RAM is responsible for reading/ writing application data in real-time to run them properly. In almost all systems both computers and laptops, it is upgradeable and interchangeable. If needed, there are various ways to get memory information from Windows. In this article, we’re going to show you some easy steps on how to check RAM on Windows 10. Though the process is more or less similar to the previous version of Windows too. So, we recommend you check your Windows version before proceeding.
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How to Check RAM on Windows 10?
You can check and clear RAM easily on Windows to understand computer status. Sometimes, startup programs, background apps, and malware can consume extra RAM. Among all the types of memories, the easiest way to check memory information is to go to the Task Manager. To launch it, right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager, or search for it in the Windows search box.
After launching, you’ll see there are several tabs like Processes, Performance, App History, Startup, etc. Go to the Performance tab. Here you can see real-time information on your CPU, GPU, disk, and memory. Click on the “Memory” option to see the RAM information.
From this option, you can see how much RAM you have on your system, the type of RAM you’re using, the usage of RAM, cached and paged memory info, RAM bus speed, and even how many slots are being used, because modern computers come with motherboards equipped with multi-slots for memory.
Another way to check RAM info is the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. To launch it, press Windows+ R to launch the Run menu, and type in “dxdiag” and hit enter. The DirectX Diagnostic Tool launches, where you can see the RAM and processor information in the System tab.
Check RAM Allocations
To see the detailed and specific amount of consumed memory by each process, “Resource Monitor” is a great tool for this task. Launch it by searching in the search bar. From the Resource Monitor, under the “Memory” tab, you can see which programs are affecting your memory, available and cached memory too. You can even allocate RAM to specific apps too. If however, you’re facing RAM issues throughout the whole system, you can optimize RAM to your best fit.
How to Check RAM DIMM?
DIMM (Dual inline memory module) is a term that describes what type of RAM it is. For example, a DDR3-DIMM memory means the RAM is used in a computer, where DDR3-SODIMM means it’s a RAM for a laptop. The SODIMMs (Small Outline DIMM) are smaller in size having 204 pins, where DIMMs have 240 pins in their sticks. It can also be seen in the Task Manager in the “Form Factor” section of the Memory option.
How to Check RAM Type or DDR Version?
DDR (Double data rate) version shows the transfer rate of the memory. Throughout the newer versions, RAM uses less voltage but comes with more rate of transfer. Commonly used DDR3 RAM operates at 1.5/1.35V, while the newer and higher-end DDR4 operates at 1.2/1.05V. DDR3L memories also run on lower voltage. But DDR4 speed is 2133-3200 MT/s (Mega-transfer per second) against the 1066-1600 MT/s of DDR3.
From the task manager, you should be able to check your DDR version of RAM too. It is located on the top-right corner where the total memory size is shown. However, in many cases, it may not be shown. To get DDR information, you may have to use a 3rd party app in these cases.
CPU-Z is a free software that shows all the hardware information about your system. You can use it to see the DDR version as well. Launch it and go to the Memory tab, where you can see the type and size of your RAM, along with other useful information. You can get it here.
How to Check RAM Frequency or Bus Speed?
RAM frequency or speed is an important consideration. It varies from different DDR versions, and can also differ in the same versions too, because of latency. In general, DDR3 RAMs operate in the 1600-1800MHz range with the highest peak at 2133MHz. DDR4s can operate within 2133-2400MHz.
To check the primary frequency of memory, you can use the Task Manager. Hereunder “Speed” category, you can find the frequency in MHz, but this isn’t updated in real-time. To get a real-time overview of RAM frequency and latency, you can check the CPU-Z App. Hereunder “DRAM Frequency” you can see a much lower value than that of in the task manager.
The “CAS# Latency (CL)” is responsible for this. We often overclock CPU and RAM to get the peak speed and bypass this latency. Note that if you have two sticks of RAM with different frequencies, your computer will automatically run at the lowest of them, causing the high-speed RAM stick to down-perform to the lower level. So, always buy memory sticks with the same specifications to avoid errors and performance issues.
How to Check RAM Health?
As active hardware, RAM performance greatly depends on its physical health. Damaged RAM can malfunction, affect performance, and cause Windows to crash repeatedly, even lead to Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) problem. There are various ways to check memory health if it’s malfunctioning.
Windows can check memory errors by itself with the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool. Launch it by searching for it in the search bar or going to the Windows Administrative Tools. Then choose when to restart. After restarting, Windows will thoroughly check your RAM by running 2 tests and give you results after booting up.
If there are fatal errors due to which you can’t boot up, it’s a good idea to check the memory sticks themselves by swapping them to different slots or cleaning the slots and connectors.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve briefly discussed some easy ways on how to check RAM on Windows 10. You can get almost any information on memory from the built-in Windows tool. You can also choose to use 3rd party apps like CPU-Z to get a more detailed overview. Checking the memory is very important if you’re troubleshooting issues or trying to upgrade it.
