Viewing the System information
The System screen in Windows displays a couple key computer specs: the Windows version and edition, processor model and speed and installed memory (RAM). Here’s how to access this dialog depending upon which Windows version you’re using:
• If you have Windows Vista or 7, click the Start Button in the lower-left corner, right-click “Computer,” and then click “Properties.”
• If you have Windows 8, 8.1, or 10, right-click the button in lower-left corner and click “System.”
Near the top portion of the System screen, you’ll find your Windows version and edition.
In the System section, you should see a processor model and speed given in Gigahertz (GHz). The processor is the brain of a computer; it does the thinking and computing. Thus, a computer’s speed is highly affected by the speed of the processor.
I suggest comparing processors by their Passmark CPU number from a website that evaluates and benchmarks them. Go to www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php and search for your processor's model number. The higher the Passmark CPU number, the potentially faster the processor will be. The cheap new computers these days may come with a processor with as little as a 600 to 1,000 number, which I don't recommend buying. For an average home or office user I suggest getting a new computer with a processor with at least a 2,000 number. The custom desktop computers I sell start at $550 for a processor with near a 5,000 number. To save money, perhaps consider buying a refurbished computer with at least a 1,000 processor number.
Below the processor info, you should see the amount of memory (RAM) installed in gigabytes (GBs). If your processor is the brain, this would be like your computer’s short-term memory. It doesn’t store documents or files for long, but just temporarily holds data for the processor. The more RAM your computer has, the faster it should perform. The cheap new computers typically come with 4 GBs of RAM. That amount is typically acceptable for average users, however when used with an acceptable processor.
Checking hard drive space
The hard drive of a computer is like long-term memory. It is where your documents, photos, and other files are stored. If a hard drive becomes nearly full, it can severely slow your computer. Thus you want to periodically check your hard drive space.
Here’s how, depending upon which Windows version you’re using:
• If you have Windows Vista or 7, click the Start Button in the lower-left corner and click “Computer.”
• If you have Windows 8, 8.1, or 10, click the button in lower-left corner, type “computer,” and press Enter.
Once you open the Computer window, find the main drive, typically given the letter C and labeled “Local Disk.” There’s usually a bar graph under the drive icon that gives you an idea of how full it is and also lists the amount of free space along with the drive capacity. To figure the amount of space you’re currently using, subtract the amount free by the total capacity given. If you don’t see the graph or sizes, right-click the drive icon and click “Properties.”
When buying a new computer, ensure you get an acceptable sized hard drive based upon the amount of space you’re using on your current PC while adding some room to grow. Most new desktop computers these days come with a 1 TB hard drive, and typically 500 GB (which is half of 1 TB) for new laptops.
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