# How to Check Your PC Specs on Windows 11

URL: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-check-pc-specs-windows-11/
Published: 2026-05-13 | Updated: 2026-08-10 | Author: Ankit Kumar
Tags: Windows 11, Hardware, System
Summary: Find your CPU, RAM, GPU, motherboard, and storage on Windows 11 using Settings, Task Manager, dxdiag, and System Information—no extra software needed.
Recommended app: Ultimate PC Repair Tool — https://www.mytechnician.tech/apps/my-technician/ (Microsoft Store: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9PH863L9C6HC?hl=en-us&cid=mytechnician-web). Optional; every step below uses built-in Windows tools.

## Why Check Your Specs
You need your specs to know whether a game will run, whether you can add RAM or an SSD, or to give a technician the right details in a support ticket. Windows 11 shows all of it without third-party tools—the information is just scattered across four different places.

## Step 1: Settings — CPU, RAM, Windows Edition
1. Open **Settings** (`Win + I`) → **System** → **About**.
2. **Device specifications** lists your **processor**, **installed RAM**, **system type** (64-bit), and **Device ID**.
3. **Windows specifications** lists your **edition**, **version** (e.g. 24H2), and **OS build**.

The version and build numbers are the two most useful things to quote when asking for help, because a fix that works on one build often does not exist on another.

## Step 2: Task Manager — Live Detail and GPU
1. Press `Ctrl + Shift + Esc` → **Performance** tab.
2. **CPU** — model, base speed, **Cores**, **Logical processors**, and the **Virtualization** line (needed for WSL, Hyper-V, and Android emulators).
3. **Memory** — total capacity, **Speed** in MT/s, **Slots used** (e.g. 2 of 4), and **Form factor** (DIMM for desktops, SODIMM for laptops). This tells you instantly whether a RAM upgrade means adding a stick or replacing what is there.
4. **GPU** — the graphics card name and **Dedicated GPU memory**. Laptops show two entries when they have both integrated and discrete graphics.
5. **Disk** — the drive model and, at the top right, whether it is **SSD** or **HDD**.

## Step 3: System Information — Motherboard and BIOS
1. Press `Win + R`, type `msinfo32`, press Enter.
2. In **System Summary**, read:
   * **System Manufacturer / System Model** — the laptop or prebuilt model, which is what you type into a support site.
   * **BaseBoard Manufacturer / BaseBoard Product** — the motherboard, which you need for chipset drivers.
   * **BIOS Version/Date** and **BIOS Mode** (UEFI or Legacy).
   * **Secure Boot State** — relevant for Windows 11 upgrades and some anti-cheat systems.
   * **Installed Physical Memory** and **Total Physical Memory**.
3. Expand **Components** → **Display** for full GPU detail, or **Storage** → **Drives** for disk sizes and free space.

You can save a full report from **File** → **Export**, which is a good thing to attach to a support email.

## Step 4: DirectX Diagnostic Tool — Gaming Specs
1. Press `Win + R`, type `dxdiag`, press Enter.
2. The **System** tab summarises CPU, RAM, and DirectX version.
3. The **Display** tab shows the GPU, its memory, the **driver version**, and the driver date—the exact three things a game's support team will ask for.
4. Click **Save All Information** to produce a text file you can attach to a ticket.

## Step 5: Command Line, If You Prefer It
Open **Terminal** and use PowerShell:

```powershell
Get-CimInstance Win32_Processor | Select-Object Name, NumberOfCores, MaxClockSpeed
```
```powershell
Get-CimInstance Win32_PhysicalMemory | Select-Object Manufacturer, Capacity, Speed, PartNumber
```
```powershell
Get-CimInstance Win32_VideoController | Select-Object Name, AdapterRAM, DriverVersion
```
```powershell
Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object FriendlyName, MediaType, Size
```

The memory query is the useful one before a RAM purchase: it gives you the exact part number and speed of the modules already fitted, so you can buy something that matches.

## Quick Reference: Where Each Spec Lives
* **CPU and RAM amount** — Settings → About, or Task Manager → Performance.
* **RAM speed and free slots** — Task Manager → Performance → Memory.
* **GPU and driver version** — Task Manager → Performance → GPU, or dxdiag → Display.
* **Motherboard, BIOS, Secure Boot** — `msinfo32` → System Summary.
* **Drive type (SSD vs HDD)** — Task Manager → Performance → Disk.
* **Serial number / service tag** — `wmic bios get serialnumber` in Command Prompt, or the sticker underneath a laptop.

## Reading the Numbers Before an Upgrade
* **RAM:** 8 GB is the practical floor for Windows 11; 16 GB is comfortable. If Task Manager shows 1 of 2 slots used, adding a matching stick is the cheapest meaningful upgrade—see [how to check and upgrade RAM](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/check-upgrade-ram-pc/) and [how much RAM do I need](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-much-ram-do-i-need/).
* **Storage:** if **Disk** says HDD, that is your bottleneck, not the CPU. See [how to choose an SSD](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-choose-an-ssd-for-your-pc/).
* **GPU:** compare the exact model to a game's requirements, not the amount of VRAM. 8 GB on a slow card is still a slow card.

## Next Steps
* Planning upgrades: [the best PC upgrades to speed up an old computer](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/best-pc-upgrades-to-speed-up-an-old-computer/).
* Checking drive condition: [check SSD or hard drive health](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/check-ssd-hard-drive-health-windows-11/).
* Virtual machines or WSL: the **Virtualization** line in Task Manager is the one that matters—see [how to enable virtualization (VT-x / AMD-V) in the BIOS](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-enable-virtualization-vt-x-amd-v-bios/), then [how to install WSL](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-install-wsl-windows-11/) or [how to enable Hyper-V](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-enable-hyper-v-windows-11/).

---
Source: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-check-pc-specs-windows-11/ — My Technician, free Windows 10/11 troubleshooting guides.
Related tool: Ultimate PC Repair Tool (Ultimate PC Repair Tool is a Windows diagnostic and repair toolkit with system analysis, automated troubleshooting, and hardware checks for Windows 10/11.) — https://www.mytechnician.tech/apps/my-technician/
More guides: https://www.mytechnician.tech/llms.txt