How to determine the configuration of a Windows 7 computer. How to find out the parameters of your computer

To run some programs, games, or perform specific processes, the computer hardware and software must meet certain requirements. To find out how your system meets these characteristics, you need to review its parameters. Let's find out how to do this on a Windows 7 PC.

There are two main ways to view computer parameters on Windows 7. The first is to use special third-party diagnostic software, and the second involves retrieving the necessary information directly through the operating system interface.

Method 1: Third Party Programs

Let's start exploring options for viewing PC parameters by using third-party programs, choosing one of the most popular - AIDA64. Using this software as an example, we will consider the algorithm of actions.

Method 2: Internal system functionality

The main parameters of the computer can also be viewed using exclusively the internal functionality of the system. True, this method still cannot provide such a large amount of information as the use of third-party specialized software. In addition, it should be noted that to obtain the necessary data, you will have to use several OS tools, which is not convenient for all users.

You can also determine some additional information about the system using the tool "DirectX Diagnostic Tool".

1. Dial combination Win+R. Enter in the field:

   Click "OK".



2. In the window that opens, in the tab "System" you can view some of the data that we saw in the computer properties, as well as some others, namely:
   • Manufacturer name and model of motherboard;
   • BIOS version;
   • Paging file size, including free space;
   • DirectX version.



3. When you go to the tab "Screen" The following information will be provided:
   • Manufacturer and model name of the video adapter;
   • The size of its memory;
   • Current screen resolution;
   • Monitor name;
   • Enable hardware acceleration.



4. In the tab "Sound" information about the name of the sound card is displayed.



5. In the tab "Enter" provides information about the PC mouse and keyboard.

If you require more detailed information about the connected equipment, you can view it by going to "Device Manager".

Some information about computer parameters that cannot be viewed using the tools described above can be retrieved by entering a special command in "Command line".

1. Click again "Start" and go to the item "All programs".



2. In the list that opens, enter the directory "Standard".



3. Find the item there "Command line" and click on it RMB. In the list that opens, select the option to activate as an administrator.



4. IN "Command line" enter the expression:

   Press the button Enter.



5. After this, wait a while until "Command line" System information will be downloaded.



6. Data loaded into "Command line", largely overlap with the parameters that were displayed in PC properties, but in addition you can see the following information:
   • The date the OS was installed and the time it was last loaded;
   • Path to the system folder;
   • Current time zone;
   • System language and keyboard layout;
   • Directory where the paging file is located;
   • List of installed updates.

You can find out information about computer parameters in Windows 7 either by using third-party specialized programs or through the OS interface. The first option will allow you to get more information, and in addition it is more convenient, since almost all the data is available in one window by going to tabs or sections. But at the same time, in most cases, the data that can be seen using system tools is quite sufficient to solve many tasks. In this case, you do not need to install any third-party software that will additionally load the system.

Many users, for example, when buying used equipment, are wondering how to find out the characteristics of the hardware of a computer or laptop so as not to get into trouble. This is done quite simply using several basic methods that will be useful to any user, regardless of the situation.

How to view computer settings on Windows 7: the simplest method

Let's take the Windows 7 system as a basis, although in this case, by and large, this does not play a special role.

So, in resolving the question of how to look at Windows 7, the simplest and most accessible method for any user is to use the menu, which is called up by right-clicking on the computer icon. Here you can see the RAM and installed modifications of the operating system.

If you need to estimate disk space, there is nothing easier than going to the standard “Explorer”, where by the same right-click on the letter of the disk or partition, call up the corresponding menu. But this is only initial information.

Where can I see the computer settings on Windows 7 in the Control Panel?

You can also duplicate the view in the “Control Panel” by calling it from the initial start menu or through the “Run” console (Win + R) using the Control command (it works on all Windows systems).

Here you need to refer to the “Systems and Security” section, where the required parameters will be presented. However, if you look at all these characteristics more carefully, it is easy to see that this is the same menu that was called up in the first case.

How to find out the characteristics of installed devices in the BIOS

If you do not take the OS into account, then the question of how to find out the parameters of a computer on Windows 7 or on any other platform can be solved by simply entering the primary BIOS input/output system.

The main characteristics of all devices on the computer will be indicated here, even if they are deactivated.

System information

What is another way in Windows 7 to get the most detailed information?

To do this, you need to use system information. You can call this section from the same “Control Panel”, but the easiest way is to enter the line msinfo32 in the “Run” menu. Not only the parameters of the main devices will be indicated here, but also the BIOS, SMBIOS versions, computer name, system destination folders, drivers, etc.

Defining settings in Device Manager

If this option is not suitable for the user for some reason, the problem of how to view computer settings on Windows 7 can be solved by calling the “Device Manager”. You can again access it through the standard Control Panel, but it’s even easier to enter the devmgmt.msc command in the Run console.

And here the information is already grouped by type of device and installed drivers. By the way, this is where you can track devices that are experiencing problems, view all information about installed drivers and their files, reinstall problematic components, etc. To view all components present in the computer system, you need to use the display hidden line in the view menu devices.

DirectX

Another method for resolving the question of how to view computer settings on Windows 7 is to use the DirectX bridge dialog box, which most users either forget about or don’t know about at all.

To enter, use the dxdiag command in the same Run menu, after which the user is taken to the main information window. The good thing about this approach is that here you can not only find out the basic parameters of the system components, but also conduct a series of tests (for example, you can check the graphics accelerator based on 3D or GPU parameters).

Third party utilities

Finally, if the user does not like all the options described above, you can use the help of specialized software products that were developed specifically to obtain system information about any computer device.

Among them, programs like Everest, CPU-Z and their analogues are especially worth noting. What’s most interesting is that many utilities of this class are also capable of monitoring, say, the temperature indicators of the central processor or processor system of a video card, adjusting the speed of fans installed in coolers, monitoring the use of RAM, etc. And some can even overclock hardware, which is very often used by overlockers who do not want to interfere with the operation of installed devices using physical methods, but use exclusively software products for this.

Conclusion

The very problem of how to view computer parameters on Windows 7 can be solved in several simple ways. The question here is different: what kind of information does the user need regarding installed devices? For the most detailed information, without a doubt, you need to use system information, and to view general settings, use computer properties. For the simplest hardware test, DirectX is suitable, but if you are doing overclocking, you cannot do without third-party software. Yes, and you will need to choose only narrowly focused utilities. For example, to control fan speed there is nothing better than the SpeedFan utility, and for graphics accelerators you need to use testing programs with peak loads.

In the modern world, a computer is our first assistant in various matters, be it work or leisure. To understand exactly where the limit of its capabilities is, you need to know the parameters and characteristics. You can find and view them using standard built-in methods in Windows 7 or using external software.

Why do you need information about the characteristics of a computer running Windows 7?

Of course, every owner of a personal computer or laptop with the Windows 7 operating system has an approximate idea of ​​its computing power and speed of work in a particular program. But there are cases when parameters expressed in numerical values ​​need to be known more accurately.

For example, a PC owner decides to buy a new game. Modern games are very demanding on computer resources - a good video card or a stronger processor may be required. If the current PC specifications do not meet the requirements, the gamer may think about upgrading, that is, improving the computer’s parameters, purchasing new or additional configuration elements. Then it will be necessary to take into account the compatibility of new components with existing ones, which means you need to know their composition.

The problem is relevant not only for those who like to play computer games, but also for any person who is in one way or another involved in installing programs and applications on a computer. Programs usually have minimum system requirements, especially for serious professional software - graphics packages, 3D processing programs, publishing systems, powerful word processors.

You can also determine the upper limit of PC performance experimentally, when the installed program begins to slow down when performing certain actions. However, why spend extra time installing it if you can immediately see whether the PC parameters meet the requirements. Moreover, this can be done easily and quickly using standard methods, that is, using built-in utility programs, and by installing additional software.

How to find out the parameters, properties and information of a PC or laptop

Standard methods

The Windows 7 operating system already has a set of built-in programs and methods to quickly find out the PC settings without resorting to installing other software. Methods for obtaining information differ in the level of complexity of the call, so the user can choose the most convenient and easily accessible options for himself. Every PC user knows at least two methods.

There are no differences for different OS versions. These methods will work in all versions of Windows 7: Home, Professional, Ultimate and other builds.

System Information utility

The built-in system information utility program can be launched in a few mouse clicks:

Find the “Computer” icon on the “Desktop” and right-click on it.

Select "Properties" from the drop-down menu

The call is made by clicking on the computer icon

That, in fact, is all you need to view information about the system. The window that opens will display information about the version of the Windows 7 operating system, installed updates, and licenses. The following contains information about the characteristics of the processor, RAM memory, OS bit depth, as well as the system performance index. Below is the computer name.

The main part of the window contains information about the OS, processor parameters and other information

Hotkeys for calling the window with system properties

You can access this window even faster by using the hotkey combination Win (Windows window icon) + Pause/Break. The Pause/Break key is present on standard personal computer keyboards, but may not be present on laptop keyboards whose creators strive for compactness and abandon some rarely used keys for the sake of other functions.

Via control panel

It's not always easy to remember keyboard shortcuts for different programs. There is no need to despair. It is worth remembering that any computer has a main central point for controlling all devices and parameters. This is the Control Panel. Just remember how to launch it, and you will always have access to all important functions and information.

Go to Start, then select the Control Panel menu command.

The next window can be presented in two versions. It depends on whether you have ever run it before or not. The standard window presentation is by category. That is, access to individual functions is grouped thematically under single headings, and the menu items contain the information most necessary for the user, so you may not find the item you need right away.

Features are divided into categories

If the window looks like this, select “System and Security”.

If icons with names are displayed on the screen, without breakdown into categories, then you should immediately go to the “System” item. You can change the display type to one that suits you in the upper right corner of the window, the “View” option, then change it to “Category” or “Large/small icons”.

Display all Control Panel items without categorizing them

After selecting the appropriate item, the same system information window will appear with information about the version of Windows 7, processor properties and other data.

How to open using Device Manager

Often, the information provided in the system properties window is not enough to make a decision about upgrading a PC. For example, you need to know the exact model of the processor, audio and video device, or information about other components. This is where Device Manager comes to the rescue. It contains information about absolutely all components inside your PC and connected external devices.

You can access the “Device Manager” through the “System Properties” window, from the tab in the left side menu.

To launch the dispatcher, you need to select the appropriate item in the left menu of system properties

The Device Manager itself looks like this and contains a list of PC components divided into categories. To view the composition of each category, you need to expand it by clicking on the triangle on the left side of each item.

The manager contains information about components by category

In addition to general information about the composition of your PC's hardware, Device Manager can provide even more valuable information - whether it's time to update the device driver or whether there are any conflicts between devices. You can right-click on each list item and select “Properties”, where detailed information about the component, installed drivers and other information needed in exceptional cases will be presented. Conflicting devices will be marked with a yellow triangle - by this icon you can determine that there is a problem with the component, perhaps it is incompatible with some other device, then you need to reinstall the component or update its driver.

Via the command line

A little more information than the “System Information” window is provided by launching a special utility through the Windows 7 command line.

Go to Start, then click Run.

In the window that appears, enter the Latin letters “cmd” (without quotes).

A window with a black background will appear, enter the command “systeminfo” (without quotes) in it. In a few seconds the system will load the data. In addition to information about the version of Windows, there you can find information about the status of RAM, network adapters, BIOS version, system model, domain group.

Result of executing the systeminfo command

How to open by launching the Run applet

The Run applet also allows you to launch the system properties window directly from it, you just need to know a special command.

Go to the Start menu and click Run. This applet can be called by pressing the Win + R key combination.

In the input field, type the command “control system” (without quotes). Click OK.

System properties can be accessed through the control system command

If this method does not work and gives an error, try writing in the applet the full name of the command “control /name Microsoft.System” (without quotes, with a space before the slash (slash) and without a space after it). Click OK.

Full name of the command to view system information

The convenience of this method is that the “Run” applet remembers all the commands you previously entered. It is enough to remember approximately what words it contains or what letter it begins with. When you enter this letter into a line, the applet will display all the commands that you entered that begin with this letter.

How to Check Specifications Using the DirectX Diagnostic Tool

Detailed information about the main devices can be obtained using the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, this utility is also included in the system.

Click the Start button, then Run, or press the Win + R key combination.

In the Run box of the applet, enter the command “dxdiag” (without quotes). The DirectX diagnostic window will open. From the main “System” tab, you can find out information about the OS version, computer model and BIOS, processor type and DirectX version. The following tabs “Display”, “Sound”, “Input” allow you to obtain information about the corresponding video, audio, and input devices included in your computer’s configuration.

If the window does not start, type in the “Run” line the full name of the command with the extension “dxdiag.exe” (without quotes).

The utility is launched through the execution applet and the dxdiag command

How to log in via BIOS

If the above methods of obtaining information about the system are still not enough, you can be determined and “get into” the very core of the computer - the BIOS. In addition to basic information, you can find out there, for example, the temperature of the hard drive and processor.

This method of finding out the parameters is not recommended for beginners, since, firstly, to enter the BIOS you will need to determine its type in order to find the required entry key, because it is different for all manufacturers. Secondly, you will need to press this key very quickly when loading the PC, since this only takes a few seconds. Thirdly, the BIOS in most cases is a blue or black screen with text, which is unusual for GUI users. Accidentally changing settings in it can lead to a malfunction of the PC.

To enter the BIOS, you need to start rebooting the computer. There is no need to turn off the monitor.

Next, you should act very quickly, you can even film the screen with your smartphone’s camera if you can’t enter the BIOS the first time. When white lines of text run across the black screen and the logo appears, you need to look at the very bottom of the screen, where it says “Press ... to enter SETUP.”

What will be written instead of the ellipsis is the button you are looking for. Most likely, you will need to reboot again so that you, having information about the button, have time to press it before the PC boots.

Below you can find information about the button to enter the BIOS

Popular keys to access the BIOS are DEL or F2.

And also knowing the name of the BIOS on your PC (you can see it in the very top line of the black screen during boot if you did not notice the BIOS entry key), you can find information about the key combination, this depends on the PC manufacturer.

The most common brands of PCs and laptops and buttons for entering BIOS:

If the input does not work the first time, even when you press the desired key, try again. It happens that the key simply does not have time to work, and the OS boot process proceeds as usual.

The BIOS looks different on every PC and the information presented may vary greatly. The main thing to remember is that you don’t need to change settings unless you need to and understand what this might lead to.

Displays information about PC components

Using third-party programs and utilities

The most complete information about the system, presented in one place in a user-friendly form with graphs, can be obtained using specialized programs that are installed separately on the PC. With them you can not only have data about your computer, but also monitor the temperature, memory and hard drive load in “real time”.

Aida

It is considered the most popular program for obtaining complete information about the characteristics and current state of the PC. Here you can learn everything about computer hardware and software, operating system, and additional external devices. In addition, the program has a number of tests to determine PC performance, analyze configuration features (which allows you to find out even what is not in the documentation), check system stability, and much more.

The program is very functional, but therefore it is not free. The Extreme Edition and Engineer Edition are available to download for free with a 30-day trial. The versions are almost fully functional; they only lack some reports. However, this will be more than enough to test the system and identify faults.

You can download the program from the official website using the link - http://www.aida64.ru/download.

After launching the program, an interface similar to “Device Manager” appears, where all PC components are divided into categories.

PC components are categorized and you can view information for each

Everest

Previously, it was also one of the most famous programs for monitoring the configuration and status of a PC. Now its support has been discontinued, the program has been replaced by AIDA64. However, you can still find versions of this software on the Internet. However, you can’t hope for stability of its operation, and it’s better to use other utilities.

HWInfo

In the HWInfo utility, information about a PC is not displayed as structured as in other programs, but the software has a number of details that may seem convenient to someone.

For example, next to the section where you can update drivers, a link to the manufacturer’s website is displayed, and you do not need to search for it yourself.

The block with processor and hard drive temperature indicators also shows the recommended maximum temperature for your specific PC, so all you have to do is make sure that this level is not reached.

The utility works at high speed.

The only negative is that there is no Russian language.

Display system data on one screen

">http://www.hwinfo.com/">http://www.hwinfo.com/.

PC Wizard

The functionality of the PC Wizard program is similar to previous programs. Through it you can obtain information about the system, test PC performance, check driver updates, and more. It contains less data than the AIDA leader, but for some this is more than enough.

The program quickly minimizes to the tray and displays indicators and notifications there. The only drawback is that when you first start the software, it may freeze for several minutes as it collects data about the system.

">http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/pc-wizard.html">http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/pc-wizard.html.

The program displays system data

Speccy

Another convenient program in its class is Piriform Speccy. The program is completely free and also offers many PC characteristics and indicators for all major devices to view. At the same time, various brands and manufacturers of PCs, laptops, and netbooks are supported. It works quickly and is Russified. Conveniently, there is a portable version of this program - that is, it does not require installation and starts immediately after downloading. You can carry it with you on a flash drive and open it directly from it.

">http://www.piriform.com/speccy/download">http://www.piriform.com/speccy/download.

Displaying system characteristics by partition

Video: where to find and view information about the properties of the operating system

Having become familiar with the information on viewing system parameters using various standard methods and built-in programs, the user will always be able to accurately find out the configuration of his PC, the status of the devices, and also check their stable operation.

My name is Elizaveta, I am 27 years old. Higher education in pedagogy, specialty: teacher of computer science and English; the second is a systems engineer. She worked in the educational field, as well as in the IT field. Since childhood, I have been interested in writing articles, stories and other literary opuses :-), with spelling, punctuation and grammar, everything is in perfect order. As a student, I worked part-time as a rewriter/copywriter. I wrote on topics that were suggested to me, most often these were children’s/women’s topics: health, pregnancy, children, development. Less frequently came across news and announcements on finance/business and technology. Now I run my own thematic communities on social networks, and I write articles for them myself.

Sometimes there is an urgent need to find out the characteristics of your computer. For example, in order to update drivers, upgrade some parts of the system unit, or simply show off to your peers, and in many cases you just need to find out the markings of a particular system component. There are only two ways to do this: and read the markings or check them using software.

The first method, although simple, in most cases may not be available due to a violation of the warranty (if the computer is under warranty). Therefore, let's take a closer look at the second method, how to find out the characteristics of your computer using programs, both built-in operating system tools and additional specialized software.

We look at the characteristics of the computer using the operating system

1. In order to find out the three main system parameters, just go to the “My Computer” tab in the “Start” menu. To do this, you need to hover the cursor over it and right-click on it; in the list that opens, select “Properties”.

This can also be done in one more way: from the “Control Panel” tab, select “System”. In the window that opens below, you can view the same parameters.

2. You can find out what equipment is installed on your computer, but without detailed characteristics, through the “Device Manager”.

To launch it, you can simply type the key combination “Win+Pause”. In Windows 7, in the window that opens, you will need to select the “Device Manager” tab. Now we can see what devices are installed on your computer and their names, for example, processor type and frequency, video card, sound card, network adapters, disks, etc. The Device Manager in XP can be launched using the key combination “Win+Pause” “, then at the top you need to click on the “Equipment” tab, and already launch “Device Manager” in it.

3. This method involves using the integrated “System Information” software. To launch it, you need to click on the “All Programs” drop-down list in the “Start” menu, then “Accessories”, open the “Utilities” tab and launch the “System Information” utility there. You can also do this faster by pressing the Win+R key combination. The program launch window will open. In the “Open” line you need to type “msinfo32.exe”. This is the same utility, only launched through the console.

Using this built-in software, you can obtain basic information about the system and components. But this utility is quite inconvenient due to the complexity of the branches of transitions along the tree. This software can be used in the absence of other software that is easier to understand and read.

4. You can also view system characteristics through the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. This utility is used mainly for testing both video and audio cards. The utility window displays general information about the system and, more specifically, about the video card.

5. You can find out the characteristics of your computer from the BIOS. To do this, when booting the computer, you must press the F1, F2, Del or Esc key. It all depends on the version of the BIOS itself. Further, some knowledge of English is required.

Programs for viewing computer characteristics

For more detailed system performance diagnostics, you can use special programs. For example, AIDA64, ASTRA32, PC-Wizard programs are excellent software both for diagnostics and for testing all components separately.

To begin with, let's say that the AIDA64 (formerly Everest) application belongs to the paid category. However, it is possible to take advantage of the free 30-day period provided by the developers so that the user can familiarize himself with the capabilities of the program. This is quite enough for us. In our case, we will use the AIDA64 Extreme Edition to familiarize ourselves with the basic parameters of the computer. There is, of course, a business version of this application, but for our purposes the Extreme version will suffice. This application must be downloaded from the developer's website (www.aida64.com) and installed on your computer.

AIDA is very simple and easy to use. The main application window is divided into two parts: the left side displays a tree of the main subsystems of the computer, and the right side displays detailed information about the subsystem selected on the left side. To view summary information on your computer, just expand the “Computer” section, and then select the “Summary Information” subsection.

Selecting this subsection will allow you to find out all the characteristics of your computer: the type of computer, information on the installed operating environment, information about the system board, available partitions, network, peripheral devices, etc.

You can view data on your computer's central processor by selecting the "CPU" subsection in the root "System Board" section. The right side of the application will display the parameters of all processors installed on the PC. This data will tell you about the type of processor installed, its model, clock speed, supported instructions, cache of different levels. You can also find information about the load on the microprocessor cores. If you need more detailed information about the functions supported by the system microprocessor, then feel free to click the “CPUID” subsection.

If you move a little further in your selection and select the “Motherboard” section, then detailed information on the motherboard will be displayed in the main application window. For a desktop PC, AIDA64 will display the properties of the board with its name, the properties of the system bus with its real and effective frequencies. Data on the properties of the memory bus with its width, frequencies, and bandwidth will also be demonstrated. Equally important technical information on the physical parameters of the board: supported CPU socket, installed connectors for expansion cards, the number of slots for RAM sticks, as well as the type of sticks themselves and the type of supported memory. In the same section, the application will show data about the form factor of the motherboard, its physical dimensions and the chipset.

Selecting the “Memory” subsection in the “Motherboard” section will display summary information about the computer’s RAM. Here you can find out information about the RAM and virtual memory available in the system: how much has already been used and how much is currently available for use by the system and applications. Also, this section shows the path to the system swap file.

You can easily find out about the properties of installed RAM modules by clicking the “SPD” subsection. This action will allow the application to show all memory modules installed on the PC, which are displayed at the top of the main window area. Selecting one of the displayed modules will allow you to obtain data that is shown in the lower part of the main area of ​​the program window. By default, when you go to the “SPD” subsection, this part displays the data of the first module displayed in the list. Here you can find the following data about the properties of the module: its type, the amount of memory it provides, the type of this memory, its speed. Also, the width and voltage of the module, timing characteristics and functions supported by it are displayed here.

Video card

In order to view data on the characteristics of the video adapter, you need to go to the root section “Display”. Among its subsections you need to find “Graphics Processor”. Selecting this subsection will allow you to display data about the video adapter installed on the PC in the main area of ​​the program. Among them is information about the type of video chip, its BIOS version, the memory of the graphics card (volume, frequency, type), some characteristics of the graphics processor (frequency, technical process).

The “Monitor” subsection of the same root partition will allow the user to become familiar with the main characteristics of the system monitor. These include model, resolution, aspect ratio, vertical and horizontal scan.

AIDA64 allows you to get a wide range of information about your computer's hard drives. To view information about the HDD, click on the “Windows Data Storage” subsection of the root “Data Storage” section. At the top of the main area of ​​the application window, a list of all devices that are associated with data storage will be displayed. The hard drives will be displayed first, and information about the characteristics of the hard drive designated first in the list of devices will be displayed at the bottom of the main area of ​​the window. Among the most useful characteristics: hard drive form factor, spindle rotation speed, read/write speed, etc.

Sensor data

It is necessary not only to be able to view data about the system, but also to analyze the current information provided about the system by its sensors. Data on sensors can be found by going to the “Sensors” subsection of the “Computer” section in the general subsystem tree.

The main sensor information window displays data on the temperature of the microprocessor, as well as its cores. The “CPU” designation shows the temperature of the processor under its cover. Traditionally, this indicator is lower than the temperature indicators of the processor cores, displayed as: “CPU1”, “CPU2”. This is due to the fact that the cover is in direct contact with the heat sink of the heat sink unit. Do not be afraid of the high parameters of the “AUX” indicator, since it means practically nothing. If its values ​​never change, then it is not used by the system. The GPU Diode sensor shows the temperature on the GPU.

Using the ASTRA32 program you can also find out the characteristics of your computer. Like the previous program, ASTRA32 is paid, but the demo version is enough for us. Its interface is similar to AIDA64, also so simple and clear. Download the program from the official website: www.astra32.com and install. By clicking on the link you will see two versions - one for regular installation, and the other is portable, that is, it does not require installation. I will use the second version of the program.

I run the program file astra32.exe as administrator.

In the window that opens, all information about my computer is immediately displayed (the “General Information” tab), namely:

• what processor is installed, its operating frequency, cache levels;
• brief information about the motherboard;
• information about RAM;
• what disks are installed and their capacity;
• information about the video card and sound card;
• information about the operating system, etc.

You can stop there, but for those who want to study the components of their computer in detail, you can select the appropriate section in the left column and study the data that is displayed in the right column.

For example, you need to find out more detailed information about the processor: what Socket it has, how many cores, what power consumption, dimensions, etc. Go to the “Processor” tab and then “CPU”. In the Right window we look at detailed information about the processor.

Finally we come to free programs. PC-Wizard is one of the best utilities for determining the characteristics, configuration and testing of a computer. It can be downloaded by following the link - http://www.cpuid.com.

The program interface is similar to the previously discussed utilities. The only difference is that instead of boring lists, icons are displayed in the right column, and there are also tips for almost every action.

In many situations, Windows PC users need more detailed information about the device. For example, installing a demanding application or game, installing drivers, or just for informational purposes, finding out what the “internals” of the computer are. In this article we will try to describe all the simple and most comprehensive ways of where and how to view the characteristics of a computer on Windows 10, 7, 8.

Standard Windows PC Specifications

The main characteristics of a personal computer can be understood as the following values: frequency and number of processor cores, amount of RAM, system bit capacity, storage capacity and type, video card and its characteristics, and many others. Let's look at them briefly in order:

CPU Specifications– the main ones at the moment are considered to be the clock frequency (1,200 Mhz, 5 Ghz, etc.) and the number of cores (2, 4, 8, etc.), it is these values ​​that marketers and application and game developers focus on, when voicing technical specifications. In fact, the CPU has many characteristics that are very important when comparing and choosing, but for the average person it doesn’t matter which ones. The process has been given a “stone” or an unlocked multiplier; power is important for it. It is precisely this, thanks to the efforts of marketers, that is expressed in two meanings Clock frequency and Number of cores.

Computer RAM capacity– works on the principle that the more, the better (4 Gb, 16 GB, etc.). The average person does not care about the frequency of RAM, its type or manufacturer; it is important for him that applications do not freeze due to its lack.

Storage – along with the storage capacity (500 Gb, 3Tb, etc.), its type (HDD, SSD or hybrid) has also become important. For a long time, there has been a trend to use a fast and productive SSD for the system (with a smaller volume and a reasonable price), and for multimedia and storing HDD files, with a lower speed but a larger volume.

A video card, like a CPU, has many characteristics that are very important - core frequency, type and amount of memory, memory bandwidth and others. These characteristics determine how the card will “show itself” in games and other applications.

Important! The combination of all these characteristics gives an excellent result. Due to a poor choice of one component, the entire performance of the computer can, roughly speaking, “go down the drain.”

Windows computer system utilities

In Windows versions 7, 8 or 10, you can easily check your computer's characteristics using standard system functionality. The only drawback is the limited information; Windows displays only the information it considers necessary.

Let's look at various options for using system utilities:

Via System parameters

The easiest way, which gives meager information about your Windows PC - the amount of RAM, the model and clock speed of the CPU, the bit depth and version of the system, as well as the name of the PC.

Opening the system properties window on your computer is quite simple; this can be done in one of the following ways:

• Right-click on the “My Computer” icon (not the shortcut) and select “Properties”

• Open "Control Panel" and open "System"

• In the Run window (Win+R) type control system

• On your keyboard, press the Win + Pause key combination

Using the command line

For Windows, you can also view your computer's system characteristics through the command line. To do this, do the following:

• To open "Command line", in the Run window (Win+R) enter CMD and click OK

• In the window that opens, enter systeminfo

In addition to the data provided in the previous version, there will be information about the installation date of the Windows system, the page file (virtual memory), BIOS version and network adapters of the device. But still, the information is not as detailed as we would like.

Via the dxdiag utility

DxDiag is a diagnostic tool for testing DirectX functionality and solving video or audio problems on Windows. Shows information both about the system and about video and audio devices. To open the DxDiag window, do the following:

• In the Run window (Win+R), enter dxdiag and click OK

• Will open "DirectX Diagnostic Tool", where all information will be divided into tabs. System – data about the system, CPU, RAM and virtual memory. Screen – information about the video card and driver. Sound 1 and Sound 2 – sound card and output device. Input – keyboard, mouse and other pointing devices.

Via the msinfo32 utility

Standard utility "System Information", provides the most detailed information about the Windows system among all utilities. To open it, in the Run window (Win+R) enter the command msinfo32.

"System Information" allow you to view a lot of information about your computer and system. Basic information is in the tab "System Information", hardware data in "Components", and system details in "Software environment".

Unfortunately, none of the proposed methods allows you to view the full technical specifications of a Windows computer. This can be done using special programs.

Third party programs for Windows

There are many programs and applications for a Windows computer that can show complete data not only about the system, but also about the PC hardware. Most of these applications solve all user questions related to equipment, especially how to find out the characteristics of your Windows 7, 8, 10 computer online. Typically, such applications have advanced functionality, such as testing and device diagnostics (for example, Aida64). Let's look at the most popular programs for viewing the characteristics of a Windows computer.

Aida64

Description: One of the best and advanced applications for device characterization, testing and monitoring of equipment. Allows you not only to obtain information about a specific device (Aida64 Extreme), but also the status of a specific device on a network of many PCs (AIDA64 Business).

Official Russian website - www.aida64russia.com. The program has a 30-day free trial and shows limited information. The cost of a license is from 2,265 to 14,392 rubles, depending on the type of license and version.

Speccy

Description: a program from the developers of CCleaner, showing detailed characteristics of the computer. A free application that shows not only detailed information about the device, but also real-time equipment temperature.

HWMonitor

Description: a utility for monitoring the state of a Windows PC and its characteristics - frequency, voltage, temperature, memory, fan rotation and much more. A very convenient application if you monitor all the indicators of your Windows PC.

Official website - www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html. It has a Pro version with rich functionality, but some of the data is hidden until you purchase a license. The regular version of HWMonitor is sufficient in many ways.

In this article, we showed how you can check the characteristics of a Windows computer using both standard system services and utilities, and third-party applications. If you have questions about third-party applications or opening system utilities, we will be happy to help in the comments.

Have a great day!