseline your organization enforces before proceeding further.

Step 2: Prepare the environment

Choose your data-collection method and set up a place to store results. Beginners should open Notepad to jot down findings. Administrators should create a working folder, for example C:\Specs, to hold exported reports.

Run Windows Update and install pending updates. Keeping your operating system updated before installation of diagnostic scripts or management agents prevents dependency conflicts, and it also ensures that WMI and PowerShell CIM providers return accurate, current data.

Close unnecessary applications. If you plan to run dxdiag, quit games and video editors first. If you plan to run remote queries, confirm that WinRM or RPC access is enabled on target machines. Optionally, test that you can open an elevated PowerShell prompt by right-clicking Start and choosing Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Terminal (Admin). If elevation fails, resolve account permissions before continuing, since several later steps assume administrative access.

Step 3: Configure core settings

This step is about selecting the right view and, where relevant, enabling the settings that make results readable or exportable.

• Settings app: Go to Settings > System > About. In Windows 11 this screen also exposes “Windows specifications” and “Device specifications.” No configuration is needed; just scroll to read values.
• System Information: Press Windows key + R, type msinfo32, and press Enter. Use the System Summary node for the overview and expand Components for displays, storage, and network detail. To export, choose File > Export and save as a text file.
• DirectX Diagnostic Tool: Press Windows key + R, type dxdiag, and press Enter. If prompted about driver signing, choose Yes. On the System tab, note processor and memory; on the Display tab, note the GPU name and driver version. Click Save All Information to write a report to disk.
• Command line: For a precise memory total, run wmic computersystem get TotalPhysicalMemory, then divide by 1073741824 to convert bytes to gigabytes. For a clean summary, run wmic cpu get Name,NumberOfCores,NumberOfLogicalProcessors.
• PowerShell: Run Get-CimInstance Win32_Processor | Select-Object Name,NumberOfCores and Get-CimInstance Win32_PhysicalMemory | Measure-Object -Property Capacity -Sum. These objects are easy to pipe into Export-Csv for fleet reporting.

Step 4: Run the main installation procedure

There is no software to install when checking specifications, so treat this step as executing the actual inspection. Work through the following sequence, recording values as you go.

• Press Windows key + I to open Settings, then navigate to System > About. Record device name, processor, installed RAM, system type, edition, version, and OS build.
• Launch msinfo32 and read System Manufacturer, System Model, BIOS Version/Date, BaseBoard Product, and Total Physical Memory. These identify your motherboard and firmware.
• Launch dxdiag and capture the graphics adapter name, dedicated video memory, driver version, and driver date. Repeat for each display tab if the machine has multiple GPUs (common on laptops with integrated and discrete graphics).
• Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to the Performance tab, and review CPU, Memory, Disk, and GPU panes. The Memory pane shows slots used and speed; the Disk pane shows drive type (SSD or HDD) and capacity.
• For storage detail, run Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object FriendlyName,MediaType,Size in PowerShell, or check Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings.
• Administrators: capture the same values remotely with Invoke-Command -ComputerName <name> -ScriptBlock { Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystem }, replacing the placeholder with the target hostname.

Step 5: Verify the installation

Verification means cross-checking your findings for consistency, because a single tool can occasionally report stale or partial values.

• Confirm that the RAM figure in Settings matches the sum from Win32_PhysicalMemory in PowerShell. A mismatch often indicates reserved memory for integrated graphics, which is normal, or a reporting quirk that a reboot resolves.
• Check that System type in Settings agrees with the processor name. An ARM64 device reports a Snapdragon or similar ARM chip; an x64 device reports Intel or AMD.

You now have a complete workflow for How to Check Your PC Specifications in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Keep your system updated, monitor resource usage, and revisit this guide when software versions change.

Next steps: harden your server firewall, set up automated backups, and explore related tutorials linked above.