Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

To see the CPU model and the number of CPUs FreeBSD reports, run sysctl hw.model hw.ncpu. To identify the hardware platform separately, run uname -m.

Check the CPU model and count

Run this command in a shell:

sysctl hw.model hw.ncpu

It prints the values for both requested system variables. To query them individually, use:

sysctl hw.model
sysctl hw.ncpu

What the values mean

  • hw.model reports the machine model. It is usually the most useful one-line value for identifying the processor.
  • hw.ncpu reports the number of CPUs, as defined by the FreeBSD 14.2 sysctl(3) manual. The definition does not establish whether that count refers to physical cores or logical threads, so do not infer either from the value alone.

Get the hardware platform type

Run uname -m to display the hardware platform type. This identifies the platform, not the CPU model string, so it complements rather than replaces hw.model. See the FreeBSD 14.2 uname(1) manual.

List other available system values

When you need to explore beyond the CPU model and count, run:

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
sysctl -a

The FreeBSD 14.2 sysctl(8) manual describes -a as listing currently available values, but notes that opaque values and values excluded from listing may be omitted. For the specific CPU summary, the focused query is easier to scan.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Release and interpretation notes

The command definitions here are documented in the FreeBSD 14.2 manuals. Check the manuals for the installed FreeBSD release and target architecture if a variable is unavailable or its exact meaning matters. The sysctl(3) manual explains that the sysctl() function retrieves system information and allows processes with appropriate privileges to set system information.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.