Find out the details of a Windows 7 computer. Where and how to view the properties of a computer in Windows systems. Using the command line
Many owners of old devices that have been running Windows XP for many years eventually think about the benefits of new operating systems. And the end of support for XP makes it increasingly vulnerable to unscrupulous people who use the security holes discovered (and they will never be patched by the developer) for their own personal gain. It is not recommended to install Windows 8 or 10 with the tiled Metro interface on a very old computer with a weak video adapter, but it is quite possible to replace XP on Windows 7 with its Aero effects.
Let us immediately note that virtually any computer released over the last decade is suitable for installing the “seven”.
Let's look at why one operating system can be installed on a computer of a certain configuration, while another is not worth it or is categorically not recommended.
To enable your computer to function normally, before installing Windows 7, you must make sure that the system's hardware configuration meets at least the minimum PC hardware requirements.
System requirements are a set of parameters that a computer must meet (both in hardware and software) so that its resources are sufficient to solve the task at hand - in our case, to operate Windows 7.
Classification of requirements
The system requirements that software developers place on the hardware of computers and laptops can be divided into two types:
Minimum Requirements, as mentioned above, conditions that, if met, will allow you to install and ensure simple operation of Windows 7. A PC that meets these conditions will be able to turn on after installing the “seven” and will allow the user to work in the Aero environment, but its capabilities will be very limited, and even run simple applications ( video player, browser) can turn into difficult tasks: long loading times, freezing, waiting.
Recommended System Requirements– a list of hardware and software characteristics, compliance with which will ensure the normal functioning of Windows 7, will allow you to unlock its full potential and provide the ability to run most regularly used applications (office programs, browser, players, download managers). Even to run modern games, graphic and video editors, programs for three-dimensional modeling and modeling of complex systems and other resource-intensive specialized software, the recommended system requirements differ from those for Windows 7.
Computer Specifications
What kind of computer hardware should be needed to install Windows 7 on it? The requirements that Microsoft places on a PC depend on the bitness of the operating system you are going to install and its build.
Minimum system requirements that the 32-bit edition of the OS must meet:
- a central processor built on a 32-bit architecture with a clock frequency of 0.8 GHz;
- availability of 512 MB of RAM;
- at least 16 GB of disk space on the partition where the operating system will be installed;
- discrete or integrated video card supporting DX9 technology;
- support for booting the computer from a USB drive or having a DVD drive.
The minimum computer hardware requirements for installing 64-bit “seven” are as follows:
- processor with a core clock frequency of 800 MHz;
- RAM capacity 1 GB;
- the space required to accommodate system files should not be less than 20 GB;
- discrete or integrated video card with DX9 support;
- Supports PC boot via USB or DVD drive.
To ensure the normal operation of the “Seven” and launch regularly used applications (text editors, browser, players, download managers, Internet browser), Microsoft imposes the following requirements for the system hardware configuration for the 32-bit version of the OS:
- processor with a clock frequency of 1000 MHz;
- RAM, 1 GB;
- from 20 GB of space on the partition for OS files;
- DVD drive or support for boot record search technology on USB media;
- a video card with support for WDDM (a technology for increasing graphics performance by using a video adapter) for Aero mode and with 128 MB of video memory.
Recommended computer configuration for installing Windows 7:
- 64-bit CPU with a core clock speed of more than 1 GHz;
- 2048 MB of RAM;
- video card with 128 MB RAM, DX9 and WDDM support;
- more than 20 GB of space on the system partition;
- USB boot support or DVD drive available.
Additional requirements include the presence of a network adapter for networking and an integrated or discrete sound card for audio playback.
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System information stores information about the computer's hardware components - processor, video card, hard drive, as well as software components. You can view the Windows version, amount of RAM, PC performance index and other data using standard OS programs or third-party software.
When you need data about the characteristics and properties of a computer
For a computer program to work, the system must meet the developer's requirements. Some programs work perfectly with Windows 7 32-bit and 2 GB of RAM, while others require at least 4 GB of RAM and a version of Windows 7 64-bit. Knowledge of system parameters is useful in the following cases:
How to find out system settings and PC information using Windows 7
There are 6 ways to obtain information about the system using Windows - among them you will find simple methods for beginners and more labor-intensive ones for experienced users.
Via "Control Panel"
The easiest way to get information about Windows properties and performance is through the Control Panel:
You can open the “System” window by pressing the Win+Pause key combination.
The “System” window will open with information about the version of Windows, the processor and RAM of the PC. You will also see a performance index from 1 to 10 - the higher the value, the better the computer performs. Click on the index button to get detailed information about the performance of your hard drive, processor, RAM and graphics controller.
The performance index is useful when purchasing a PC to compare different models in the store.
Video: how to open system settings
Using the System Information utility
In the Windows "System Information" utility window, you will find information about the processor, BIOS version and Windows build, check the operation of PC hardware resources - CD-ROM, motherboard, video card and others, and also look for errors in the operation of programs and drivers. To open system information:
The System Information menu can be opened using the Run command. To do this, press the Win+R combination on your keyboard, enter “msinfo32” without quotes and press Enter.
Video: How to view system information
Via DirectX Diagnostic Tool
The DirectX Diagnostic Tool is designed to inform users about installed drivers and verify their functionality. To open DirectX diagnostics:
Using Device Manager
It will be useful for advanced users to look at the “Device Manager,” which displays information about all PC components and drivers for them. To log into the Manager:
When viewing information about hardware resources, pay attention to the “Device Status” field - there you will see if there are any problems with operation.
Video: How to open Device Manager
Opening parameters via the command line
Test your computer's performance using the Command Prompt. For this:
BIOS
You can view system properties without logging into Windows. Some information is stored in the BIOS and is available for viewing when the computer is turned on.
BIOS is a program built into the motherboard that connects the operating system and PC hardware resources. Ensures the correct operation of the computer.
To get information about the PC in the BIOS, press Pause break during boot and write down the parameters of interest. Then press Esc to continue starting Windows.
Using third party programs
Use third-party applications if standard Windows applications do not allow you to find the information you need about your computer and system.
Piriform Speccy
Speccy is a free Russian-language utility for viewing system parameters. On the official website, manufacturers offer several modifications of the program, including a portable one that works without installation.
The utility allows you to obtain information about the processor model, the amount and frequency of RAM, the operating system build, as well as audio and video devices, the hard drive, and others. By selecting the name of the components in the left menu, you can view detailed characteristics. Information can be saved and printed using the File menu.
Everest
Everest conducts detailed diagnostics of the computer and provides the user with a detailed report in two formats - html and txt. Having opened the program, on the left side of the window you will see a menu with a tree structure, the most interesting item of which is “Test”. You can test memory performance in read, write and copy modes, as well as processor performance. To run tests, use the “Tools” menu at the top of the program window.
SiSoftware Sandra
SiSoftware Sandra analytical utility supports the Russian language and performs full PC diagnostics. Key features:
To run diagnostics, in the main program window, open the “Tools” item and click “Analysis and Recommendations”. The program will analyze problems and give a list of recommendations to improve the performance of your PC, some of which can be implemented immediately.
Aida
The Aida program tests computer performance in all aspects:
A key feature is PC stress tests to identify reliability problems.
To start testing, select “Tools” in the main window and click “System Stability Test”. Based on the test results, you will see temperature graphs of hardware resources, data on load and processor clock speed.
HWInfo
Powerful application with system information. The key drawback is that there is no Russian version. Displays information about the PC temperature compared to the maximum allowed values. The main window contains summary information about the configuration and operation of the system.
In many situations, Windows PC users need more detailed information about the device. For example, installing a demanding application or game, installing drivers, or just for informational purposes, finding out what the “internals” of the computer are. In this article we will try to describe all the simple and most comprehensive ways of where and how to view the characteristics of a computer on Windows 10, 7, 8.
Standard Windows PC Specifications
The main characteristics of a personal computer can be understood as the following values: frequency and number of processor cores, amount of RAM, system bit capacity, storage capacity and type, video card and its characteristics, and many others. Let's look at them briefly in order:
CPU Specifications– the main ones at the moment are considered to be the clock frequency (1,200 Mhz, 5 Ghz, etc.) and the number of cores (2, 4, 8, etc.), it is these values that marketers and application and game developers focus on, when voicing technical specifications. In fact, the CPU has many characteristics that are very important when comparing and choosing, but for the average person it doesn’t matter which ones. The process has been given a “stone” or an unlocked multiplier; power is important for it. It is precisely this, thanks to the efforts of marketers, that is expressed in two meanings Clock frequency and Number of cores.
Computer RAM capacity– works on the principle that the more, the better (4 Gb, 16 GB, etc.). The average person does not care about the frequency of RAM, its type or manufacturer; it is important for him that applications do not freeze due to its lack.
Storage – along with the storage capacity (500 Gb, 3Tb, etc.), its type (HDD, SSD or hybrid) has also become important. For a long time, there has been a trend to use a fast and productive SSD for the system (with a smaller volume and a reasonable price), and for multimedia and storing HDD files, with a lower speed but a larger volume.
A video card, like a CPU, has many characteristics that are very important - core frequency, type and amount of memory, memory bandwidth and others. These characteristics determine how the card will “show itself” in games and other applications.
Important! The combination of all these characteristics gives an excellent result. Due to a poor choice of one component, the entire performance of the computer can, roughly speaking, “go down the drain.”
Windows computer system utilities
In Windows versions 7, 8 or 10, you can easily check your computer's characteristics using standard system functionality. The only drawback is the limited information; Windows displays only the information it considers necessary.
Let's look at various options for using system utilities:
Via System parameters
The easiest way, which gives meager information about your Windows PC - the amount of RAM, the model and clock speed of the CPU, the bit depth and version of the system, as well as the name of the PC.
Opening the system properties window on your computer is quite simple; this can be done in one of the following ways:
- Right-click on the “My Computer” icon (not the shortcut) and select “Properties”
- Open "Control Panel" and open "System"
- In the Run window (Win+R) type control system
- On your keyboard, press the Win + Pause key combination
Using the command line
For Windows, you can also view your computer's system characteristics through the command line. To do this, do the following:
- To open "Command line", in the Run window (Win+R) enter CMD and click OK
- In the window that opens, enter systeminfo
In addition to the data provided in the previous version, there will be information about the installation date of the Windows system, the page file (virtual memory), BIOS version and network adapters of the device. But still, the information is not as detailed as we would like.
Via the dxdiag utility
DxDiag is a diagnostic tool for testing DirectX functionality and solving video or audio problems on Windows. Shows information both about the system and about video and audio devices. To open the DxDiag window, do the following:
- In the Run window (Win+R), enter dxdiag and click OK
- Will open "DirectX Diagnostic Tool", where all information will be divided into tabs. System – data about the system, CPU, RAM and virtual memory. Screen – information about the video card and driver. Sound 1 and Sound 2 – sound card and output device. Input – keyboard, mouse and other pointing devices.
Via the msinfo32 utility
Standard utility "System Information", provides the most detailed information about the Windows system among all utilities. To open it, in the Run window (Win+R) enter the command msinfo32.
"System Information" allow you to view a lot of information about your computer and system. Basic information is in the tab "System Information", hardware data in "Components", and system details in "Software environment".
Unfortunately, none of the proposed methods allows you to view the full technical specifications of a Windows computer. This can be done using special programs.
Third party programs for Windows
There are many programs and applications for a Windows computer that can show complete data not only about the system, but also about the PC hardware. Most of these applications solve all user questions related to equipment, especially how to find out the characteristics of your Windows 7, 8, 10 computer online. Typically, such applications have advanced functionality, such as testing and device diagnostics (for example, Aida64). Let's look at the most popular programs for viewing the characteristics of a Windows computer.
Aida64
Description: One of the best and advanced applications for device characterization, testing and monitoring of equipment. Allows you not only to obtain information about a specific device (Aida64 Extreme), but also the status of a specific device on a network of many PCs (AIDA64 Business).
Official Russian website - www.aida64russia.com. The program has a 30-day free trial and shows limited information. The cost of a license is from 2,265 to 14,392 rubles, depending on the type of license and version.Speccy
Description: a program from the developers of CCleaner, showing detailed characteristics of the computer. A free application that shows not only detailed information about the device, but also real-time equipment temperature.
HWMonitor
Description: utility for monitoring the state of a Windows PC and its characteristics - frequency, voltage, temperature, memory, fan rotation and much more. A very convenient application if you monitor all the indicators of your Windows PC.
Official website - www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html. It has a Pro version with rich functionality, but some of the data is hidden until you purchase a license. The regular version of HWMonitor is sufficient in many ways.In this article, we showed how you can check the characteristics of a Windows computer using both standard system services and utilities, and third-party applications. If you have questions about third-party applications or opening system utilities, we will be happy to help in the comments.
Have a great day!
Sometimes there is an urgent need to find out the characteristics of your computer. For example, in order to update drivers, upgrade some parts of the system unit, or simply show off to your peers, and in many cases you just need to find out the markings of a particular system component. There are only two ways to do this: and read the markings or check them using software.
The first method, although simple, in most cases may not be available due to a violation of the warranty (if the computer is under warranty). Therefore, let's take a closer look at the second method, how to find out the characteristics of your computer using programs, both built-in operating system tools and additional specialized software.
We look at the characteristics of the computer using the operating system
1. In order to find out the three main system parameters, just go to the “My Computer” tab in the “Start” menu. To do this, you need to hover the cursor over it and right-click on it; in the list that opens, select “Properties”.
This can also be done in one more way: from the “Control Panel” tab, select “System”. In the window that opens below, you can view the same parameters.
2. You can find out what equipment is installed on your computer, but without detailed characteristics, through the “Device Manager”.
To launch it, you can simply type the key combination “Win+Pause”. In Windows 7, in the window that opens, you will need to select the “Device Manager” tab. Now we can see what devices are installed on your computer and their names, for example, processor type and frequency, video card, sound card, network adapters, disks, etc. The Device Manager in XP can be launched using the key combination “Win+Pause” “, then at the top you need to click on the “Equipment” tab, and already launch “Device Manager” in it.
3. This method involves using the integrated “System Information” software. To launch it, you need to click on the “All Programs” drop-down list in the “Start” menu, then “Accessories”, open the “Utilities” tab and launch the “System Information” utility there. You can also do this faster by pressing the Win+R key combination. The program launch window will open. In the “Open” line you need to type “msinfo32.exe”. This is the same utility, only launched through the console.
Using this built-in software, you can obtain basic information about the system and components. But this utility is quite inconvenient due to the complexity of the branches of transitions along the tree. This software can be used in the absence of other software that is easier to understand and read.
4. You can also view system characteristics through the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. This utility is used mainly for testing both video and audio cards. The utility window displays general information about the system and, more specifically, about the video card.
5. You can find out the characteristics of your computer from the BIOS. To do this, when booting the computer, you must press the F1, F2, Del or Esc key. It all depends on the version of the BIOS itself. Further, some knowledge of English is required.
Programs for viewing computer characteristics
For more detailed system performance diagnostics, you can use special programs. For example, AIDA64, ASTRA32, PC-Wizard programs are excellent software both for diagnostics and for testing all components separately.
To begin with, let's say that the AIDA64 (formerly Everest) application belongs to the paid category. However, it is possible to take advantage of the free 30-day period provided by the developers so that the user can familiarize himself with the capabilities of the program. This is quite enough for us. In our case, we will use the AIDA64 Extreme Edition to familiarize ourselves with the basic parameters of the computer. There is, of course, a business version of this application, but for our purposes the Extreme version will suffice. This application must be downloaded from the developer's website (www.aida64.com) and installed on your computer.
AIDA is very simple and easy to use. The main application window is divided into two parts: the left side displays a tree of the main subsystems of the computer, and the right side displays detailed information about the subsystem selected on the left side. To view summary information on your computer, just expand the “Computer” section, and then select the “Summary Information” subsection.
Selecting this subsection will allow you to find out all the characteristics of your computer: the type of computer, information on the installed operating environment, information about the system board, available partitions, network, peripheral devices, etc.
You can view data on your computer's central processor by selecting the "CPU" subsection in the root "System Board" section. The right side of the application will display the parameters of all processors installed on the PC. This data will tell you about the type of processor installed, its model, clock speed, supported instructions, cache of different levels. You can also find information about the load on the microprocessor cores. If you need more detailed information about the functions supported by the system microprocessor, then feel free to click the “CPUID” subsection.
If you move a little further in your selection and select the “Motherboard” section, then detailed information on the motherboard will be displayed in the main application window. For a desktop PC, AIDA64 will display the properties of the board with its name, the properties of the system bus with its real and effective frequencies. Data on the properties of the memory bus with its width, frequencies, and bandwidth will also be demonstrated. Equally important technical information on the physical parameters of the board: supported CPU socket, installed connectors for expansion cards, the number of slots for RAM sticks, as well as the type of sticks themselves and the type of supported memory. In the same section, the application will show data about the form factor of the motherboard, its physical dimensions and the chipset.
Selecting the “Memory” subsection in the “Motherboard” section will display summary information about the computer’s RAM. Here you can find out information about the RAM and virtual memory available in the system: how much has already been used and how much is currently available for use by the system and applications. Also, this section shows the path to the system swap file.
You can easily find out about the properties of installed RAM modules by clicking the “SPD” subsection. This action will allow the application to show all memory modules installed on the PC, which are displayed at the top of the main window area. Selecting one of the displayed modules will allow you to obtain data that is shown in the lower part of the main area of the program window. By default, when you go to the “SPD” subsection, this part displays the data of the first module displayed in the list. Here you can find the following data about the properties of the module: its type, the amount of memory it provides, the type of this memory, its speed. Also, the width and voltage of the module, timing characteristics and functions supported by it are displayed here.
Video card
In order to view data on the characteristics of the video adapter, you need to go to the root section “Display”. Among its subsections you need to find “Graphics Processor”. Selecting this subsection will allow you to display data about the video adapter installed on the PC in the main area of the program. Among them is information about the type of video chip, its BIOS version, the memory of the graphics card (volume, frequency, type), some characteristics of the graphics processor (frequency, technical process).
The “Monitor” subsection of the same root partition will allow the user to become familiar with the main characteristics of the system monitor. These include model, resolution, aspect ratio, vertical and horizontal scan.
AIDA64 allows you to get a wide range of information about your computer's hard drives. To view information about the HDD, click on the “Windows Data Storage” subsection of the root “Data Storage” section. At the top of the main area of the application window, a list of all devices that are associated with data storage will be displayed. The hard drives will be displayed first, and information about the characteristics of the hard drive designated first in the list of devices will be displayed at the bottom of the main area of the window. Among the most useful characteristics: hard drive form factor, spindle rotation speed, read/write speed, etc.
Sensor data
It is necessary not only to be able to view data about the system, but also to analyze the current information provided about the system by its sensors. Data on sensors can be found by going to the “Sensors” subsection of the “Computer” section in the general subsystem tree.
The main sensor information window displays data on the temperature of the microprocessor, as well as its cores. The “CPU” designation shows the temperature of the processor under its cover. Traditionally, this indicator is lower than the temperature indicators of the processor cores, displayed as: “CPU1”, “CPU2”. This is due to the fact that the cover is in direct contact with the heat sink of the heat sink unit. Do not be afraid of the high parameters of the “AUX” indicator, since it means practically nothing. If its values never change, then it is not used by the system. The GPU Diode sensor shows the temperature on the GPU.
Using the ASTRA32 program you can also find out the characteristics of your computer. Like the previous program, ASTRA32 is paid, but the demo version is enough for us. Its interface is similar to AIDA64, also so simple and clear. Download the program from the official website: www.astra32.com and install. By clicking on the link you will see two versions - one for regular installation, and the other is portable, that is, it does not require installation. I will use the second version of the program.
I run the program file astra32.exe as administrator.
In the window that opens, all information about my computer is immediately displayed (the “General Information” tab), namely:
- what processor is installed, its operating frequency, cache levels;
- brief information about the motherboard;
- information about RAM;
- what disks are installed and their capacity;
- information about the video card and sound card;
- information about the operating system, etc.
You can stop there, but for those who want to study the components of their computer in detail, you can select the appropriate section in the left column and study the data that is displayed in the right column.
For example, you need to find out more detailed information about the processor: what Socket it has, how many cores, what power consumption, dimensions, etc. Go to the “Processor” tab and then “CPU”. In the Right window we look at detailed information about the processor.
Finally we come to free programs. PC-Wizard is one of the best utilities for determining the characteristics, configuration and testing of a computer. It can be downloaded by following the link - http://www.cpuid.com.
The program interface is similar to the previously discussed utilities. The only difference is that instead of boring lists, icons are displayed in the right column, and there are also tips for almost every action.
Knowing the characteristics of your computer is necessary to install new hardware and run applications or games. For example, some of them require a 64-bit OS or recommend a certain amount of RAM for normal operation. Information on the system can be obtained both through the OS and using third-party programs or online services.
Windows 7 Features. To obtain information about the system, open “Start”, right-click on “Computer” and select “Properties”. Once on the computer basic information page, you can view your OS bit, processor type, memory size, and version of your Windows. You can get more information about your computer by clicking "Performance Meters and Tools" and then clicking "Show...detailed information about your computer's performance." Windows Utilities. Open Start, select Accessories, then System Tools, and launch System Profile. The right side of the screen will display the main characteristics of your computer. For additional system analysis, select the appropriate section. For example, "CD-Rom". You will see not only the characteristics of the drive, but also information about the driver version and the folder where it is installed. DirectX Diagnostic Tool. Click " Win+R", enter the command " dxdiag" and click "OK". In the “System” tab you can study basic information about your computer. Other tabs provide additional information about the monitor, audio hardware, and input devices.
As you can see from the article, there are many ways to find out the characteristics of your computer. It all depends on how detailed an analysis you need and in what form. Based on this, choose the option at your discretion.