How to Check Your PC's Specs, Model and Serial Number: System Information, dxdiag, One-Line Commands

Comparing a machine before you buy it, calling support about a warranty claim, checking hardware before a reinstall: all of them start with finding out what the computer in front of you actually is. Everything below uses tools already in Windows, no downloads required, and runs from the core specs through to the model number and serial number.

CPU, memory and Windows version first

The quickest route is to right-click This PC and choose Properties. The page lists:

• The processor model
• Installed memory (RAM)
• System type: 64-bit or 32-bit, and whether it is ARM based
• Windows edition and version number

For live figures as well as names, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and go to the Performance tab. CPU, memory, disk and GPU each show their model and current utilisation, which is also where you decide whether a slow machine is short on memory or waiting on a disk. If you want the full diagnosis order, Windows Computer Running Slow or Taking Long to Boot? works through it layer by layer.

That tab holds details Properties never shows. Select Processor and the lower right gives core count and logical processor count. Select Memory and the bottom of the panel shows the module speed in MHz plus something like "Used memory slots: 2 of 4", which answers the "can I add another stick" question faster than opening the case. On machines with integrated graphics, remember that the 16 GB quoted in Properties is not all available to you, since the GPU reserves part of it.

Every hardware device: dxdiag

1. Press Win + R, type dxdiag, press Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
2. The System tab shows the operating system, processor, memory and BIOS version.
3. The Display tab shows the graphics chip, its memory, and the driver version. That is the page to read when you attach an external monitor or chase down stutter in a game.
4. Save All Information writes a complete hardware report to a text file, useful to keep or send to support.

Drive health figures such as power-on hours and reallocated sectors are outside what Windows reports, and so is a proper component list. CrystalDiskInfo and CPU-Z cover both, free.

Model number and serial number, the two support wants

Route 1: System Information

1. Press Win + R, type msinfo32, press Enter.
2. System Model on the right is the machine's model name, for example Lenovo Yoga Slim 7.
3. A serial number is not always its own field. Some brand-name machines park it in System SKU or a similar line, and plenty show nothing. When it is missing, use a command.

Route 2: one command, the most reliable

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt as administrator and run:

wmic bios get serialnumber

The value it prints is the machine serial number, the one you read out to support. It still works when the sticker on the laptop base has rubbed off. The model comes from:

wmic csproduct get name

One caveat worth knowing: wmic is a deprecated component, and recent Windows 11 builds may report that the command is not found. PowerShell has an equivalent that does not depend on it:

Get-CimInstance Win32_BIOS | Select-Object SerialNumber
Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystemProduct | Select-Object Name

Those two return the same values as the wmic lines.

Route 3: the About page (Windows 11)

Settings > System > About lists device name, processor, installed memory, device ID and product ID under Device specifications, and some brand-name machines also show their model there. Keep in mind the product ID is a licensing identifier. The command output stays the authority for serial numbers.

Three things people mix up

• Device name is the label you or your employer gave the machine. It is not a model number and support cannot look a machine up with it.
• Product ID on the About page is not the serial number. The formats differ, and reading the wrong one costs you a call back.
• The graphics memory dxdiag reports for an integrated GPU, often a small figure like 128 MB, is a booking against system memory. Real use draws more dynamically, so that number does not describe the limits of the chip.

More from the same command window

Two lines round out the hardware picture:

wmic diskdrive get model,size
wmic nic get name

The first lists every physical drive with its model and capacity, so you can see how many drives are fitted and how big each is. The second lists network adapters, which is what you need written down when a fresh install has no driver for Wi-Fi. Virtual adapters and Bluetooth panes appear in that list too, so read the names. To see which drive is solid state and which is spinning:

Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object FriendlyName, MediaType, Size

MediaType reads SSD or HDD.

Battery wear needs no extra software either. Run this in Command Prompt:

powercfg /batteryreport

It writes an HTML report and prints the path. Compare Design Capacity with Full Charge Capacity, and the gap tells you how far the battery has faded. That comparison is worth doing before paying for a used laptop.

Stickers on the case, and warranty checks

• Laptops: a sticker on the base, or inside the battery compartment on older models with removable batteries. Look for Model and S/N.
• Brand-name desktops: a label on the side or rear of the case.
• Warranty: take the serial number to the manufacturer's warranty page. Lenovo, Dell, HP and ASUS all run one, and each returns the shipping configuration plus the warranty end date.

Note these three before reinstalling

If a clean install is coming, write these down first. They decide how you build the USB stick and which drivers you need afterwards:

• BIOS mode, UEFI or Legacy: the line is on the first page of msinfo32.
• Partition style, GPT or MBR: right-click This PC, choose Manage, open Disk Management, right-click the disk itself and open Properties; the Volume tab states it.
• Network and graphics adapter models: from dxdiag, or device by device in Device Manager.

Quick reference