If your computer, may it be a desktop or a laptop, is behaving abnormally, you might be considering replacing it with a newer model. However, it is important to know how old your computer is before you replace it, as it may turn out to be not so old and could survive another few years. This article discusses 3 different methods through which you can get the gist of how old your device is. Having said that, it might not be possible to obtain its exact manufacturing date with all the information that could be gathered. Nonetheless, getting a ballpark of hardware existence date is good enough to understand how old your computer is.
How to check how old is my computer
What these methods all have in common is to obtain some specific information about your device, and then use it on the internet to get more associated information. This will allow you to know for how long that particular element has been around. It is likely that your computer has also been around since then as well.
Check your computer’s serial number
A serial number is a unique identifier for your computer. You can use this to search for other associated information from the manufacturer’s website. Your device’s serial number might be printed somewhere on the bottom or inside the casing. However, the quickest and easiest way to get it is through the Command Prompt. Open Command Prompt and type in the following command to obtain its serial number: This will display your device’s serial number, as in the example below: Note the serial number: Open a web browser and go to your computer manufacturer’s website. Over there, it is likely that you will find the Support section. Enter your serial number and it should tell you the Ship Date. This ship date is usually the date when the product is shipped out from the manufacturer’s end/ warehouse to the client or the retailer. Now that you know the date your computer was shipped out, it is likely that it was manufactured a few days or weeks before it. Here are the links to the popular computer manufacturer’s website where you can check your computer’s status by entering its information:
DellHPAcerApple products (iMac, MacBook, etc.)LenovoIBM (Required to sign in)SamsungToshiba
Check your computer’s BIOS version
Basic Input/ Output System (BIOS) is responsible to boot up your PC properly. It is possible that the BIOS timestamp of your computer is around the same as it was manufactured. This will give you an idea of how old your computer is. Note that this would only be true if the BIOS is in stock and has not been updated since. To check your BIOS version’s timestamp, type in msinfo32 in Run, or alternatively search for System Information in the Search box and open it. In the right-side panel of the window, you should be able to see “BIOS version/date” followed by the version and its timestamp. The mentioned date is the timestamp for the BIOS software your device is carrying which gives a tentative time of when your computer was manufactured. Note that this is not the exact date.
Check the processor’s release date
Another great way to know how old your computer really is is to check how long its stock processor has been around. This can be determined by knowing the processor’s precise model and then checking when it was released. Of course, this becomes invalid if you have an aftermarket processor installed on your computer. To check the exact processor model, type in msinfo32 in Run, or alternatively search for System Information in the Search box and open it. In the right pane, you will find “processor” followed by the processor’s complete model name. Note it down. Now search for the CPU’s model number on CPU World website, and you should be able to find its Introduction date amongst other information. This is the date when the processor was first released by the manufacturer, which means that your computer cannot be any older than that. It is a great way to determine the maximum end of your computer’s existence.
Closing words
Separately, the 3 methods discussed in this article might not be the best way to determine how old your computer is. But when combined, you get a pretty good range of timeframes of how old your computer possibly is. We would recommend that you obtain the relevant information from all 3 methods, and then combine the data obtained to understand how old your device is. Also see:
How to Access BIOS Information From Within Windows 10 (Without Restarting)How To Check Health Of Hard Drive On Windows 11/10How to Check Installed Driver Version in Windows 11/10How To Check If Your Computer Is Compatible With Windows 11 22H23 Ways To Check If Windows 10 Is Activated Properly
