> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://techbytefix.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How to Check Your PC Specs on Windows 11 - URL: https://techbytefix.com/check-pc-specs-windows-11/ - Published: 2026-10-27T00:14:03.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-27T00:14:03.000Z - Author: Jake Whitman - Tags: Windows To check your PC specs on Windows 11, open Settings > System > About. That page shows your processor, installed RAM, device name, system type, Windows edition, and version. Use Task Manager, System Information, or DirectX Diagnostic Tool for the graphics card, storage, BIOS, memory details, and drivers. ## Start here: the quickest way to see your main PC specs The About page is the best starting point for basic hardware and Windows details. You do not need administrator permission. Before you start, have these items ready: - Your Windows 11 PC - The name of the game, app, driver, or upgrade you are checking - The requirement list you want to compare against 1. Open Settings from the Start menu, or press `Windows key + I`. 2. Select `System` in the left pane. 3. Select `About` near the bottom of the page. You can also press `Windows key`, type `About your PC`, and open the matching result. 4. Read `Device specifications`. This section shows the device name, processor model, installed RAM, and system type. On some builds, it also shows device or product identifiers. 5. Read `Windows specifications`. This section shows the Windows edition, version, installation date, and OS build. A hypothetical example might show an Intel Core i5 processor, 16 GB of installed RAM, and a 64-bit operating system. Record the complete processor model rather than only `Core i5`; the generation and model suffix can affect compatibility and performance. Record the Windows edition and version when an installer requires a particular release. The `System type` value normally says `64-bit operating system, x64-based processor` on a modern PC. This means Windows is 64-bit and the processor supports the x64 architecture. It does not describe the amount of installed RAM or identify the graphics card. ## How to check your graphics card, drives, and live memory use Task Manager provides details that About does not, including the GPU model, storage devices, memory speed, and current resource use. 1. Right-click the Start button and select `Task Manager`. If it opens in a compact view, select `More details`. 2. Select the `Performance` tab. 3. Select `Memory` in the left pane. Check the total memory, current usage, memory speed, form factor, and number of slots in use when Windows reports them. 4. Select `Disk 0`, `Disk 1`, or another disk entry. Check the drive model, capacity, type where shown, and current activity. A PC with multiple physical drives has multiple entries. 5. Select `GPU 0`, `GPU 1`, or another GPU entry. The model name appears near the top, along with dedicated and shared memory details and current utilization. 6. Select `CPU` if you need to confirm the processor model, base speed, core count, or logical-processor count. An entry such as Intel UHD Graphics or AMD Radeon integrated graphics generally uses memory shared with the system. An entry with dedicated GPU memory, such as a GeForce or Radeon discrete model, is a separate graphics processor with its own video memory. A laptop can show both. Depending on its settings and power mode, a game can use either adapter. Task Manager shows live usage as well as hardware capacity. A memory graph at 70 percent means that amount is currently in use; it does not mean the PC has only 70 percent of its installed RAM. Likewise, a drive's capacity is not the same as its available free space. ## When Settings is not enough, use System Information or DxDiag Use System Information for a broad inventory of Windows, firmware, motherboard, and hardware details. Use DirectX Diagnostic Tool when a game or graphics troubleshooting step asks for display adapters, DirectX, or driver information. 1. Press `Windows key + R` to open the Run dialog. 2. Type `msinfo32`, then press Enter. ```text msinfo32 ``` Run command 1. In System Information, select `System Summary`. Check the OS name, version, system manufacturer, system model, processor, installed physical memory, BIOS mode, and BIOS version/date. 2. Expand `Components`, then select `Display` to inspect the detected display adapter and its driver information. Select `Storage` for disk and controller details. 3. Press `Windows key + R` again, type `dxdiag`, and press Enter. ```text dxdiag ``` Run command 1. On the `System` tab, check the Windows version, processor, memory, and DirectX version. Open the `Display` or `Render` tabs to see the graphics adapter, video memory, display driver, and driver date. 2. If a support technician or installer requests a report, select `Save All Information` in DxDiag and save the text file where you can find it. `BIOS Mode` in System Information can have a value of `UEFI` or `Legacy`. It describes firmware startup mode, not the Windows edition. DxDiag can list a display adapter that is currently disabled or not being used by a particular application. On a laptop with integrated and dedicated graphics, compare DxDiag with Task Manager before deciding which GPU the application is using. ![A Windows 11 PC shows the DirectX Diagnostic Tool display information window.](https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?q=Windows%2011%20DxDiag%20display%20window&w=624&h=352&c=7) ## Read the numbers correctly before you compare them Windows reports several values that look similar but answer different questions. Match the value to the requirement's exact wording. | Specification | What to compare | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | Installed RAM | Physical memory fitted in the PC | | Usable RAM | Memory available to Windows after hardware reservations | | Total storage | The drive's full capacity | | Free storage | Space currently available for an installation | | Dedicated GPU memory | Video memory on a separate graphics card | | Shared GPU memory | System RAM that graphics hardware can borrow | Installed RAM is the amount physically fitted, such as 16 GB. Usable RAM can be slightly lower because firmware and hardware reserve part of it. If a game says it needs 8 GB of RAM, compare that with installed memory first. A PC with very little usable memory can still struggle. Storage capacity is different from free space. A 1 TB drive does not have 1 TB free after Windows, applications, recovery data, and personal files occupy it. Check free space in `Settings > System > Storage` or in File Explorer before installing a large game or app. Do not treat integrated graphics and a dedicated GPU as interchangeable. Integrated graphics usually share system memory and have less graphics performance. A dedicated GPU has its own processor and typically its own video memory. If a requirement names a specific GPU class or model, compare the actual adapter shown in Task Manager or DxDiag, not just the amount of shared memory. `64-bit operating system` does not mean the PC has 64 GB of RAM. It describes the software architecture and usually means the PC can run 64-bit applications, subject to each application's requirements. ## You have the specs—how to tell whether your PC meets a requirement Compare each requirement by category, using the full model names Windows reports. Do not compare a broad label such as `Core i7` with another broad label and assume they are equivalent. Generations, model numbers, clock behavior, and laptop versus desktop versions matter. 1. Copy the processor's full model name from `Settings > System > About` or Task Manager. Compare it with the application's minimum and recommended CPU requirement. 2. Compare installed RAM with the required memory. If the requirement says `8 GB available`, also check current free memory and close unneeded applications before running the software. 3. Compare the exact GPU model from Task Manager or DxDiag. Check dedicated video memory separately when the requirement lists VRAM. If two adapters appear, identify which one the application is configured to use. 4. Check the installation drive's free space, not only its total capacity. Leave additional room for updates, temporary files, and save data when the software's documentation calls for it. 5. Compare your Windows edition, version, and system type with the requirement. An app can require Windows 11, a particular feature update, or a 64-bit operating system. 6. For a driver, match the device model and Windows architecture. Do not download a driver for a similar-sounding model or for 32-bit Windows; it can cause installation failures or incorrect hardware support. 7. Separate minimum requirements from recommended requirements. Meeting the minimum means the software may run under the stated conditions; it does not promise a particular frame rate, load time, or quality setting. You have completed the check when you have written the full CPU model, installed RAM, exact GPU, available storage, Windows edition and version, and system type beside the requirement list. Any item that is lower, missing, or only broadly similar needs further checking before you install or upgrade. ## Conclusion Start with Settings > System > About for the processor, installed RAM, device name, system type, Windows edition, and version. Use Task Manager for the GPU, drives, memory speed, and live usage; open \`msinfo32\` or \`dxdiag\` for BIOS, motherboard, DirectX, and driver information. Compare the exact model names and available capacity with the software's minimum and recommended requirements, and check the Windows version separately from the hardware specifications. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can I check my graphics card without installing an app? Yes. Open Task Manager with \`Ctrl + Shift + Esc\`, select \`More details\`, open \`Performance\`, and select the GPU entry. DxDiag provides another view of the display adapter, video memory, and driver details. ### Why does Windows show less usable RAM than installed RAM? Hardware and firmware reserve some physical memory for devices, so the amount available to Windows can be lower than the installed total. A small difference is normal. ### How do I check how much storage space is free? Open \`Settings > System > Storage\` to see the space used and available on your drives. File Explorer also shows free space when you open \`This PC\`.