Computer Specifications
Computer Specifications
Department
Below is a listing of different hardware devices in the computer and different methods of determining
additional information about the hardware device.
Desktop computer
Finding the hardware installed in your computer may be necessary for many reasons. Whether
it's to determine if your computer meets system requirements, check on compatibility for
upgrades, compare your machine to another, or help sell the computer. To check your
hardware specifications, find your version of Windows in the section below and follow the
instructions. Tips
Some information, like brand, power rating, or size, can be determined by looking at the
hardware. For example, most hardware displays the brand somewhere on the front or side panel.
The power rating of a power supply, in terms of wattage outage, is often displayed on the side of
the unit.
1. DxDiag
The dxdiag utility included with DirectX allows you not only display all system information
but save it in an easy to read a text file
To run this utility click Start, run, and type: dxdiag and press Enter.
DxDiag logo
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Instructor Tazeb Ayelign
Dill Yibza Tvet College Ict
Department
2. Msinfo32
Run the Windows System Information (msinfo32) that comes pre-installed with Windows to determine
installed hardware and software specifications.
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Instructor Tazeb Ayelign
Dill Yibza Tvet College Ict
Department
3. Device Manager
Generic hardware information of what Microsoft Windows is detecting is found through the
Device Manager.
In the File Explorer window, in the left navigation pane, click on This PC.
Below is an example of what the Device Manager looks like and what devices may be listed.
Compiled By
Instructor Tazeb Ayelign
Dill Yibza Tvet College Ict
Department
A hard disk drive (sometimes abbreviated as a hard drive, HD, or HDD) is a non-volatile data
storage device. It is usually installed internally in a computer, attached directly to the disk
controller of the computer's motherboard
Compiled By
Instructor Tazeb Ayelign
Dill Yibza Tvet College Ict
Department
A hard drive can store any data, including pictures, music, videos, text documents, and any files
created or downloaded. Also, hard drives store files for the operating system and software
programs that run on the computer. Examples of data stored on a computer's hard drive
include the operating system, installed software, and the user's personal files.
A computer requires an operating system to allow users to interact with and use it. To install a
computer operating system, a hard drive (or another storage device) is required. The storage
device provides the storage medium where the operating system is installed and stored.
A hard drive is also required for the installation of any programs or other files you want to keep
on your computer. When downloading files to your computer, they are permanently stored on
your hard drive or another storage medium until they are
Without a hard drive, a computer can turn on and POST. Depending on how the BIOS is
configured, other bootable devices in the boot sequence are also checked for the necessary boot
files. For example, if the USB device is listed in your BIOS boot sequence, you can boot from a
bootable USB flash drive in a computer without a hard drive.
Tip
New computer users may confuse RAM (memory) with their disk drive. Unlike an HDD or SSD,
RAM is a "volatile" data storage device, meaning it can store data only when the computer is
powered on.
An internal hard drive connects to the computer using two means: a data cable (IDE, SATA, or
SCSI) to the motherboard and a power cable to the power supply.
Compiled By
Instructor Tazeb Ayelign
Dill Yibza Tvet College Ict
Department
All primary computer hard drives are found inside a computer case and are attached to the
computer motherboard using an ATA, SCSI, or SATA cable. Hard drives are powered by a
connection to the PSU (power supply unit).
The process to determine the amount of available hard drive space varies depending on what
operating system you're using. And follow the instructions.
1.
1. Press the Windows key+E to open File Explorer.
2. In the File Explorer window, in the left navigation pane, click on This PC (computer)
3. After selecting This PC (computer), you see a section called Devices and drives.
4. Each storage device has a status bar, the amount of free space available, and the total
disk space.
Tip
If you would like to view additional information, right-click the drive and select
Properties from the drop-down menu that appears.
2.
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Instructor Tazeb Ayelign
Dill Yibza Tvet College Ict
Department
3.
Press the Windows key+ to open File Explorer. And then
In the File Explorer window, in the left navigation pane, click on This PC.
Press the Windows key, type System Information, and press Enter.
Or, you can use the Run box to open the System Information utility.
Press the Windows key+R keyboard shortcut. in the Run box, type msinfo32.
In the System Information window that opens, in the left window pane, you'll see a list
of hardware categories. Expand Components, then Storage. Then, choose Drives,
Disks, or any category you'd like to view.
When a user wants to add or upgrade memory (RAM) in a computer, they need to know how
many memory slots are available. The following section helps you to determine the number of
memory slots in your computer, and how many are used.
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Instructor Tazeb Ayelign
Dill Yibza Tvet College Ict
Department
The easiest solution for Windows users is to open the Windows Task Manager.
1. Press the Windows key, type Task Manager, and then press Enter.
Press the Windows key +R type, taskmgr.exe /7, and then press enter
2. In the window that appears, click the Performance tab (A), then select Memory (B).
3. In the lower-right corner, the number of slots is displayed in the Slots used:
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Instructor Tazeb Ayelign
Dill Yibza Tvet College Ict
Department
As you can see, this computer has a total of two memory slots, although all two are currently
being utilized. Here you can also see your computer CPU detail information
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Instructor Tazeb Ayelign
Dill Yibza Tvet College Ict
Department
Sometimes the best way to determine the available memory slots is to open the computer and
examine the motherboard. Opening the computer is the best option if were unable to get the
Windows Task Manager
To view how much RAM is installed and available on your computer, follow the steps below.
Windows 10 and 8
To view the total memory on a computer running Windows 10 or Windows 8, follow these steps.
Note
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Instructor Tazeb Ayelign
Dill Yibza Tvet College Ict
Department
If the computer does not recognize the memory, it's not included in the "Installed memory
(RAM)" or "Installed RAM" entry in the System Properties window.
To determine the amount of available system resources, including memory, and what is currently
being utilized, open the Task Manager. On the Processes tab, you can see which programs are
running and using resources. On the Performance tab, you can see an overall picture of all the
system resources. Click Memory on the left side to see how much memory is used under the
memory usage.
2. Click Start.
Compiled By
Instructor Tazeb Ayelign
Dill Yibza Tvet College Ict
Department
Compiled By
Instructor Tazeb Ayelign