How to enable all processor cores. How to find out how many cores are in a computer using Device Manager How many cores are on my PC

Hello! Sooner or later, almost all users have a question - how to find out how many cores are in a computer? (and for good kernels specifically in the processor) and what pitfalls there are in this, at first glance, quite simple task. This note is a logical continuation of the instructions about the series of your PC or laptop.

Why did I decide to raise this issue? — I understand that there are quite detailed notes on the Internet about ways to determine the number of processor cores, but almost all of them combined logical cores and real ones.

In fact, having pebble with two cores, you will think that you have four full cores and a misunderstanding will arise - why is a modern toy stupid? Productivity is abundant...

Currently, the number of threads being processed can be greater than the number of physical cores. This allows you to use processor instructions that are not currently used by the core and, in theory, increase performance. Such a virtual core provides an incomparably smaller performance increase, but is defined in the system as a logical processor. This note was written to help you understand these nuances.

It so happens that there are almost 100,500 ways to find out the number of available threads in the system. As soon as we talk about physical cores, the number of options is seriously reduced (and most authors pass off these same logical cores as physical ones, which is a gross mistake).

I decided to divide the note into two small blocks - in the first we will determine the number of cores using standard Windows tools, and in the second we will try various utilities that will answer our questions.

How to determine how many cores are in a processor using standard Windows tools

Standard tools have a huge advantage - they are already installed in the system and can be used immediately. However, most of the tools built into the system tell us the number of threads, which in some cases can distort our understanding of the number of cores in the processor (if there is Hyper Threading from Intel or SMT from AMD)

Method 1: Task Manager

One of the easiest ways to determine the number of physical processor cores is to launch the task manager (this is done by pressing CTRL + SHIFT + ESC), go to the “Performance” tab, select “CPU” on the left side and look at the number of cores as in the picture below (logical processors are the same threads)

Unfortunately, such a task manager has been present since Windows 8 and in Windows 7, which is familiar to many, it will not be possible to view it this way, there we will only see threads

Method 2: System Information

This method works on all versions of Windows (unfortunately, I can’t check on Windows XP, and who uses it in 2k17). Windows has a tool called System Information. It displays detailed information about our computer, including helping to find out the number of physical cores in the processor. To run it, open the “Run” command (the easiest way is with the WIN + R key combination) and type the command...

...click OK and wait for the window to load.

Everything here is extremely simple, in the “Processor” line the number of cores and threads will be written, as well as a lot of other useful information.

Standard methods, although they allow you to determine how many cores are in the processor, provide too little information for a sophisticated user - there are specialized applications specifically for them

How to see how many cores are on your computer using third-party utilities

If you want to squeeze out as much information as possible about your processor, then there are specialized utilities for this (if you still don’t know what processor you have in your system, be sure to read). These are the programs we will now consider...

Method 1: CPU-Z

The CPU-Z program is probably, without exaggeration, the best when it comes to viewing the characteristics of the central processor. I prefer the portable version, which does not require installation - download and use. You can download it on the official website:

After startup, the number of processor cores can be viewed on the “CPU” tab in the “Cores” line (and Threads is the number of threads)

In most cases, the number of cores coincides with the number of threads; virtual cores are usually reserved for the most expensive solutions (but there are exceptions)

Method 2. HWiNFO

The following utility helped us and accurately displayed the number of cores and threads in the system without any problems. HWiNFO has several editions (32 and 64 bit versions), you need to download according to the bitness of your operating system, the link to the download page is below, as always (if you have doubts about the bitness of the system, download HWiNFO32 - it will run everywhere)

I recommend using the portable version. Well, after launch, the “System Summary” window will open, where next to the name of the processor you will see the number of physical and logical processors (Cores and Logical, respectively)

In general, the HWiNFO application provides information not only about cores and threads, but also shows a very clear report on giblets your computer

Method 3. AIDA64

The next program that will help you find out how many cores a processor has is AIDA64 (formerly Everest, otherwise I am often asked why I never include it in my list). The product is commercial, but there is a trial period - you can download it from the official website (we are interested in the Extreme version)

By the way, there is also a portable version. We launch the application, on the left side go to “Computer”, “Summary information”, and on the right side in the “System board” block in the “CPU type” line in the example it says QuadCore - this means that I have a processor with four cores in the system. In general, if English is difficult, you can always use an online translator.

AIDA64 is probably one of the most inconvenient applications for determining the number of cores on a computer, but such a monster simply could not be excluded from this top

Method 4. Piriform Speccy

In conclusion, I want to tell you about a utility from the developers of the legendary Ccleaner - this is, as many guessed, Piriform Speccy. The purpose of this application is to tell you in as much detail as possible about each component of your system (including the number of processor cores and threads). The utility has a free version and can be downloaded from the official website.

We launch the application and on the left side we find the “Central Processing Unit” item - information about our CPU will open. In the kernel line we will see the number of processor cores (information about threads is just below)

Piriform Speccy is probably one of the best applications for collecting information about your computer, but the lack of a portable version makes me a little sad

Conclusions about all the ways to find out how many cores are on a PC

Well friends, it’s time to wrap things up and take stock. After reading this note, you know how to find out how many cores are in a computer... however, there is another simple way - if you know the model of your processor, you can find information about it on the official website. Since there will be information about the number of cores and threads in the system.

Despite the fact that in the store the buyer can look at the characteristics of the product being purchased, in practice there are cases when unscrupulous sellers deceive gullible users. One of these frauds is indicating the wrong quantity. In this way, you can greatly inflate the price and sell outdated goods at a higher cost. To avoid such deception, you need to understand how to find out how many cores are on a laptop.

Without software

Many modern laptops are sold without a pre-installed operating system. So it is not possible to check the necessary information programmatically. How to find out how many cores are on a laptop in this situation?

First of all, these are mini stickers. Any official manufacturer of computer equipment covers the laptop with special stickers that confirm the licensing of the equipment (few people know, but without them, even your broken PC may not be accepted for service). Check for such a sticker. For example, the "Intel Inside CORE I5" sticker will indicate the presence of a quad-core processor.
Sticker with technical characteristics. Another "external sign". Similar to the previous case, the manufacturer applies a sticker to the laptop, which will indicate the RAM, hard drive, video card and specific processor model.
Another way to find out how many cores are on a laptop without turning it on is to ask the seller for technical documentation for a specific model. Everything will be indicated there. Reputable stores will not refuse you.

Windows

In progress

Another way to find out how many cores are on a laptop also uses built-in Windows tools. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del and launch Task Manager. You can also do this by right-clicking on the bottom panel (with the "Start" button).

After that, go to the "Performance" tab. A screen with a RAM load graph will appear in front of you, and at the top of the window you can see several graphs with processor load. Each of them corresponds to a separate kernel. Actually, this will also answer the question: “How can I find out how many cores are running on a laptop?” Even in a state of complete inactivity, each graph should show at least one percent load.

Thanks to multi-cores, data processing occurs in several threads, which increases the speed of calculations several times. However, this technology has its downside. The program must be optimized for a multi-core processor, otherwise it may run even slower than on a single-core processor.

How to check how many cores are on your computer

The Windows operating system has long provided for this question, which allows you to complete the request in several steps.

The number of elements in the list is the number of cores in your CPU. In the screenshot we see that the processor has 4 cores.

This method is suitable for Windows 10 operating systems. On lower systems, the algorithm is almost the same, only the method of opening the control panel differs. However, Intel also produces processors with hyper-threading technology. If you are the owner of such a processor, then most likely the method will show an incorrect result due to the nature of the technology (the physical cores in it can be divided and shown as several cores). If your processor has Hyper-threading technology, don’t worry, we can also count the number of cores for you.

Determining the number of cores using utilities

There are many programs on the Internet for displaying information about your computer. Let's turn to a free and one of the most popular programs - CPU-Z. How to use it:

But you can get this information without additional utilities. Let's consider the third method.

Windows Task Manager

To open the task manager, press three buttons at the same time - Ctrl+Alt+Delete. In the menu that appears, select the item of the same name. Option #2: Right-click on the Windows icon in the lower left corner. In the context menu that opens, select “Task Manager”

In the window that opens, find the “Performance” tab (or a synonymous word). If you have Windows Vista/7, then the number of windows under the text “CPU Load History” will show the number of cores. In Windows 8/10 everything is even simpler - their number is written in the lower right corner.

If you don't have access to a computer

The documentation for the processor always contains information about its cores. In processors of the Intel family, the cores are designated by the words Duo (2), Dual (2), Quad (4), and so on. AMD is a little more complicated, here you need to find the X symbol next to which there is a number. It looks like "X 2", "X 4" and so on. This figure indicates the number of cores.

We have given a comprehensive list of methods to resolve your issue. If one thing doesn't work, try another. Of course, there are more advanced methods (such as getting information through the BIOS), but why is this necessary when there are many simple ways. Decide for yourself which one to use.

There are several ways to find out how many cores are in a laptop or personal computer processor. However, each individual method may not be suitable for all laptops, so try different ones and you will definitely get the answer to your question.

Universal methods

Using them you can see how many cores are on your computer in any version of Windows.

"Task Manager"

The method is suitable for determining the number of physical cores and logical processes in Windows 7 and 8. For it you need to perform the following steps:

Sometimes the numbers are not displayed - just expand the window by clicking the "Expand" button.

For the “seven”, the number of cores will be shown in the diagram cells: if there are two of them, then the computer has two cores (Line “CPU load history”). Additionally: There is another way to get to the task manager. You need to right-click on the taskbar and click on the line “Task Manager”.

"Device Manager"

Using this tool, you can see not so much the number of cores, but their threading. The system often confuses these indicators on modern computer models. Here's how to see how many cores are on your computer through Device Manager:

This method should be used by those who need to obtain the most detailed information.

“System Information” on Windows 7

How to see how many cores are on your computer in Windows 7:

“Computer Information” on Windows 8

In the "eight" you can get to information about in another way.

It largely depends on the number of cores it includes. Therefore, many users are interested in how to find out the number of processor cores. If you are also interested in this issue, then this article should help you.

Information on the official website of Intel or AMD

The easiest way to find out the number of cores in a processor is to find out the processor model and then look on the Internet to see what it is equipped with. To find out your processor model, you need to open the “View basic information about your computer” window. This window can be opened in several ways:

If you have Windows 7, then you can open the “Start” menu, go to “ ” and then open the “System and Security - System” section.
If you have a “My Computer” or “This Computer” icon on your desktop, then you can right-click on it and select “Properties”.
You can also open this window using the Windows-Pause/Break key combination.

After opening the “View basic information about your computer” window, you will see a list of the main characteristics of your computer. Among other things, it will be indicated here.

Enter the name of the processor into the search engine and go to the official website of the manufacturer (Intel or AMD).

This will take you to a page with . Review the list of processor specifications and find information about the number of cores.

Please note that next to the number of cores (Cores) the number of threads (Threads) is also indicated. Threads are something like virtual cores. If the processor supports multi-threading technology (Hyper-threading or SMT), then for each of its actual cores there are two threads (virtual cores). Having a certain number of threads does not mean the same number of physical cores, so these concepts should not be confused.

Number of cores in Task Manager (for Windows 10)

If you have Windows 8 or Windows 10, then you can find out the number of processor cores in . There are several ways to open Task Manager. The simplest option is the CTRL-SHIFT-ESC key combination. You can also use the CTRL-ALT-DEL key combination or right-click on the taskbar (at the bottom of the screen).

After opening Task Manager, you need to go to the Performance tab and select the CPU graph on the left side of the window. After this, at the bottom of the window you will see information about the processor. This will display the current processor clock speed, maximum processor frequency, cache size, and number of cores and threads.

Please note that in Windows 7 and older versions of Windows, information about the number of cores is not displayed in the Task Manager. And separate CPU load graphs display the number of threads, not processors.

Therefore, in Windows 7, using the “Task Manager” you cannot accurately determine how many cores a processor has.

Number of cores in the System Information window (for Windows 7/10)

You can also find out how many cores are in the processor using the System Information utility. This is a built-in utility in Windows, so this method almost always works.

To open the System Information utility, press the Windows key combination-R, enter the command “msinfo32” and press enter.

As a result, a window with information about your system will open in front of you. In this window you need to find the line “Processor”. It will indicate the processor model, clock speed, number of cores and logical processors (threads).

The System Information utility works on both Windows 7 and Windows 10.

Programs for viewing information about processor cores

As a last resort, you can resort to using special programs to view the characteristics of your computer. Most of these programs will easily give you all the available information about your processor.

For example, you can use the free program CPU-Z. Download this program and run it on your computer. In CPU-Z, information about the number of processor cores is indicated on the “CPU” tab, at the very bottom of the window in the “Cores” line.

Another option is a free program. In this program you need to open the “Central Processor” section and select the name of your processor. After this, you need to scroll through the list of processor characteristics and find the line “Numbers of CPU cores,” which indicates the number of processor cores.

You can also use a free program. In this program, information about the number of processor cores is located in the “CPU” section in the “Cores” line.

In general, to obtain information about the number of cores, you can use almost any program that can display the characteristics of a computer.