Practical Lab: Exploring Your Computer's Hardware

Objective

See the actual hardware information on your computer without opening it. Windows keeps a list of every part. You are going to read that list, like reading the label on a food packet.

What to Open

1. Windows System Information

   • Press Windows Key + R
   • Type: msinfo32
   • Press Enter

2. Device Manager

   • Right-click Start menu → Device Manager

What to Look For

In System Information:

Look for these sections:

Record this information:

My Computer Hardware:
CPU: ___________________
Cores: __________________
RAM: ____________________
System Type: ____________
BIOS: ___________________

In Device Manager:

Expand these categories (click the small arrow) and see what's there:

What Should Happen

You'll see:

• Your exact CPU model
• Number of logical processors (the number of threads your CPU can run at once)
• Your storage devices
• Your network adapter
• Your displays
• USB controllers
• Audio device

Interpretation

• CPU: The processor brand (Intel Core i7, AMD Ryzen 7, etc.)
• Cores: If it says "8 cores", this is your parallel processing power
• RAM: If it says "16384 MB", that's 16 GB of RAM (16 × 1024)
• Storage: The drives listed are your permanent storage

Next Questions to Answer

After exploring, answer these in your own words:

1. What CPU does your computer have? (full model number)
2. How many cores/threads? (think: parallel execution power)
3. How much RAM? (in GB)
4. How many storage drives? (SSD, HDD, or both?)
5. What's your network adapter? (Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or both?)

Summary