What kind of laptop do I have?

The exact answer lives in your laptop's firmware — readable by the operating system in one command. Here is how to get it on Windows, macOS, Linux and Chromebook, plus what each method tells you.

Windows 10 and 11

Two methods. The first is the fastest:

Method A — System Information (10 seconds)

Press Windows + R together.
Type msinfo32 and press Enter.
The System Information window opens. Look at:
- System Manufacturer: e.g. "HP", "Dell Inc.", "LENOVO", "ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC."
- System Model: e.g. "HP Pavilion 15-eg2024na", "Latitude 7420", "20XCS09M00", "ROG Strix G15 G513IH_G513IH"
- BIOS Version/Date: useful when troubleshooting BIOS-level issues.
- Installed Physical Memory (RAM): total RAM installed.
- BIOS Mode: UEFI or Legacy.

Method B — PowerShell (one line)

Open PowerShell. Paste:

Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystem | Select Manufacturer, Model

Returns the same Manufacturer and Model values in two lines.

Bonus — get the serial number

Useful for warranty lookups. PowerShell:

Get-CimInstance Win32_BIOS | Select SerialNumber

macOS

Method A — About This Mac (one click)

Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner.
Select About This Mac.
The window shows your model name and year (e.g. "MacBook Pro 14-inch, 2023") at the top, and the chip, memory and serial number below.
For more detail, click More Info.

Method B — Terminal (one line)

system_profiler SPHardwareDataType | grep -E "Model|Chip|Memory|Serial"

Returns the model identifier, chip generation, RAM and serial number.

Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Mint, Arch)

Open a terminal:

sudo dmidecode -t system

Look at the Manufacturer, Product Name, Version and Serial Number lines.

If dmidecode is not installed:

Debian/Ubuntu/Mint: sudo apt install dmidecode
Fedora: sudo dnf install dmidecode
Arch: sudo pacman -S dmidecode

Without sudo there is a slower fallback that does not need root:

cat /sys/devices/virtual/dmi/id/product_name
cat /sys/devices/virtual/dmi/id/sys_vendor

Chromebook

Open Chrome.
Type chrome://system in the address bar.
Use Ctrl+F and search for hardware_class.
Copy the string (e.g. NAUTILUS C7B-K7E-A4F).
Paste it into Google with the word "Chromebook" added — the model is in the first few results.

Why the model number actually matters

Manufacturers use the same product name across many internal variants. "HP Pavilion 15" might mean any of:

15-eg0000-series (Intel 11th gen, MX350 GPU)
15-eg2000-series (Intel 12th gen, Iris Xe)
15-eh0000-series (AMD Ryzen 5000)
15-eh2000-series (AMD Ryzen 6000)

These laptops look identical from the outside. They take different RAM, different keyboards, different chargers, and different drivers. A "HP Pavilion 15 keyboard" search returns ten different parts, only one of which fits any specific machine.

The full model number resolves the ambiguity. For HP, that is the part after the dash — for example "15-eg2024na" tells the parts supplier exactly which keyboard variant, which battery and which screen connector to ship.

Where the model number lives physically

Three locations:

Sticker on the bottom of the laptop — usually the most reliable, but stickers wear off and the text is small.
Inside the battery compartment (older laptops with removable batteries) — preserved better than the bottom sticker.
BIOS firmware — what the OS commands above read. Always present, never wears off.

If the OS commands return "OEM" or blank values

This happens with some custom-built laptops (System76, Framework's modular laptops, some Asian boutique brands) where the manufacturer either did not write the model into BIOS or used placeholders. In that case:

Check the bottom sticker — for boutique builders it is the more reliable source.
Look at the original purchase order or invoice.
For Framework: every model has an identifier on the input cover (the keyboard frame).

Frequently asked

What kind of laptop do I have? +

On Windows: press Windows+R, type msinfo32, press Enter. The "System Manufacturer" and "System Model" lines name your laptop exactly. On macOS: click the Apple menu > About This Mac. On Linux: run sudo dmidecode -t system in a terminal. Each gives you the precise model in under 10 seconds.

How do I find my laptop model number without taking it apart? +

You almost never need to. Every laptop stores its make, model and serial number in firmware that the operating system can read. Use msinfo32 on Windows, About This Mac on macOS, or dmidecode on Linux. The model number is also printed on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop, but the firmware-read method is faster and more reliable than reading worn-off stickers.

Why do I need my exact laptop model? +

Three common reasons: (1) buying a replacement part — keyboard, battery, charger, RAM, SSD all vary by exact model, (2) downloading the right driver from the manufacturer's support site, (3) checking warranty status. "HP Pavilion 15" is not enough for any of these — you need the full model code, e.g. "HP Pavilion 15-eg2024na".

What is the difference between model name and model number? +

The model name is the marketing label (e.g. "HP Pavilion 15"). The model number is the exact SKU code (e.g. "15-eg2024na"). HP, Dell, Lenovo and Asus each have hundreds of model numbers under a single name, with different specs. For parts and drivers you always need the full model number.

Can I find out what laptop I have just from the browser? +

Partially. Browsers expose your operating system, RAM hint, screen resolution and graphics chip — enough to identify the brand and class of laptop, but not the exact SKU. The browser cannot read the model name or serial number for privacy reasons. Try our browser-based laptop detector, then run one of the OS commands above for the precise model.