How to find out what is installed on your computer. Where to look at the specifications of a computer or laptop

You have purchased a brand new computer or laptop and want to check the main characteristics with those written in the passport; or You need to find out what video card is installed on the device, or find out the basic network parameters. In general, whatever the reason, in this article we will look at several ways that will help you find out the main characteristics of your computer.

This can be done either using utilities built into the operating system or using special programs.

Control Panel

To view the main characteristics of your computer using this method, go to “Start” - "Control Panel". Next, go to the “System” section.

The next window will show basic information about the computer: processor type and frequency, amount of RAM, system bit capacity. Then you can follow the link "Device Manager".

In Device Manager you can see what hardware is installed on your computer, how it works, remove, update or roll back drivers.

System Information

You can also view your computer's characteristics using the built-in utility. "System Information". To do this, press the Win+R key combination and in the “Run” window enter the command msinfo32, click “OK”.

The main window opens. On the tab "System Information" You can see the main parameters of the system.

Open other tabs as well. If you open “Components” - “Display”, you can see the parameters of the installed video card.

Open “Components” – “Network” – “Adapter” and read about the parameters of the connected network.

DirectX

You can also use another standard utility “DirectX”. This is a diagnostic tool that will help you obtain information about installed components and drivers, and if there is a problem, it will report it.

To open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, type Win+R and enter the command dxdiag in the line, click OK.

When using DirectX for the first time, an information window will appear asking you to check for a digital signature in the drivers. You can click "Yes".

On the “System” tab, you can see what operating system is installed on your computer and BIOS version, processor type and frequency, amount of RAM and paging file.

The “Screen” tab displays the parameters of the installed video card. Here you can see what drivers are installed for it. If some programs run very slowly or not at all, pay attention to the DirectDraw, Direct3D or AGP texture acceleration options - they should be enabled.

The Sound tab displays information about the speakers. If your mouse or joystick does not work, go to the “Input” tab and make sure that it is displayed there. Otherwise, reinstall the device following the manufacturer's recommendations, or remove and reinsert the USB device.

Various programs

You can also find out the characteristics of your computer using special programs. The most common among users is AIDA64. You can also use the PC Wizard and Everest programs, or the free CPU-ID and CPU-Z programs.

Use different methods, and I’m sure you will learn a lot of new things about the characteristics of your computer or laptop.

I was always interested in delving into the characteristics of my computer, even those that I knew nothing about. It was interesting to test it, to “drive the computer.” For what? The goals can be different: to compare computer components with the original list, to download the necessary drivers, or to sell the computer. In this article I will discuss three simple methods.

System Information utility

The built-in utility is called “System Information”. Go to the menu “Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Information”, or simply write “information” in the search bar of the Start menu and also launch the program.

Here you can find out only basic information about the hardware, such as the motherboard model, processor type, BIOS version, amount of RAM and some others. If you go through the “tree”, you can find even more subtle characteristics of the computer.

For example, in the “Components” section there is information about the CD/DVD drive, sound card, and what video card is installed (“Display”). But in general, this tool is very unobtrusive and is intended for technical specialists to debug the computer. I recommend using it if you don’t have anything better at hand.

Without detailed characteristics, but much more convenient, the list of devices can be viewed in “”. To open it, simply press the “Win ​​+ Pause” combination. In Windows XP it will open immediately, and in Windows 7/10 the “System” window will first open, in which you can immediately see how much RAM is installed and how much RAM is installed. From here we launch the device manager.

Or open it from Control Panel. Here you can already see what devices are installed in the computer: sound chip, video card, network card, hard drive model, optical drive, monitor and others.

DirectX Diag program

Another standard program is the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. Mainly used for testing audio and video systems. To run it, you need to press the “Win ​​+ R” buttons and write in the line:

There are also the main characteristics: the model of the laptop or computer motherboard, video card, sound card, keyboard and mouse.

The described methods are suitable when you need to quickly find out general information about your computer, but if you need more detailed information, then you cannot do without additional programs. One of my favorite programs is AIDA64, it is .

Good day, friends. Recently, one of my friends asked me the question: “ .

Of course, I prompted and explained everything to him. Without thinking twice, I decided to write a short article on how to do this, using several programs and methods.

Also for video lovers, I filmed and posted at the end of the article a short video lesson on how to find out the characteristics of a computer. In the last issue of the blog, we looked at the problem.

View specifications

Probably every person who has a computer should understand a little about what he has to work on or simply use it as needed.

I will give examples that can be used in two operating systems: Windows XP and Windows 7.

We look when you turn on the computer.

The very first and most basic information of your computer, of course, can be viewed when you boot it using DOS or in the BIOS.

Quickly view the information we are interested in

Turn on our computer, go to Menu >>> Start.

Right-click on My Computer.

In the window that appears, go to the very bottom and go to Properties.

You should go to System Properties, General tab (for Windows XP). System and Security > System (for windows 7). Here is a short list of the characteristics of our computer.

Counters and productivity tools.

Display and print detailed information about your computer and system performance.

Characteristics of productivity tools.

Command line and dxdiag program

Go to Menu >>> Start >>> Run... or press the key combination Win + R.

The Run Program (Run) window should appear.

Enter the command and click OK.

The DirectX Diagnostic Tool appears.

Various tabs will appear at the top: System, Display (Screen), and so on. We go into each one in turn and find out the information we need.

Everest or Aida

The characteristics shown with these programs are the most extensive and include almost all the information about your computer.

Let’s say if you don’t have any driver downloaded, you can see what kind of device it is, what driver is needed, what manufacturer it is and where all this can be found and downloaded. When I worked in a service center, I often used the Everest program for its clear interface and the ability to find the necessary computer characteristics in the shortest possible time.

Windows Tools and the msinfo32 Command

Easy to log in, clear and accessible interface and button navigation. Press the keyboard shortcut again and enter the command .

Anyone, even an inexperienced computer user, can understand the msinfo32 command.

Everything is very accessible and simple. If you don't know about Windows updates, then this information should be useful to you.

How to find out your computer's specifications | website

A few words from the author

Today we looked at several different ways to find out the characteristics of a computer. Everyone will choose a more convenient and practical viewing method for themselves. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask them below in the comments to this article.

Thank you for reading me on

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 key combination Win + R.

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

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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.

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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.

Very simple. Moreover, there are many ways to view the technical parameters of a PC or laptop. Firstly, Windows 7, 8 and 10 have 4 built-in tools with which you can find out the properties of your computer. Secondly, there are special programs that show absolutely all information about a PC or laptop. Therefore, below we will consider the simplest ways by which you can find out what kind of video card, RAM, processor, etc. you have.

Why is this necessary? Most often, you need to know the characteristics of your laptop or PC for:

• installing games (to understand whether they are suitable for your case or not);
• driver updates for the video card (you need to know its model);
• purchasing new RAM (it is recommended to install the same level that you already have);
• selling an old PC or laptop (to provide the buyer with all the information he needs).

You can view the properties of your computer without special programs and utilities. Fortunately, Windows itself has many simple tools for this. Let's start, perhaps, with them.

The methods described below are shown using Windows 7 as an example. But you can also use them in Windows 8 and 10.

System Information

As you can see, the main characteristics are indicated in these two tabs. If you need other parameters, look for them in the other sections.

Control Panel

The second method is also very simple. To find the specifications on your computer in Windows 7, go to Start - Control Panel - System (or right-click on the My Computer shortcut and go to Properties).

A new window will appear, which will indicate your processor, the amount of installed RAM, version and type of Windows. However, the information is again incomplete.

device Manager

Another way to view the properties of a computer on Windows 7 is through the device manager. To open it, go to Start - Control Panel - Device Manager.

The following window will appear where you can view the required technical parameters. For example, a processor, a video adapter (that’s what a video card is called), etc.

DirectX Diagnostic Tool

And the last way to view the properties of a laptop or PC using built-in Windows tools:

All these methods have one common drawback - they show too little information about the PC. Plus, the parameters are scattered across different tabs (you have to look for them).

Therefore, below are 3 more useful utilities with which you can view the system characteristics of a computer or laptop.

Programs for viewing PC parameters

I should immediately note that such utilities work on all operating systems - Windows 7, 8, 10 and even XP. In addition, they don’t care what brand of laptop you have: Asus, Acer, Samsung, Dell, HP Pavilion, Lenovo, etc. In a word, these programs are universal. Therefore, you can safely use them on any computer or laptop.

Piliform Speccy

Speccy is one of the best programs for viewing PC specifications. After all, she:

• free (there is a portable version);
• supports different computers, laptops and netbooks;
• completely in Russian.

And most importantly, this utility shows all the technical characteristics of the PC:

• processor model, frequency, temperature;
• OS version;
• volume and frequency of RAM;
• complete information about the motherboard;
• video card model;
• monitor resolution;
• full name of the hard drive and its capacity.

And all this in one tab. And if necessary, you can get more detailed information about components by opening the desired section in the left menu.

AIDA64 Extreme

Another great program with which you can view the characteristics of a laptop or computer. It is paid, but there is a 30-day trial period (for most cases this period is enough). Plus there is a portable version (does not require installation).

Shows absolutely all PC parameters down to the smallest detail. For example, if you want to buy additional RAM, then in AIDA64 you can find out everything about it: full name, frequency, etc. Similar information is displayed for the processor, video card, and monitor.

By the way, among other things, this program also shows the temperature of components (in the “Sensors” tab). This is very useful when your PC or laptop suddenly starts to glitch badly, and you need to check whether the processor or video card is heating up.

PC Wizard

And the last program on this list with which you can analyze the characteristics of your computer in Windows 10, 8, 7 is PC Wizard. In terms of functionality, it is one of the most powerful and is on par with the paid AIDA64. It also shows absolutely all system characteristics about your PC.

The only negative is that he thinks too long. The program is a little slow, responds slowly to user actions (sometimes you have to wait 10 seconds), and this is annoying. Although if it is rarely used, then this drawback does not play any role.