The CPU (central processing unit) is one of the most vital components of every contemporary computer, if not the most important. Whether you use a desktop PC, laptop, phone, tablet, or even a smartwatch, all of these devices have some form of CPU.
If the graphics card is the might of a computer, the processor provides the brains to make everything work properly.
Not every CPU is built equal, meaning they handle tasks differently. Some are better for basic tasks such as word processing, while others will be suitable for gaming. This is why you might be wondering, “What is my CPU?”
To help you find the answer to that question, we have prepared this comprehensive guide.
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Find Your CPU With Windows
The majority of computer owners are using a Windows operating system, specifically Windows 10, so we will begin there.
Using System Settings
Before you download a bunch of applications trying to figure out what kind of processor you have in your computer, there is an easy way to do it using Windows’ built-in settings.
Open the Start Menu and click on Preferences (cogwheel icon). From here, proceed into System.
This will give you access to various settings. We’re looking for the About tab. To reach that tab, scroll down the left navigation menu to the bottom, and you should find it.
With the About tab selected, you will see your device’s specifications on your display. If you look next to “Processor”, you should be able to view exactly which CPU you have.
In our sample, it is an Intel mobile chip. Specifically, an Intel i5-10210U @ 1.60 GHz, with a boost clock of up to 2.11 GHz.
Unfortunately, from this window, you won’t be able to view any additional information regarding your CPU.
Device Manager
If you’re looking for another way to find info on your CPU or you aren’t running Windows 10, you can use Device Manager. This applet has been available for many generations, so whether you are on Windows XP or even Windows 11, you will be able to employ it.
The simplest method to find this is by utilizing Windows Search. Launch the Start Menu and search “Device Manager.”
Instead, you can reach it through Control Panel, which you can also locate using the search feature in Windows.
In Control Panel, open Hardware and Sound, and then, under Devices and Printers, seek Device Manager.
Here, you should see several categories/types of devices, one of which should be the Processor. By expanding this category, the name of your CPU will be revealed. This will also tell you precisely how many cores and threads it has, but how?
After extending it, you might notice that your processor’s name is repeated multiple times. The quantity of times it is repeated is exactly how many cores or threads you possess.
Each of these methods is a dependable way to check precisely which processor you have on your Windows computer.
However, there is still one more built-in method that is preferable to both of them: Task Manager.
Using Task Manager
The Task Manager is an essential built-in tool for all Windows systems. You can utilize it to monitor programs and processes on your computer, as well as track performance.
To do that, you will first need to open Task Manager. The quickest way is with the Ctrl + Shift + Escape shortcut or Ctrl + Alt + Delete.
Open the window and choose More Details located at the bottom left side, and then click on the Performance tab.
You will see details regarding your GPU, Memory, Wi-Fi, SSD/HDD, and CPU. Currently, you want information concerning your CPU, so select that.
As visible in the image above, you will see varied information. At the top, there is the name of the processor, a graph showing utilization percentage, the number of cores and threads (logical processors), virtualization, and other crucial details.
Third-Party Software
If you want to make the information regarding your CPU even more accessible, you can download one of the numerous third-party programs that enable this.
A few popular ones are CPU-Z, HWMonitor, and HWinfo. HWinfo gives the most particulars, but it’s also intricate. So, we’ll concentrate on CPU-Z as it’s simple to download and utilize.
To start, get acquire CPU-Z. You have the option to get the installation file, or you can obtain it as a .zip for a more straightforward installation. We suggest choosing the setup version to ensure functionality.
Follow the installation steps and open the application.
When you initiate the program, you should be on the CPU section, where you will find various details about your processor.
This will contain the name, make, model, TDP, configuration, socket, cache, clock speeds, and assorted other particulars.
Find Your CPU With macOS
Compared to Windows, finding the specifications of your Mac is a bit more complex. With this guide, you will learn which CPU you have in no time.
To access this information, you will need to start the Mac’s Terminal. You can do that by going to the Finder and then into Application. From there, you should be able to locate the terminal.
After launching the terminal, utilize this directive:
sysctl -a | grep brandWhen you submit this command, the terminal should output the precise name of your CPU. However, you will only see the name and no other information.
Unfortunately, there currently isn’t any third-party software that will provide supplementary information for your Mac.
However, there are some websites available that have compiled all of the information about particular Mac models and their processors.
To get detailed specifications, you can search for your processor’s name that you got from the terminal on EveryMac. This website has a library of all Mac Models. After searching for your CPU name, you will be able to find the exact model of your Mac.
You will then be able to see your CPU’s peak frequency, display, RAM, iGPU/dGPU, I/O, and much more.
Find Your CPU With Linux
Obtaining information regarding your CPU on Linux is much more straightforward than on MacOS, and you can also see a lot more details.
If you are on Linux, simply hit Ctrl+Alt+T (shortcut for console) and enter this directive:
$ cat /proc/cpuinfo This should quickly give you a list of specifications and information such as the number of cores, cache size, model name, etc.
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$ lscpuThis will display you even more specifics, such as peak, minimum, and present frequency.
Third-Party Software
If you want to fetch the CPU information easily, without having to find and enter these commands every time, some external programs will do it for you.
These might not be as apparent or straightforward as the ones for Windows, but they are still good enough.
One option is CPU-X. It is entirely open-source and designed specifically for Linux/GNU. It is also used as a monitoring application.
SidebarDiagnostics is another robust option and a bit more user-friendly. It is a straightforward sidebar that can show you diagnostics regarding your hardware. It can monitor everything from your drives, GPUs, RAM, and, most importantly, your CPU.
We have talked about the best ways to locate a computer’s CPU for common operating systems. We hope this article met your expectations and provided beneficial details.
