Having enough memory in your PC or laptop is important if you want to have a smooth PC experience. RAM, otherwise known as Random Access Memory, is extremely fast and efficient memory that temporarily stores the information that your computer needs to access quickly and frequently, and the more RAM you have, the more data it can store. That means you can switch between apps faster when you have a lot of them open, or it may help in apps that load a lot of assets, such as when editing a high-resolution image or a complex video.
If you don't know how much RAM is in your PC, it's relatively easy to find the details on Windows 11. You're more likely to run into issues if you don't have a significant amount of it, so it's good to check it out to make sure your PC can handle your workflow. We'll show you a couple of ways you can find the specifications of your RAM.
Related
How much RAM do you need in your computer?
Let's explore how much RAM you need in your computer in order to properly tackle a variety of tasks.
How to check your total memory capacity
If you only want to know how much RAM your PC has, the easiest way to find out is through the Windows 11 Settings app.
- Open your Settings menu by searching in the Start Menu or using the shortcut (Win + I).
- Click the System category in the menu on the left.
- Click About at the bottom of the page. You may have to scroll down to find it.
- Under Device specifications, you should see Installed RAM with the maximum capacity next to it.
You'll see that the total usable RAM is lower than what's actually installed, and that's almost always the case because some memory can be shared with the GPU in your PC. That doesn't mean anything is wrong with your device.
How to check RAM specs in Windows 11 Task Manager
The above method is great if all you need to know is total memory capacity, but there are times when more information is required. The Windows 11 Task Manager can give you a bit more information about the RAM in your PC, which can paint a better picture of the performance you can expect from it. Here's how you can check it out:
- Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and choose Task Manager. Alternatively, you can search for Task Manager in the Start Menu.
- Click the Performance tab in the menu on the left. You'll see a list of hardware in your PC.
- Click Memory.
- You can now see the specs for your memory, including capacity, speed, the number of slots used, the form factor, and how much RAM is reserved for specific hardware in your PC (related to why the usable RAM is lower than the total RAM above).
Understanding RAM specs
This information can be helpful in a lot of situations. First off, knowing the speed can tell you what kind of performance you can expect from your RAM. While it won't always affect your day-to-day usage, some apps may benefit from higher speeds.
The number of slots used can also be useful if you're planning to upgrade your PC with more RAM. If all the slots on your PC are being used, that means you'll have to replace the modules inside, so you also have to make sure you're buying a module that's bigger than what you already have. If you have a free slot though, you just need to buy whatever capacity you want to add to your PC. Having two or more slots also usually means you have dual-channel memory, which results in much better performance.
The form factor is also important if you're planning to upgrade because there are different types of RAM. Desktop computers will usually show DIMM, while laptops with upgradable RAM will probably say SODIMM. You'll want to look for these terms when buying new RAM. However, there's another possibility. If it says Other, it might mean that the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, which means you can't upgrade it.
How to use Command Prompt to list all RAM specs
Finally, if you want to get even more details, including the positioning of each RAM stick on the motherboard, you can use Windows Command Prompt to find out even more information. Here's how:
- Open the Start menu on your PC and search for the Command Prompt.
- Click Run as administrator.
- Type wmic memorychip list full. This will bring up a full list of specs for the RAM in your PC, including things like memory type (such as DDR4 or DDR5).
How to find specific RAM information using the Command Prompt
If you want to get information about individual spec fields, you can also use the spec field names to get that information separately. For example, to get just the MemoryType and FormFactor fields, type wmic memorychip get devicelocator, memorytype, formfactor.
You can apply the step above to any of the spec fields on the list, separating each field with a comma. It's worth mentioning here that things like the memory type and form factor are represented by a code number, which equates to a specification or form factor. You can find a list of these codes below.
MemoryType code | Memory type | FormFactor code | Form factor |
---|---|---|---|
Unknown | Unknown | ||
1 | Other | 1 | Other |
2 | DRAM | 2 | SIP |
3 | Synchronous DRAM | 3 | DIP |
4 | Cache DRAM | 4 | ZIP |
5 | EDO | 5 | SOJ |
| |||
6 | EDRAM | 6 | Proprietary |
7 | VRAM | 7 | SIMM |
8 | SRAM | 8 | DIMM |
9 | RAM | 9 | TSOP |
10 | ROM | 10 | PGA |
11 | Flash | 11 | RIMM |
12 | EEPROM | 12 | SODIMM |
| |||
13 | FEPROM | 13 | SRIMM |
14 | EPROM | 14 | SMD |
15 | CDRAM | 15 | SSMP |
16 | 3DRAM | 16 | QFP |
17 | SDRAM | 17 | TQFP |
18 | SGRAM | 18 | SOIC |
19 | RDRAM | 19 | LCC |
20 | DDR | 20 | PLCC |
21 | DDR2 | 21 | BGA |
22 | DDR2 FB-DIMM | 22 | FPBGA |
24 | DDR3 | 23 | LGA |
25 | FBD2 | 24 | FB-DIMM |
26 | DDR4 |
It looks like DDR5 still isn't properly recognized, and it may still show up as an Unknown memory type.
Know your PC
These steps should give you all the information you need to know, whether you're planning to upgrade your RAM or just want to check if your PC is compatible with certain software or components. In current times, the minimum amount of RAM most computers should have is 8-16GB, so if you have less than you need it would be a good time to upgrade.
If you're curious to learn more about other aspects of your hardware, you can check out how to create a battery report to learn about your laptop's battery health and how it's been performing over time.