Hardware explained
How to check your PC specs on Windows
Reviewed July 2026
You don't need to install anything: Windows already has everything to see your specs. Here's how to find your CPU, RAM, graphics card, storage type, motherboard and Windows version with the built-in tools — Settings, Task Manager, dxdiag, msinfo32 and winver — and what each spec means for gaming.
Step by step
01 The basics at a glance: Settings → System → About
This is the fastest path and you don't install anything. Press the Windows key, type “About your PC” and open it (or go to Settings → System → About). In one place you'll see your processor (CPU) with its model and base speed, “Installed RAM” (total memory), whether Windows is 64-bit, and the device name. Write down the exact CPU model (for example “Intel Core i5-12400F” or “AMD Ryzen 5 5600”): with that name you can look up any extra detail reliably. This screen does NOT show the graphics card — we cover that in the next steps.
02 Live CPU and RAM: Task Manager → Performance
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and go to the “Performance” tab. Under “CPU” you'll see the model, the current speed in GHz, and on the lower right the details that matter: “Cores” and “Logical processors” (threads). A 6-core, 12-logical-processor CPU has Hyper-Threading/SMT enabled. Under “Memory” you'll see total RAM, how much is in use, the speed in MHz/MT/s, the form factor (DIMM on a desktop, SODIMM on a laptop) and — very handy — “Slots used,” such as “2 of 4,” which tells you whether you have free slots to add memory without throwing out what you already have.
03 The graphics card (GPU): Task Manager, dxdiag or Device Manager
There are three honest paths and all three ship with Windows. In Task Manager → Performance, each “GPU” in the list shows the model and the dedicated video memory. For more detail, press Windows + R, type “dxdiag” and open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool: the “Display” tab lists the GPU name, memory, manufacturer and the driver version. The third path is Device Manager (right-click Start → Device Manager → Display adapters), most useful for seeing whether you have integrated graphics and a dedicated card at the same time — common on laptops.
04 RAM: how much, what kind, and whether slots are free
To add memory safely you need three facts, and all three come from Task Manager → Performance → Memory without opening the PC: the total (for example 16 GB), the speed (for example 3200 MT/s) and “Slots used” (for example 2 of 2, or 1 of 2). If it says 1 of 2, you have a free slot and are almost certainly running single-channel; adding a second matching module enables dual-channel, which often helps in games. Windows doesn't always report whether the RAM is DDR4 or DDR5; confirm that with your motherboard model (next step) or a well-known third-party tool — but for how much you have and whether there's room, the built-in tools are enough.
05 Storage: telling an SSD from an HDD
Knowing whether your drive is an SSD or an HDD changes load times a lot. Press the Windows key, type “Defragment and Optimize Drives” and open it: in the “Media type” column each drive reads either “Solid state drive” (SSD) or “Hard disk drive” (HDD). Task Manager → Performance also lists each disk with its type and size. If your game lives on an HDD, moving it to an SSD is one of the most noticeable load-time upgrades there is, and it doesn't touch your FPS at all — only load times and world streaming.
06 Motherboard and everything else: System Information (msinfo32)
Press Windows + R, type “msinfo32” and open “System Information.” Under “System Summary” you'll see “BaseBoard Manufacturer” and “BaseBoard Product” (your motherboard model), the BIOS/UEFI version, the system type, and CPU and RAM again. The motherboard model is the part that tells you which RAM type it supports, how many slots it has, and how far you can upgrade the processor, so note it down if you plan to upgrade. This window is read-only: you look, you don't change anything.
07 Windows version and build: winver
Some games and features require a minimum Windows version. To see it cleanly, press Windows + R, type “winver” and hit Enter: it shows your edition (Home, Pro), the version (for example 23H2) and the exact build number. That's the value to have on hand when a game or driver asks for “Windows 10 version X or later” or “Windows 11.” For 64/32-bit and the maximum supported RAM, go back to Settings → System → About.
08 Reading your specs against a game's requirements
Every game lists “minimum” requirements (it runs, but modestly) and “recommended” (aimed at a smooth experience, usually at 1080p). Compare part by part with what you wrote down: CPU, GPU, RAM and free disk space. Honest rules for reading them: compare the CPU by generation and model, not just GHz; for the GPU, the model and video memory matter most; the RAM must meet or beat the number asked for. “Meeting recommended” does not guarantee high FPS at ultra on 1440p or 4K — those requirements almost always target 1080p. If you fall below the minimum on a single part, that part is your real limit.
09 On third-party tools — and where Neon helps (honestly)
There are well-known, respected third-party utilities for reading specs in more detail (for example the exact RAM type or sensor data), and they're a valid option. But for everything in this guide you don't need to install anything: the tools already built into Windows are enough and trustworthy. Neon, for its part, doesn't invent numbers or inflate scores: it reads your machine's real specs and values (CPU, RAM, GPU, storage) and shows them in one place, in plain language, so you know what you have before buying a game or planning an upgrade. The optimizations it does automate are Windows-side, safe and reversible, and every change is logged so you can undo it. It never touches your BIOS or forces your hardware, and every step in this guide works without Neon.
Where to find each spec
| Spec | Built-in tool | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Settings → About / Task Manager | Model, speed, cores and threads |
| RAM | Task Manager → Memory | Total, speed and slots used |
| GPU | Task Manager / dxdiag | Model, video memory and driver |
| Storage | Optimize Drives | SSD or HDD, and size |
| Motherboard | msinfo32 | Maker, model and BIOS |
| Windows version | winver | Edition, version and build |
Where Neon helps
Checking your specs starts with reading real data, not guessing. Neon gathers your machine's specs in one place and explains them in plain language — without inventing numbers or inflating scores.
- Reads your CPU, RAM, GPU and storage's real specs and values, and shows them together — no need to open five different windows.
- It doesn't invent scores or promise magic figures: it shows real measurements and explains what they mean for gaming.
- The optimizations it automates are Windows-side, safe and reversible, and every change is logged so you can undo it with one click.
- It never touches your BIOS or forces your hardware, and every manual step in this guide works without Neon.
Know what you have? See which part limits you in what a PC bottleneck is, whether an SSD is worth it in SSD vs HDD for gaming, or how to choose RAM in RAM speed vs capacity.