How to find out what RAM is in a computer or laptop?

The need to find out what kind of RAM they use arises among users who work or play on an unfamiliar PC or simply were not interested in this parameter before, but for some reason they needed it.

In principle, Windows tools are sufficient to determine only the amount of RAM.

But to obtain more detailed information (memory type and frequency), you will have to use additional programs, mostly free or shareware.

Why do you need to know the type of RAM?

You may need to find out the size of memory installed on a computer or laptop running Windows, for example, before launching a program that requires a certain amount of RAM to operate.

If it is not enough, you can solve the problem by installing a new or additional memory stick; You can also, if necessary, replace memory that has failed.

In each of these cases, the RAM must be supported by the motherboard and processor.

In addition, if the memory does not change completely, but is supplemented, it must comply with the already established level.

  • When the computer boots, press the function key to go to the BIOS (usually F2, F5, Del or Esc);
  • find the Memory Information menu (can be located on the Chipset tab).

The new type of BIOS, UEFI, provides complete information about memory (type, size, frequency).

Therefore, if there is such an interface, you won’t need to use special programs.

The easiest way to view memory size data is:

  • in system properties (“Start” ⇒ “Computer” ⇒ “Properties”);

  • when running the msinfo32 utility (Run menu ⇒ entering the msinfo32 command).

The last two options allow you to find out the amount of working, not installed, memory.

So, if the computer has 32-bit Windows installed, and the RAM exceeds 3 GB, this amount will be determined and strictly used - 3 GB.

A larger volume, firstly, is not shown by the system, and secondly, it will not be used during operation.

To improve the efficiency of your computer, it is worth reinstalling the OS - replacing it with a 64-bit (64-bit) one, which will “see” your amount of memory.

Determining RAM using third-party programs

If no details about memory using standard means If it doesn’t work, you’ll have to download and run one of the applications that collects information about the system.

Specialized programs such as CPU-Z, AIDA64 and HWiNFO32-64 will determine the memory frequency, its size and type.

In addition, as a result of their use, you can find out the number of slots for memory sticks on your motherboard and what RAM is installed in each of them.

CPU-Z

A convenient and useful utility called CPU-Z can be easily found on the Internet.

It is best to download it from the manufacturer’s official website, where not only working ones are located, but also the latest versions.

To find out memory data after launching the application, follow these steps:

  • go to the Memory tab;
  • Read information about the type and frequency of RAM.

On the tab General you'll find basic memory information, including type and total capacity.

And on the menu Timings– its timing and operating frequency parameters.

To find out exactly how many sticks are on the computer and in which slots they are located, you should go to the following SPD tab:

  • select the SPD tab;
  • open the list of memory slots in the window that appears;
  • Having selected a specific connector, look at the data about the module installed in it.

Using this information, you can easily select not only the appropriate type of RAM, but also ensure dual-channel mode, in which the computer runs faster.

Advice: the system will remain operational even if the memory sticks are different in size and their number is odd.

However, it is more convenient to arrange modules in pairs and of the same size - for example, 2 x 8 GB or 4 x 4 GB.

AIDA64

The AIDA64 application is an improved version of the older Everest program, but is designed for 64-bit systems.

The set of utilities is paid, but the user is given the opportunity to use its resources for free for 30 days.

To use the program, you need to download it (preferably from the official website of the Russian representative of the developer) and check the computer resources:

  • launch the application;
  • wait for the system application to scan;
  • Find the item “ System board»;
  • select the SPD sub-item.

The window that opens provides as much memory information as possible, including:

  • module volume;
  • memory type and speed;
  • model, manufacturer and release date;
  • bus width.

Here you can also find out other information that you will need if the task of determining memory parameters was to install a new module.

It is possible that the motherboard supports more powerful RAM (DDR4, not just DDR3, increased frequency), as a result of which, after replacement, you can increase the speed of the computer.

HWiNFO64-32

One more universal program to obtain system data, including RAM information, is HWiNFO32-64.

It has approximately the same capabilities as AIDA64, but differs from it in the ability to download the full version for free and the presence of a portable version, which you don’t even have to install on your computer.

Conclusions

After determining the volume, type, frequency and other parameters of memory, you can select the modules that are suitable for your computer.

As a result, the performance of the PC will either be restored (if the task included replacing a damaged stick) or improved (if RAM is added).

And, given the simplicity of all these methods and the relatively low cost of memory compared to other computer parts, you will spend a minimum of time and money on this.

Helpful video:

Computer performance is a combination of several factors, or better yet, the technical characteristics of hardware devices, among which the main role is played by the processor, hard drives and, of course, random access memory, or RAM for short. On a computer, RAM serves as a kind of intermediate link between the processor that performs all the calculations and the storage device - the HDD or SSD. The processes of all programs and the Windows 7/10 operating system itself are loaded into it, but if the volume of application data exceeds the capacity of RAM, the data is cached, for example, in the page file. But anyway there's a shortage RAM will cause your computer to run slowly and applications to become less responsive. And on the contrary, the more RAM there is on a PC, the faster data exchange occurs, the faster the system, the more powerful applications you can run.

What are the main characteristics of RAM and why know them?

So, the more RAM, the better, and that is why users often install an additional RAM module on their PC. However, you can’t just go to the store, buy any memory and connect it to the motherboard. If it is chosen incorrectly, the computer will not be able to work, or even worse, it will lead to the fact that the RAM will simply fail. Therefore, it is so important to know its key characteristics. These include:

  • RAM type. Depending on performance and design features, DDR2, DDR3 and DDR4 modules are distinguished.
  • Memory capacity. The parameter is characterized by the amount of data that can fit in memory cells.
  • RAM frequency. The parameter determines the speed of operations performed per unit of time. The bandwidth of the RAM module depends on the frequency.
  • Timing. These are time delays between sending a memory controller command and its execution. As the frequency increases, the timings increase, which is why overclocking the RAM can lead to a decrease in its performance.
  • Voltage. Voltage required for optimal performance memory sticks.
  • Form factor. The physical size and shape of the RAM stick, as well as the number and location of pins on the board.

If you install additional memory, it must have the same size, type and frequency as the main one. If the RAM is completely replaced, attention should be paid to the support of the replaced RAM motherboard and the processor with just one nuance. If used on PC Intel processors Core i3, Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7, memory frequency matching and motherboard not necessary, because all these processors have the RAM controller located in the processor itself, and not in the northbridge of the motherboard. The same goes for AMD processors.

How to determine the type and amount of RAM visually

Physically, RAM is an oblong board, most often green, with chips located on it. On this board, the manufacturer usually indicates the main memory characteristics, although there are exceptions. Thus, there are memory strips on which nothing is indicated except the name of the manufacturer. If there are markings, it is not difficult to find out what RAM is installed on the PC. After completely turning off the computer and removing the system unit cover, carefully remove the memory module from the slot (the latter may not be necessary) and carefully study the information on the white sticker.

A number with the GB prefix will indicate the amount of memory, a number with the MHz prefix will indicate the frequency, numbers in format X-X-X-X– for timing, V – for voltage. But the type of RAM (RIMM, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, etc.) is not always indicated. In this case, you should pay attention to the throughput, usually designated as PC and check it according to the standards specification on the same Wikipedia page ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRAM. The number after PC usually indicates the DDR generation, for example, PC3-12800 indicates that the PC has DDR3 memory installed.

How to find out how much RAM you have using Windows tools

Above, we briefly discussed how to determine what RAM is on a computer by visually inspecting the module; now let’s find out how to find out its volume using the operating system. Windows 7/10 has a built-in utility for this. msinfo32.exe. By pressing the Win+R keys, bring up the “Run” dialog box, enter the command msinfo32 and press Enter.

In the main section of the system information window that opens, find the item “Installed random access memory (RAM)” and see its volume in GB.

Instead of the msinfo32.exe utility, you can use another built-in component to determine the amount of RAM - a diagnostic tool DirectX. It is launched with the command dxdiag, the amount of memory is displayed in megabytes on the first “System” tab.

Third-party programs for determining RAM parameters

Information provided by staff Windows utility, stingy. It allows you to find out how much RAM is on your computer, but does not display its other important characteristics. If you need more data, it is better to use special programs. The most famous of them is, of course, AIDA64 Extreme Edition . Information about the memory in this program is contained in the menu Motherboard – SPD and include such characteristics as module name, volume and type, frequency, voltage, timing and serial number.

You can also view the RAM using the program Speccy from the developers of the popular cleaner CCleaner. General information information about RAM in the program is available on the main “Summary” tab, and additional information is available on the “RAM” tab. This includes volume, type, timing, channel mode, frequency and some other, less important information. Unlike AIDA64, the Speccy application is free, but it shows less information.

To view the main memory characteristics, we can also recommend the utility CPU-Z. Required information located in the “Memory” tab. It includes the type, size, channel mode, ratio of the system bus frequency to the RAM frequency and other additional information. Like Speccy, CPU-Z is free, but it does not support the Russian language, which, however, is not so important.

And finally, we recommend one more program for viewing information about RAM. It's called HWiNFO64-32. Externally and functionally, it is somewhat reminiscent of AIDA64 and at the same time CPU-Z. On the “Memory” tab, the program shows the module type, volume in megabytes, channel mode (one-, two- or three-channel), clock frequency, timing and other additional information. HWiNFO64-32 is free, the interface language is English, which, as in the case of CPU-Z, is not fundamentally important.

Don't know how to see how much RAM is on your computer or laptop? In this article we will tell you how to do this.

You can see how much RAM is on your computer in different ways. You can open the case and find out not only how much RAM there is, but also the number of sticks. There can be either one or several strips, depending on the motherboard installed in the system unit. For example, there may be slots for three RAM sticks or two or another number; in each slot you can install sticks with different amounts of memory. For example, 1 GB sticks can be installed in two slots, resulting in the computer having 2 GB of RAM. You can remove them and install 2 GB sticks instead, then the RAM will be 4 GB. You can replace the RAM on your computer yourself, the main thing is to know how much maximum capacity it supports. The replacement process is not complicated, you need to open the computer, unfasten the bar from the latches on the top and bottom sides, pull it out and install a new one in its place. If you have two low-capacity sticks, you can install one more capacious one, that is, you can choose how much you need on your PC.

You can also look at the RAM on a laptop, it is a little different from a computer and not everyone can replace it. Since the laptop is assembled more compactly, it is better to contact a specialist for replacement; at the same time, he will tell you whether it supports RAM with a larger capacity or not. I don’t think you should post screenshots of how to change RAM on a computer or laptop, the Internet is full of such information, you can even find a video where this is shown in detail. We'll just tell you how to find out how much RAM is installed on your device.

How to find out how much RAM is on your computer or laptop.

Now let's see how to find out how much RAM is installed in your computer. In our example, we use a laptop with an operating system Windows system 8, everything is the same on the computer. There should be similar actions on other versions of Windows; below there is a way to find out the amount of installed RAM on Windows XP.
Call the side menu by pointing the mouse pointer to one of the corners of the screen on the right side.
In the menu that opens, select “parameters” in the form of a gear.
Next, select “computer information”.
And we see all the basic information about the computer, including the amount of installed RAM. Look at the screenshot attached below, in it I have highlighted the information about the RAM.

You can also open information about the computer in another way, suitable not only for Windows 7 or 8, but also for Windows XP.
On the desktop, click on the “My Computer” or “This Computer” shortcut, in the window that opens, in an empty space, click on the right mouse button (always on an empty space, and not on some kind of pack or something else) and you will see the same information as shown in the picture above and you will also find out how much RAM is in your computer or laptop.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated, any user can easily find out how much RAM he has on his PC.

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If you are on this page, then most likely you want to get an answer to the question of how to find out how much RAM is on your computer. This information is often necessary to find out:

  • will there be enough RAM for a computer game;
  • the computer is running slowly and you want to buy more memory;
  • you are just interested in knowing how much RAM is installed on your computer;
  • are you going to install operating system and want to determine whether there will be enough memory to run it.

I have listed only a part possible options, in which you will need to know the amount of RAM. In this article I will try to tell you in as much detail as possible how to do this, but first, a little theory.

RAM(RAM (Random Access Memory),) is a volatile component of the memory system in which programs and various data are processed and processed. All devices communicate with RAM through the system bus. Data in RAM is stored only when the computer is turned on. When you turn it off, all data is erased. I’ll give an example of what a RAM board looks like in a computer and.

Using RAM allows applications to run faster than if they were using ROM (). Therefore, RAM is so important for the operation of various programs.

Because over time installed applications As your computer gets larger, there won’t be enough memory for everyone, so we’ll try to figure it out now: how to find out how much RAM is on your computer, so that if possible you can free it up or add another stick.

How to find out the amount of RAM using Windows.

As a rule, you can find out how much RAM is installed on your computer in several ways using the Windows operating system. Probably the simplest is to go to the operating system properties and look at the data.

To do this, open the “Start” menu - “Control Panel” - “System”

In the window that opens, look for the item “Installed memory (RAM)” and see its volume.

Pay attention! As a rule, if your operating system is 32-bit, the amount of RAM will be shown to be slightly less than what is actually installed.

Another option to find out how much RAM is on your computer is to look in the task manager. To do this, right-click on the taskbar and select “Task Manager” or use the hotkey combination “Ctrl” + “Shift” + “Esc”.

In the task manager window that opens, go to the “Performance” tab and look at the “Memory” item. At this point we see how much memory is installed, as well as how much is being used at a given time.

Maybe this information will be the deciding factor for you to add another RAM stick.

Advice! If you see that the memory is loaded at 80-90%, while no heavy applications or games are running, then most likely you need to increase its volume. This way you are noticeable.

On the command line we enter the command: wmic MEMORYCHIP get BankLabel,DeviceLocator,Capacity,Speed ​​gjckt

After this, you will see how many RAM sticks are installed on the computer, their size and the speed at which they operate.

How to find out how much RAM is on your computer using programs?

In order to find out the amount of installed RAM, you can use various programs.

The first program on my list is CPU-Z, you can download it on the official website - http://cpuz.ru/gpuz_download.htm

After downloading, install the program and run it. In it, we are interested in the “Memory” tab. The program will show us such important data as “Memory Type”, “Memory Amount”, the frequency at which your RAM operates in real time. And you will also see quite a lot more useful information, which cannot be obtained using operating system tools.

You can also use another, more advanced program called AIDa (Everest), you can also download it on the official website: www.aida64.com/downloads, the program is paid, but for our purposes the trial period is enough, which is 30 days, so download the program. We install and launch it. In the window that opens, open the “System board” item. A drop-down list will open in which we are interested in two tabs “Memory” and “SPD”. In this utility, the information is presented in an even more detailed form. So, here we can see information about memory timings, manufacturer, release date and many other important parameters that may be useful.

As you can see, if you use third party programs, then you can get more different information about the installed RAM. This information may be useful to you when purchasing additional strip RAM, since it is desirable that the memory be of the same manufacturer, have the same timings as the installed one, and frequency.

Other ways to find out how much RAM is on your computer.

Since we are considering this issue in detail, let’s figure out where else you can see how much RAM is installed on your computer. There are times when, then you can see the amount of RAM by going to Motherboard BIOS fees. In order to go there you need to press the Del or F2 key when you turn on the computer, it all depends on. After you have entered the BIOS on home page you will see memory information.

You can also open the cover of the system unit and remove the RAM. As a rule, there is a sticker on the memory board with the following information:

  • Manufacturer;
  • Memory type;
  • Memory timings;
  • Frequency;
  • Memory module capacity.

The next option is to find a sales receipt or a box of RAM. In most cases, all information about installed components V system unit and basic information about them or on the packaging, but this is usually rare.

Conclusion.

As you can see, there are a large number of ways: how to find out how much RAM is on your computer. Which method to use depends on what information you need. If you only need to know the amount of memory, then the information that will be provided to the operating room will do. Windows system. If you need to know everything technical specifications memory modules, then you can’t do without third-party utilities. That's all for me. If you found this information useful, share it on social networks.

RAM plays an important role in any PC, be it a computer or a laptop. Its performance depends on how much RAM your device has. But not every user knows how much memory his computer can use. In today's article we will tell you how to find out the answer to this question.

To find out how much RAM is on your device, you can use both additional software and standard Windows tools. We will look at various options.

Method 1: AIDA64

One of the most famous programs that allows you to view and diagnose all equipment connected to your computer is. This is a great solution for those who want to know as much as possible about their PC. Also, using this product you can find out information about the operating system installed software, network and third-party connected devices.


Method 2: Piriform Speccy

Another popular one, but already free program to view information about all hardware and software components of your PC - . It has a fairly simple interface, but at the same time powerful functionality, which has earned the sympathy of users. Using this product, you can also find out the amount of installed RAM, its type, operating speed and much more: just run the program and go to the tab with the appropriate name. The page that opens will provide detailed information about the available memory.

Method 3: View via BIOS

Not the most convenient way, but it also has a place - this is viewing the characteristics through the device BIOS. For each laptop and computer, the methods for entering the specified menu may differ, but the most common are the keystroke options F2 And Delete while the PC is booting. On our website there is a section dedicated to methods of entering the BIOS for various devices:

Then all that remains is to find the item called "System Memory", "Memory Information" or another option containing the word Memory. There you will find out the amount of available memory and its other characteristics.

Method 4: System Properties

One of the simplest options: look at the system properties, because the main characteristics of your computer, including RAM, are described there.


Method 5: Command Line

You can also use Command line and find out more detailed information about RAM. To do this, launch the console via Search(or any other method) and enter the following command there:

wmic MEMORYCHIP get BankLabel,DeviceLocator,Capacity,Speed

Now let's look at each parameter in more detail:

  • BankLabel— here are the connectors to which the corresponding RAM sticks are connected;
  • Capacity— this is the amount of memory for the specified bracket;
  • DeviceLocator— slots;
  • Speed— performance of the corresponding module.

Method 6: "Task Manager"

Finally, even in "Task Manager" The amount of installed memory is indicated.


As you can see, all of the methods discussed are quite simple and quite feasible for the average PC user. We hope we have helped you deal with this issue. Otherwise, write your questions in the comments and we will definitely answer as soon as possible.


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