On a busy Windows 10 PC, a quick look at the right place can answer almost every question about what’s under the hood — from CPU and RAM to firmware, GPU details, and even driver versions — and Windows 10 gives you several built-in ways to reveal that information. This guide walks through every dependable method (Settings, System Information / msinfo32, DirectX Diagnostic Tool / dxdiag, PowerShell, Command Prompt, Task Manager, Device Manager and BIOS/UEFI), shows how to export and save full reports for troubleshooting or inventory, and explains what to do if your hardware fails the Windows 11 upgrade check as Microsoft’s Windows 10 support deadline approaches. (support.microsoft.com)
Knowing your PC’s full specifications matters for three practical reasons: compatibility, troubleshooting, and upgrade planning. Compatibility: installers and system checks look for specific CPU families, RAM, Secure Boot and TPM; troubleshooting: driver versions, BIOS/UEFI and firmware data are often the smoking gun for stability problems; upgrade planning: you’ll want to know if your hardware meets Windows 11 minimums before committing to an OS upgrade. Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025, and the company offers a Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) path for some devices — but planning an upgrade or replacement is the safest long-term strategy. (support.microsoft.com)
Most importantly: Microsoft will end Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025; after that date Windows 10 will no longer receive regular security updates unless a device is enrolled in the Extended Security Updates program. Plan any migration, data backup and hardware refresh accordingly. (support.microsoft.com)
Source: Windows Central How to check your PC's full specifications on Windows 10
Knowing your PC’s full specifications matters for three practical reasons: compatibility, troubleshooting, and upgrade planning. Compatibility: installers and system checks look for specific CPU families, RAM, Secure Boot and TPM; troubleshooting: driver versions, BIOS/UEFI and firmware data are often the smoking gun for stability problems; upgrade planning: you’ll want to know if your hardware meets Windows 11 minimums before committing to an OS upgrade. Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025, and the company offers a Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) path for some devices — but planning an upgrade or replacement is the safest long-term strategy. (support.microsoft.com)Quick overview: the built-in tools (what they show)
- Settings > System > About — basic device and Windows information (processor name, installed RAM, system type, Windows edition, version and OS build). Fast and user-friendly.
- System Information (msinfo32) — comprehensive inventory of hardware, firmware (BIOS/UEFI), installed drivers and Windows environment; can export full reports to text/.nfo. (support.microsoft.com)
- DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag) — focused on graphics, display and audio subsystems; useful to export a single dxdiag text report for support. (support.microsoft.com)
- PowerShell (Get-ComputerInfo) — scripted, programmable retrieval of dozens (or hundreds) of system properties; filterable and easy to export. (pdq.com)
- Command Prompt (systeminfo) — quick command-line summary including install date, architecture, BIOS mode and installed memory; can output to CSV/text for simple logging. (learn.microsoft.com)
- Task Manager / Device Manager — live usage (CPU, memory, GPU usage) and a device-by-device list with drivers. Task Manager can show GPU temperature on supported configurations. (howtogeek.com)
How to find hardware specs from Settings (fastest, easiest)
Settings’ About page shows the essentials: CPU model, installed RAM, system type (x64 vs ARM) and a summary of your Windows installation (edition, version, OS build). This is the first place to look if you need a quick answer.Steps (Settings)
- Press Windows key, open Settings (Windows + I), or click Start > Settings.
- Click System, then choose About from the left-hand menu.
- Under Device specifications, note the Processor, Installed RAM, and System type.
- Under Windows specifications, check Edition, Version, Installed on and OS build for the release and update level.
- Use the Copy / Copy link buttons on that page to paste the specs into a document or ticket.
System Information (msinfo32) — the deep inventory
System Information (msinfo32) is the most complete built-in profiler. It compiles system summary, hardware resources, components and software environment in one place and can export a full, portable report.What it shows
- System model and type (useful for OEM drivers).
- Full processor name, number of sockets/cores, virtualization support.
- UEFI/BIOS version and date.
- Installed physical memory and memory slots.
- Motherboard/manufacturer strings (when available from OEM).
- Device drivers and running services, environment variables.
- Expand Components to see Storage, Display, Network and more. (support.microsoft.com)
Steps (System Information)
- Press Windows, type msinfo32 and press Enter (or Start > msinfo32).
- In the left pane, choose System Summary for the full list.
- (Optional) Expand Components > Display to see GPU details and driver versions.
- To export a full report: File > Export, choose a folder and save as a .txt file (or .nfo using the command-line switches). (support.microsoft.com)
- Run as Administrator to ensure driver caches and some hardware queries are current. msinfo32 may show stale or limited results without elevated permissions. (support.microsoft.com)
- The exported report contains serial numbers and detailed identifiers; treat it like sensitive information when sharing.
Create a hardware specs report (msinfo32 export)
When you need a shareable snapshot for IT support or inventory:- Open msinfo32.
- Click System Summary (for everything) or a specific branch (e.g., Display).
- File > Export > choose filename like "Windows10_Hardware_Specs.txt" and Save.
- Review the saved .txt before sending: it includes model/serial numbers and installed drivers. (support.microsoft.com)
DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag) — fast GPU/audio snapshot
The DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag) is the standard support tool for graphics and audio troubleshooting. It reports GPU name, driver version, display resolution, DirectX version, and more; you can save a single, compact text file with everything dxdiag gathers. (support.microsoft.com)Steps (dxdiag)
- Press Windows + R, type dxdiag, press Enter.
- On the System tab, confirm processor, memory and OS version.
- Click the Display tab to view GPU name, manufacturer, memory and driver version.
- Click Save All Information, pick a filename such as dxdiag.txt, and share or archive. (support.microsoft.com)
PowerShell: Get-ComputerInfo — scriptable, filterable, powerful
For administrators and power users who want a programmatic, filterable dump of system properties, PowerShell’s Get-ComputerInfo is ideal. It returns a rich object containing OS and hardware properties and supports selecting specific properties (e.g., BIOS, os, network*). (pdq.com)Common commands
- Full dump: Get-ComputerInfo
- BIOS-only: Get-ComputerInfo -Property "bios*"
- OS-only: Get-ComputerInfo -Property "os*"
- Open PowerShell as Administrator.
- Run: Get-ComputerInfo | Out-File -FilePath C:\Temp\computer-info.txt -Encoding utf8
- You can filter and format properties you need for inventory scripts.
- It’s automatable across many machines via remoting or management tooling. (pdq.com)
- Get-ComputerInfo may not expose every vendor-specific field (some information comes only from the firmware or OEM tools).
- On non-Windows platforms or older PowerShell versions the cmdlet may behave differently; check your PowerShell version. (github.com)
Command Prompt: systeminfo — a classic snapshot
The systeminfo command is a quick way to retrieve key system attributes from the command line. It’s good for scripting and can format output as CSV for spreadsheets. (learn.microsoft.com)Usage
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
- Type: systeminfo and press Enter.
- To save to a file: systeminfo /fo CSV > C:\Temp\systeminfo.csv
Task Manager & Device Manager — live usage and per-device drivers
- Task Manager (Performance tab) shows real-time CPU/GPU/RAM usage, processes by resource and — on many systems with a discrete GPU and a modern driver — GPU temperature. The GPU temperature display requires a dedicated GPU and an up-to-date WDDM driver; it may not appear for integrated GPUs. (howtogeek.com)
- Device Manager lists every installed device (Display adapters, Disk drives, Network adapters, etc.) and lets you inspect driver versions, roll back drivers or update them. Use Device Manager when a specific device driver is suspected to cause instability.
Firmware / BIOS / UEFI and TPM — where to look for boot/secure features
System Information (msinfo32) lists BIOS/UEFI version and Secure Boot state; Windows Security > Device Security shows the TPM and secure processor details. These items are key when checking Windows 11 compatibility (TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, UEFI mode). If a system lacks TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot, you may still sometimes enable them in the firmware settings (UEFI) or apply a vendor BIOS update, but changes vary by model. (support.microsoft.com)What to export and what not to share publicly
When you export msinfo32 or dxdiag reports, they can include:- Device model and serial numbers
- BIOS version and OEM identifiers
- MAC addresses and network adapter names (in some reports)
Treat these files as moderately sensitive. Share them only with trusted support channels or scrub identifying fields before posting to public forums.
Quick checklist: which tool to use for which need
- Need a one-line answer (CPU/RAM/Windows version): Settings > About.
- Need a detailed hardware & driver list to send to support: msinfo32 export. (support.microsoft.com)
- Need GPU/audio specifics and driver version: dxdiag > Save All Information. (support.microsoft.com)
- Need to automate inventory across many machines: PowerShell Get-ComputerInfo or systeminfo in scripts. (pdq.com)
- Need live temperatures and resource usage: Task Manager (Performance) and vendor tools for CPU temp. (howtogeek.com)
When specs reveal upgrade issues: Windows 11 compatibility and end of Windows 10 support
Microsoft’s official Windows 11 minimum requirements include a compatible 64-bit processor (1 GHz or faster and on Microsoft’s approved CPU list), 4 GB RAM minimum, 64 GB storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0 among other requirements. Installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware is possible in some cases but unsupported and may block updates. If your PC doesn’t meet these minimums you can consider replacement, alternatives like ChromeOS Flex or Linux, or Microsoft’s Consumer ESU option for Windows 10 where available. (support.microsoft.com)Most importantly: Microsoft will end Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025; after that date Windows 10 will no longer receive regular security updates unless a device is enrolled in the Extended Security Updates program. Plan any migration, data backup and hardware refresh accordingly. (support.microsoft.com)
Practical troubleshooting tips and pitfalls
- Run msinfo32 and dxdiag as Administrator when possible to avoid missing or cached data. (support.microsoft.com)
- If Task Manager doesn’t show GPU temperature, ensure your GPU has a discrete adapter and your GPU driver supports WDDM 2.4+; otherwise use vendor tools (NVIDIA/AMD) or HWMonitor/Core Temp for CPU temps. Displayed GPU temp is in Celsius. (howtogeek.com)
- For inventory scripts, output PowerShell results to CSV or JSON and secure that output (it may contain serials and other identifiers). (pdq.com)
- When sending exported reports to support, strip or redact serial numbers if you’re concerned about privacy; vendors usually only need the model/OS/driver snapshots. (support.microsoft.com)
Sample commands and one-line cheatsheet
- Open Settings quickly: Windows key + I → System → About.
- Open System Information: Win → type msinfo32 → Enter. Export: File > Export. (support.microsoft.com)
- Create a dxdiag: Win + R → dxdiag → Save All Information. (support.microsoft.com)
- PowerShell full info: Open PowerShell (Admin) → Get-ComputerInfo | Out-File C:\Temp\computer-info.txt. (pdq.com)
- Command line snapshot: Run CMD (Admin) → systeminfo /fo CSV > C:\Temp\systeminfo.csv. (learn.microsoft.com)
Risk and security considerations
- Exported system reports include identifiers (BIOS serials, motherboard IDs, MACs). Treat these like account-level data. Share only with trusted support systems or scrub before posting publicly. (support.microsoft.com)
- Running third-party “lighter” OS builds or installation hacks to run Windows 11 on unsupported hardware may dodge upgrade checks but can prevent future updates and support; these approaches carry risk and are not recommended for production machines. If extending Windows 10 support is necessary, prefer Microsoft’s documented ESU path where eligible. (support.microsoft.com)
What to do next (practical checklist)
- Export an msinfo32 report and a dxdiag.txt and save them somewhere secure. Use these if you contact support. (support.microsoft.com)
- Run Get-ComputerInfo or systeminfo and capture output to a file if you’re inventorying machines. (pdq.com)
- If you plan to upgrade to Windows 11, run the PC Health Check and cross-check the CPU/TPM/Secure Boot values you found in msinfo32 against Microsoft’s Windows 11 requirements. If you don’t meet the requirements, consider replacement or ESU enrollment. (support.microsoft.com)
- Back up data before major changes and keep exported spec files in a secure internal location for support and asset tracking.
Conclusion
Windows 10 includes multiple, reliable ways to reveal your PC’s full hardware and software inventory — from the quick Settings > About page to the deep-dive msinfo32, dxdiag and PowerShell commands. Use Settings for a fast check, msinfo32 or dxdiag for support-ready exports, and PowerShell or systeminfo for automation and batch reporting. Keep security in mind when sharing exports, and plan upgrades before Microsoft’s Windows 10 end-of-support deadline to avoid exposure or disruption. (support.microsoft.com)Source: Windows Central How to check your PC's full specifications on Windows 10