Software & Apps Windows How to Check Computer Specs Check your PC's specifications from Task Manager or a special utility by Keith Ward Writer Keith Ward is a former Lifewire writer with over 25 years' experience writing about Microsoft products and creating and Windows tutorials. our editorial process LinkedIn Keith Ward Updated on November 19, 2020 Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide Tweet Share Email Microsoft Windows offers detailed system information about your computer, but the method by which you access it varies by the version of the operating system. The modern tool in Windows 10 was originally deployed in Windows 8, but the process is very different for Windows 7. Instructions in this article apply to Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1, and Windows 7. Windows 7 is no longer supported by Microsoft. Checking Computer Specs in Windows 10 Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc. From the Task Manager, select the Performance tab. The Performance tab contains several important bits of information: Your processor type and speed (as well as the current processor load)Metadata about your processor, including the number of cores and logical processors, and whether virtualization technologies are in effectThe amount of total and currently available system memoryThe current disk throughput for each attached physical diskThe type of network connection and the current amount of network trafficThe graphical processing unit and its present load. Click any metric on the left side of the screen to reveal detailed information on the right side of the screen. Checking Computer Specs in Windows 8.1 Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 offered a similar Task Manager experience as Windows 10 offers. To open it, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc. The default view offers a simplified version. Select More details to reveal the full version of the Task Manager. The look-and-feel of the Performance tab is identical to Windows 10, as of version 19H2 released in the autumn of 2019. Checking Computer Specs in Windows 7 Although Windows 7 is out-of-date and no longer supported, some people still maintain Windows 7 machines. From the Command Prompt, type systeminfo to see the relevant information about your system's hardware and software. Alternative Tools Other programs offer detailed system information, too, but your mileage may vary. For example, to obtain precise information about your video card, you're probably better off using a tool from your card's vendor rather than relying on some other vendor's tool.