Three Ways to Retrieve Processor Information
If you are looking for processor information, there are several ways to get them. In this article, I'll show how to use assembly, Registry information, or Platform SDK functions to retrieve information about CPU. You can also get processor information using WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) or Active Directory. The methods I present work for systems with one processor from Intel or AMD.
CPU Models
Each processor model is identified by a series of numbers returned by CPUID (see below) function 1. The bits returned in EAX are:
| Bits | Description |
| 0 - 3 | Stepping |
| 4 - 7 | Model |
| 8 - 11 | Family |
| 12 - 13 | Processor Type |
| 16 - 19 | Extended Model |
| 20 - 27 | Exdented Family |
If you know the family and model and the processor vendor, you can determine what processor you do have. The vendor name, a 12-byte string, is "GenuineIntel" for Intel's processors and "AuthenticAMD" for AMD's processor. Both family and model are 4-bit integers. The tables below show the family and model for AMD's and Intel's processors.
AMD
| Family | Model | Name |
| 4 | 3 | 486 DX2 |
| 7 | 486 DX2-WB | |
| 8 | 486 DX4 | |
| 9 | 486 DX4-WB | |
| 14 | Am5x86-WT | |
| 15 | Am5x86-WB | |
| 5 | 0 | K5 SSA5 |
| 1 - 3 | K5 | |
| 6 - 7 | K6 | |
| 8 | K6-2 | |
| 9 | K6-3 | |
| 13 | K6-3+ | |
| 6 | 0-1 | Athlon (0.25um) |
| 2 | Athlon (0.18um) | |
| 3 | Duron | |
| 4 | Athlon Thunderbird | |
| 6 | Athlon Palamino | |
| 7 | Duron Morgan | |
| 8 | Athlon Thoroughbred | |
| 10 | Athlon Barton | |
| 15 | Extended family table must be used |
| Extended Family | Model | Name |
| 0 | 4 | Athlon 64 |
| 5 | Athlon 64FX Operon |
INTEL
| Family | Model | Name |
| 4 | 0 | 486DX-25/33 |
| 1 | 486DX-50 | |
| 2 | 486SX | |
| 3 | 486DX2 | |
| 4 | 486SL | |
| 5 | 486SX2 | |
| 7 | 486DX2-WB | |
| 8 | 486DX4 | |
| 9 | 486DX4-WB | |
| 5 | 0 | Pentium 60/66 A-step |
| 1 | Pentium 60/66 | |
| 2 | Pentium 75-200 | |
| 3 | OverDrive PODP5V83 | |
| 4 | Pentium MMX | |
| 7 | Mobile Pentium 75-200 | |
| 8 | Mobile Pentium MMX | |
| 6 | 1 | Pentium Pro A-Step |
| 2 | Pentium Pro | |
| 3 | Pentium II Klamath | |
| 5 | Pentium II Deschutes | |
| 6 | Celeron Mendocino | |
| 7 | Pentium III Katmai | |
| 8 | Pentium III Coppermine | |
| 9 | Mobile Pentium III | |
| 10 | Pentium III (0.18um) | |
| 11 | Pentium III (0.13um) | |
| 7 | Itanium | |
| 15 | Extended family table must be used |
| Extended Family | Model | Name |
| 0 | 0-1 | Pentium IV (0.18um) |
| 2 | Pentium IV (0.13um) | |
| 3 | Pentium IV (0.09um) | |
| 1 | Itanium 2 |
To see the table with family and model numbers for other companies, see:
To learn more about AMD processor recognition, see:
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