Nowadays, computers come with processors that are made up of multiple physical cores to process more than one instruction at the same time. For instance, if the processor has 2 cores, then it’s a dual-core processor, and it can process two sets of instructions at the same time. If it has 4 cores, then you’re using a quad-core processor, and the device can process four sets of instructions at the same time. And so on and so forth with the processors with 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 24, 28, and 32 cores.
Alongside cores, a CPU (Central Processor Unit) can also have Hyper-Threading, which is a technology available on Intel as well as on AMD processors (though AMD refers at it as “threads”) that allows to simultaneously calculate two instructions per core, and if this feature is available, then your CPU also includes “logical processors.”
Knowing how many cores and logical processors your processor has can come in handy in many situations, especially when you’re working with virtual machines or other applications that will benefit from multiple cores.
Whatever the reason it may be, Windows 10 includes multiple methods to find out the number of cores present on your processor using Task Manager, Command Prompt, and PowerShell.
In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to determine the number of cores your Intel, AMD, or ARM processor has on Windows 10.
- How to find out processor number of cores using Task Manager
- How to find out processor number of cores using Command Prompt
- How to find out processor number of cores using PowerShell
How to find out processor number of cores using Task Manager
Use these steps to determine how many cores your processor has using Task Manager:
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Open Start.
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Search for Task Manager and click the top result to open the app.
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Click the Performance tab.
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Click on CPU.
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Confirm the core count at the bottom of the page.
CPU core count using Task Manager Quick tip: If your processor has Hyper-Threading, you can also see the number of “Logical processors,” which usually is twice as many as the number of physical cores.
Once you complete the steps, you’ll have an understanding on the physical cores as well as logical processors your computer has.
How to find out processor number of cores using Command Prompt
Use these steps to check how many cores your CPU has using Command Prompt:
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Open Start.
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Search for Command Prompt and click the top result to open the console.
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Type the following command to find out how many cores your CPU has and press Enter:
wmic cpu get NumberOfCores,NumberOfLogicalProcessors
Command Prompt CPU core count command
After you complete the steps, you’ll know the number of cores and logical processors on your machine.
How to find out processor number of cores using PowerShell
Use these steps to find out the processor core count using PowerShell:
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Open Start.
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Search for PowerShell and click the top result to open the console.
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Type the following command to find out how many cores your CPU has and press Enter:
Get-WmiObject –class Win32_processor | ft NumberOfCores,NumberOfLogicalProcessors
PowerShell CPU core count command
Once you complete the steps, the command will output the number of physical cores as well as logical processors if your computer has hyperthreading.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.