If you’re a PC gamer, you know that the CPU is the heart of your machine. And if you’re not a gamer, you may be wondering how to tell which CPU is in your PC and how fast it is. There are a few ways to do this, but the most reliable way is to use an AMD or Intel CPU speedometer. To use an AMD CPU speedometer, open up your system’s BIOS and set the “CPU Speed” option to “auto.” Once you’ve done this, check your computer’s speed by running the “cpuinfo” command. If your computer has an AMD CPU, then the output will look something like this: Now that we know what type of CPU our computer has (AMD or Intel), we can see how fast it is by using the “cpuinfo -p” command. This will give us information about all of our CPUs including their clock speeds and cores. Now that we know what type of CPU our computer has (AMD or Intel), we can see how fast it is by using the “cpuinfo -p” command. This will give us information about all of our CPUs including their clock speeds and cores.
You don’t need a system information utility to find this information. Windows shows it in several different places.
To find this information in the Windows 10 or Windows 11 Settings app, navigate to Settings > System > About. Look under “Device specifications.” The name of your computer’s processor and its speed are displayed to the right of “Processor.”
You can press Windows+i to open the Settings app quickly. You can also press the Windows key, type “About” to search your Start menu for this Settings screen, and then click the “About This PC” shortcut that appears.
The Task Manager on Windows 10 and Windows 11 shows detailed CPU information, too. Right-click your taskbar and select “Task Manager” or press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to launch it. Click the “Performance” tab and select “CPU.” The name and speed of your computer’s CPU appear here. (If you don’t see the Performance tab, click “More Details.”)
RELATED: Seven Ways to Open the Windows Task Manager
You’ll also see real-time CPU usage data and other details, including the number of cores your computer’s CPU has.
Windows 7—or Windows 10—users can find this information in the Control Panel. Specifically, it’s on the system pane. Head to Control Panel > System and Security > System to open it. You can also press Windows+Pause on your keyboard to instantly open this window.
RELATED: 13 Ways to Open the Control Panel on Windows 10
Your computer’s CPU model and speed are displayed to the right of “Processor” under the System heading.
If Windows isn’t booting on your system, you can still find this information in several other ways. Your computer’s documentation likely includes system specification details like this. You may also find this information displayed in your computer’s BIOS or UEFI firmware settings screen.
RELATED: What Does a PC’s BIOS Do, and When Should I Use It?
