Your laptop specs help you determine what you can run on it. You might be checking it just to satisfy your personal curiosity or to assess whether you can run a particular program or game.
Checking your laptop’s specs is not a difficult process. Most people used to go to My Computer’s Properties in Windows 7 and older Windows OS to check specs.
However, in Windows 10 and 11, that option is no longer suitable. Also, that method often doesn’t tell you everything you need to know.
In this article, we will be exploring all the methods you can use to find out your laptop specs.
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Checking Laptop Specs – The Quickest Methods
There are many methods that will aid you in finding out the specs of your laptop. Some tell you more details than others. Let’s discuss them one by one.
Going To The About Page (System Properties)
The first method is similar to what you used to do in Windows 7 and older Windows OS. It’s checking out system properties from My Computer.
However, the process is no longer similar. Also, there are multiple ways you go about this method.
Firstly, if you have a This PC icon on your desktop (provided you have enabled it), you can just right-click on it and click on properties.
However, if you don’t like to have extra icons on your desktop and have disabled it, you can still go to Windows Explorer, open My PC from the left tab, and click on System Properties from the ribbon on the top.
Let’s say both of these methods sound a bit outdated. Well, you can go to Settings from the Start Menu, then click on System, scroll to the bottom on the left tab, and then click on About.
Windows 10 and 11 have made the process a whole lot easier by providing you direct access to this About from Start Menu search.
You can search “About Your PC” in the start-menu search bar, and get to the same window.
All of these four processes will help you reach the system properties window where your laptop’s specs will be mentioned.
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Using the DirectX Diagnostics Tool
While the above method is most common, it doesn’t provide you with any information about the audio and video hardware.
Hence, if you want to get the specs for audio and video cards that are installed on your laptop, you will have to use another tool known as DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
To access this tool, you will have to use a run command. Press the Windows + R key or search for Run program in the start menu.
Once you open it, type the command “dxdiag” and it will open the diagnostic tool.
In this tool, you will find everything you need to know. In Windows 10 and 11, you can also directly search “dxdiag” directly in the Start Menu search bar to access the program.
Using System Information Tool
You can also check your laptop specs using the System Information tool. This is a lesser-known but most efficient method of accessing a PC’s specs.
In Windows 10 and 11, you can directly search for “System Information” in the Start Menu search bar and access the app.
However, in older Windows OS, you will have to use a run command. You have to open the Run app and type the command “msinfo32” which will open the System Information window.
Once the window opens, you can click on System Summary in the left tab to check out everything you need to know.
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Using Command Prompt
You can use Command Prompt or PowerShell (Windows 10 and 11) to access the specs of your laptop as well. This is an advanced method that provides you with more details.
Just like the previous method, you can access Command Prompt directly by searching in the search bar of your Start Menu in Windows 10 and 11, but in Windows 7, you had to use a Run command.
Well, once you have opened the Command Prompt, all you have to do is type “systeminfo” and press Enter key.
The application will provide you with all the details about your PC, including all the hardware, software, and OS details. Using these advanced methods gets you everything you need to know in one place.
Checking GPU from Device Manager
Since “About This PC” or “System Properties” doesn’t tell you about the GPU in your system, there is a way to check it other than the Direct X Diagnostic Tool.
You can directly check from the Device Manager. If the drivers of your GPU are correctly installed, you will see it listed under GPU.
The Device Manager also provides you with details about other specs that are correctly integrated with your system.
You can directly search for Device Manager in your Start Menu search bar, or navigate to it from Settings. Once you open the Device Manager, look for the Display Adapters section and expand it.
If you do not see a GPU listed, that’s probably because the video drivers have not been installed correctly or are outdated.
You will see an unknown device listed at the very end. You can update the drivers for that device and then you will see your GPU listed under the Display Adapters section.
You can also check out other hardware components that are installed on your system from this application.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How to check laptop specs in Windows 7?
Checking laptop specs in Windows 7 usually involved going to Properties of My Computer on the desktop. However, if you want to check more advanced specs, you will have to use a run command to System Information or Direct X Diagnostic Tool.
How to check laptop specs with a shortcut?
You can access the Run application using the shortcut command “Windows Key + R” and then access the System Information by typing “msinfo32” and pressing the Enter key. However, in Windows 10 and 11, you can just press the Windows key and type.
What is the quickest way to check laptop specs?
The quickest way in Windows 10 and 11 is to use the Start Menu search bar. You can press the Windows key, type System Information, and then see all the specs about your system in the System Information window.
Wrapping Up!
Summing it all up, checking a laptop’s specs is an easy process and there are multiple ways to do it.
The above discusses some of the most efficient ways you can check the specs of your laptop.
Whether you need to check out simple details or everything including software, hardware and OS details, you can do so using one of the methods mentioned in the above article.
Knowing about multiple methods can come in handy when one method is not working. Good Luck!