diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/utilities/imports.py b/pytorch_lightning/utilities/imports.py
index eb9b924c70..aa86d560b6 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/utilities/imports.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/utilities/imports.py
@@ -12,50 +12,53 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 """General utilities"""
-import importlib
 import platform
 from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+from importlib.util import find_spec
 
 import pkg_resources
 import torch
 
 
 def _module_available(module_path: str) -> bool:
-    """Testing if given module is avalaible in your env
+    """
+    Check if a path is available in your environment
 
     >>> _module_available('os')
     True
     >>> _module_available('bla.bla')
     False
     """
-    # todo: find a better way than try / except
     try:
-        mods = module_path.split('.')
-        assert mods, 'nothing given to test'
-        # it has to be tested as per partets
-        for i in range(len(mods)):
-            module_path = '.'.join(mods[:i + 1])
-            if importlib.util.find_spec(module_path) is None:
-                return False
-        return True
+        return find_spec(module_path) is not None
     except AttributeError:
+        # Python 3.6
+        return False
+    except ModuleNotFoundError:
+        # Python 3.7+
         return False
 
 
+def _get_version(package: str) -> LooseVersion:
+    return LooseVersion(pkg_resources.get_distribution(package).version)
+
+
+_IS_WINDOWS = platform.system() == "Windows"
+_TORCH_GREATER_EQUAL_1_6 = _get_version("torch") >= LooseVersion("1.6.0")
+
 _APEX_AVAILABLE = _module_available("apex.amp")
-_NATIVE_AMP_AVAILABLE = _module_available("torch.cuda.amp") and hasattr(torch.cuda.amp, "autocast")
-_OMEGACONF_AVAILABLE = _module_available("omegaconf")
+_BOLTS_AVAILABLE = _module_available('pl_bolts')
+_FAIRSCALE_AVAILABLE = not _IS_WINDOWS and _module_available('fairscale.nn.data_parallel')
+_FAIRSCALE_PIPE_AVAILABLE = (
+    _FAIRSCALE_AVAILABLE and _TORCH_GREATER_EQUAL_1_6 and _get_version('fairscale') <= LooseVersion("0.1.3")
+)
+_GROUP_AVAILABLE = not _IS_WINDOWS and _module_available('torch.distributed.group')
+_HOROVOD_AVAILABLE = _module_available("horovod.torch")
 _HYDRA_AVAILABLE = _module_available("hydra")
 _HYDRA_EXPERIMENTAL_AVAILABLE = _module_available("hydra.experimental")
-_HOROVOD_AVAILABLE = _module_available("horovod.torch")
+_NATIVE_AMP_AVAILABLE = _module_available("torch.cuda.amp") and hasattr(torch.cuda.amp, "autocast")
+_OMEGACONF_AVAILABLE = _module_available("omegaconf")
+_RPC_AVAILABLE = not _IS_WINDOWS and _module_available('torch.distributed.rpc')
 _TORCHTEXT_AVAILABLE = _module_available("torchtext")
-_XLA_AVAILABLE = _module_available("torch_xla")
-_FAIRSCALE_AVAILABLE = platform.system() != 'Windows' and _module_available('fairscale.nn.data_parallel')
-_RPC_AVAILABLE = platform.system() != 'Windows' and _module_available('torch.distributed.rpc')
-_GROUP_AVAILABLE = platform.system() != 'Windows' and _module_available('torch.distributed.group')
-_FAIRSCALE_PIPE_AVAILABLE = _FAIRSCALE_AVAILABLE and LooseVersion(
-    torch.__version__
-) >= LooseVersion("1.6.0") and LooseVersion(pkg_resources.get_distribution('fairscale').version
-                                            ) <= LooseVersion("0.1.3")
-_BOLTS_AVAILABLE = _module_available('pl_bolts')
 _TORCHVISION_AVAILABLE = _module_available('torchvision')
+_XLA_AVAILABLE = _module_available("torch_xla")