How to find out what type of memory is in a laptop. How to find out what kind of RAM I have: mega solutions! Methods for determining the type of installed memory
To determine the amount of RAM, random access memory of a laptop or computer, you can use the operating system tools. But if you dig deeper and get comprehensive data, then Windows capabilities are not enough. And in this case, tools will come to the rescue that will complement the information obtained by OS tools. For example, using the program you can find out the frequency and type of RAM. At the end of the article, we will list all third-party utilities, free and demo versions, and discuss their capabilities in more detail.
Why you need to know the type of RAM
Why be interested in computer RAM, its random access memory? The reasons may vary. For example, when installing computer games or programs, recommended system requirements. These are approximate characteristics that the OS must meet in order for the application to launch and work stably. They might look like this:- CPU 2.2 GHz
- 1, 5 or 2 Mb RAM
- HDD 25 GB
And if your PC does not meet these parameters, you can increase the RAM by adding another module, or change it to a different size. In this case, the processor and motherboard must support RAM. If you decide not to change the RAM, but to add another stick to the one already on your PC, it must correspond to it. In this case, it is desirable that both the first and second memory modules have the same volume. This is necessary for the computer/laptop to work quickly, without lags or slowdowns.
Visual method
For some users this method is simple, but for others it’s the opposite. If you can open the computer, look at all the information on the RAM stick. Usually, comprehensive information is indicated there: RAM model, size and frequency parameter. And if the computer is not “ancient”, the memory specification is also indicated. For example, Samsung produces third, fourth and fifth generation DDR.
But not all RAM sticks are fully informative. For example, on older versions, you can only see the volume and type.
You can look at the warranty card or in an online store, if you do not throw away such things after purchases, and if the memory has not been changed during the operation of the PC.
3. Determining RAM using Windows
As we have already written, OS tools are uninformative, or rather, not fully. If you only need to determine the amount of RAM, no problem. In some cases, you can also see the frequency. And if you need a type of RAM and you can’t or don’t want to use third-party applications, then you need to look at motherboard.This can be done in two ways and one of them is BIOS:
- when the computer/laptop boots up, press one of the function keys;
- All information about the motherboard is contained in Memory Information.
If your computer supports the new UEFI specification that replaced the BIOS, there is no point in installing third-party tools. Everything you need to know about RAM is stored in the new interface.
If you just need information about the RAM size, finding it out is as easy as shelling pears:
Using these methods, you will not see the size that is installed on the PC, but only the one that works.
For example, if you install two sticks of 2 GB each on Windows in 32-bit, then the size of the working memory will be 3 GB. 1 more GB operating system does not use or show. If you want to have more memory, the system must be 64-bit. In this case, the OS will show it and use it in its work.
Determining RAM using third-party programs
If the built-in system tools do not help you find out detailed information about RAM, you will have to resort to third-party utilities. There are a number of tools that are specifically designed to collect all the information about the PC operating system. By downloading one of these programs to your computer, you can find out comprehensive data (frequency, type, size).In addition, utilities can determine how many RAM module slots your computer's mother memory can accommodate, and what RAM is installed on them. The application program will tell you everything technical information about PC. It is used by IT and computer repair specialists, as well as gamers. It is available on many sites with software, but it is better to use the version that is presented on the manufacturer’s official page. This ensures that a working and improved version is downloaded.
How RAM is checked:
- The Memory tab contains some information;
- here you can see the frequency and type of RAM.
To obtain comprehensive information about memory, you need to open the main tab - General. This is where the size and type of RAM is indicated.
And if you want to determine RAM timings (the time spent by RAM chips to perform certain operations) and operating frequency, use the menu of the same name, Timings.
To determine the number of RAM sticks available on the computer and the slots in which they are located, you need to open another tab, SPD, and perform two steps:
- study the list of slots into which RAM modules are connected;
- Select the connector that interests you and view information about it on the tab.
Important information: If the RAM modules will have different size, nothing bad will happen to the computer. But in order for it to work faster, it is better to have paired bars with the same volume. For example, 4 GB of memory located on two modules, 2 for each. This is one of the most popular tools that provides technical information about the system. The product developed by FinalWire was formerly called EVEREST. Using this powerful and functional software, you can test and diagnose personal computers, obtaining all the necessary information about its components. But to take full advantage of all the functionality, you need to pay about $40. You can use the program for free for only a month.
How to find out the resources of your PC:
- run the tool;
- wait for the program to scan the computer;
- go to the menu and find “Motherboards”;
- open SPD.
A window will open containing comprehensive information about RAM. So, for example, you can find out:
- dimensions of the strips available on the PC;
- who made them and what model it is;
- at what speed do memory modules operate, and what type is installed on the PC;
- how many bits does the bus have?
conclusions
All of the above methods will not cause difficulties even for untrained users. Knowing complete information about the computer's RAM is necessary in different cases. For example, in order to run the resource-demanding World of Tanks or simply increase the speed of your PC by replacing or installing an additional RAM stick. You need to use the information received correctly by selecting the appropriate RAM modules for your computer.
The question of how to find out what RAM is installed on a PC or laptop arises quite often. Perhaps you just decided to find out for yourself what RAM is installed on your PC, or you decided to find out what is installed in a particular PC or laptop for general development, etc.
Often, regular Windows tools are enough to determine exactly the amount of RAM.
But for detailed information about “RAM”, namely about its type, frequency, etc., you will need to download and use a non-standard set of software.
1. When do you need to know the type of RAM?
In order to find out the available amount of installed RAM on a PC or laptop, you need to do this in the case when you are going to download and run a game, but you are not sure about the characteristics of your “machine”.If there is not enough RAM, then the problem can be solved quite simply by using an additional RAM stick, or a completely new one if the old one is no longer functional.
In either case, the temporary memory must be compatible with the processor and motherboard PC or laptop.
Moreover, in the case when the RAM is not completely replaced, but is only partially supplemented by a strip. In order to improve PC performance, you need to make sure that the amount of RAM in the first and second slots is the same.
2. Visual analysis of RAM
If there is an opportunity to disassemble the PC to find out the size and type of memory, then just look inside the PC and look at the inscription on the bar.Most often, all information is displayed on the bar itself, including volume, model, frequency and its standard: DDR5, DDR3, DDR4 and so on.
But not all planks have such an inscription; most often you can find only the size or only the type on them. In this case, you can find out the necessary information from the “warranty” or through the online store where the bar was purchased, or the PC itself.
3. Determine RAM using Windows tools
At Windows help Most often, you can find out the amount of RAM, frequency, and the type can already be found out by the model of the motherboard.- The first method is BIOS
When the system boots, go to the BIOS, most often using the F2, Del, F5, Esc buttons;
Find the item " Memory Information", which is located in the "Chipset" tab.
The UEFI BIOS type will show all the detailed information about the type, size and frequency of the RAM stick. With such an interface, you will not need additional software.
To see the amount of RAM, do the following:
Go to "My Computer" properties and look at the item highlighted below
Try using the Run utility to open a window with detailed information about the PC by entering msinfo32 into the execution window.
The last two options are a way to find out the amount of memory that is working but not installed.
4. Determine RAM using third-party software
If standard means given few details about memory, then you will need to run one of popular applications to collect information about both the system and RAM in particular.These programs are: CPU-Z, HWiNFO32-64 and AIDA64.
CPU-Z is a very useful utility that is available free of charge. It is best to download from the manufacturer’s website, and it is safer.
To obtain information about memory, after starting the program you need to do the following:
Go to “Memory”;
View all information about the frequency and type of installed RAM
“General” tab included general information about the type of memory and its full capacity.
The “Timings” tab included parameters for operating frequency and timings.
To clarify the number of installed strips on your PC, you need to go to the “SPD” tab:
Select the desired “SPD” tab;
In the list that appears, see the number of RAM slots;
Select the required connector for information about the connected memory slot.
Using the information provided, you can very easily select the desired type of RAM for better work your PC
AIDA64 – best version previous program, which was called “Everest”, although it was intended strictly for 64-bit systems.
The set is generally paid, but the user can use the trial version of the program for 30 days.
Download AIDA 64 from the official website to avoid infecting your PC with malware.
1. Launch Aida 64;
2. Wait until the system scan is completed;
3. Find the item " Motherboard» on the left in the menu;
4. Select "SPD".
In the window provided, all the required memory information will be available, including the following data:
- volume of the module or modules;
- their type and speed;
- model, manufacturer and date of manufacture;
- bit depth
With its help you can find out and Additional information, which you will need in order to determine the basic memory parameters for expanding it with a new module.
HWiNFO64-32- a universal program similar to the first two versions, it will provide the necessary data about your system, including information about RAM.
Its features are similar to the AIDA64 utility, but of course there are differences - this is a full-fledged “pocket” version of the client, which does not require installation on a PC, but simply runs once.
5. Summary
After the volume, frequency, type and other parameters of the RAM are clarified, you can choose the right model for your PC.As a result of memory expansion, the speed of the PC will be significantly higher if there is more RAM. If the RAM is restored, the PC will become the same as it was before.
The methods are quite simple, so there shouldn’t be any difficulties here.
Hello everyone. So today we’ll talk about the type of memory, or rather, about how to find out what type of memory is on your computer. RAM on a computer is needed so that the processor has room to think, well, figuratively speaking. It is in the RAM that all important calculations take place, all the important operations, well, in general, all the work, so to speak, takes place in the RAM. It contains data that the processor works with constantly or frequently. If there is not enough RAM, then it is clear that there will be glitches. Sometimes it’s useful to buy more, but how do you know which one is suitable and which one is not? Here the first thing you need to do is find out the type of RAM you have on your computer
The RAM itself is called such a designation as DDR and then there is another generation number, so to speak. Well, today, that is, in 2016, the newest generation of memory is DDR4. But DDR3 can also be considered a modern type of memory, because it is still popular memory, and DDR4 is only gaining momentum. The oldest generation, it is clear that DDR1, well, DDR2 is also an old generation, but it is still used on many outdated computers. The memory types are not compatible with each other, that is, a DDR3 bar cannot be installed where a DDR4 was installed, and vice versa. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right memory for the motherboard, so as not to make a mistake
Guys, I apologize right away, but the article turned out to be really long, I just had a joke here, I’m actually in shock, well, this is crap! In short, read and you will understand everything!
So how do you find out what type of RAM is on your computer? I tried to find out this information in Windows itself, but the most I could find out was only the amount of RAM, but what type of memory is not indicated anywhere. Well, maybe I didn’t look carefully, but personally I didn’t find such information. Therefore, alas, guys, this can only be found out with the help of special programs. Although I know that you probably don’t really want to download anything right now, nevertheless, this will be the most correct decision.
The best program I know for finding out information about the process, information about the RAM, is of course CPU-Z. This is a free program, absolutely gorgeous, small, you can download it here:
So you install it. It installs without any glitches, but you still make sure that there are no left-handed checkboxes, otherwise some other leftist will be installed on your computer! Well, then you launch it, here is its main window, this is the CPU tab, here is all the necessary information about your process:
You need to go to the Memory tab, here it is:
So what do we see here? Where Type is, the memory type is indicated there, in my case it is DDR3, where Size is, the total amount of memory is indicated there. Where Channel is, it says what mode the memory works in, I have it written Single, this is because I have an 8-gigabit stick and that’s it, only one stick, so the memory works in a single channel. That is, here, on this tab, we can find out the most important thing, which is what type of memory you have.
But there is one more point, this is frequency. It is better to buy memory with the same frequency that you have. If there are strips with different frequencies, then all the memory will work at the frequency that is the lowest among the strips. Well, that is, if you have one stick at 1600 MHz and another at 1333 MHz, then all the memory will eventually run at 1333 MHz. But how do you find out what your memory frequency is? In the same CPU-Z program, go to the SPD tab:
Here you can look at the information for each bar, so to speak detailed information. There is a menu on the left, where you can select the memory slot on the motherboard, so I have Slot #4 selected there, because that is where my memory stick is installed. That is, in this menu you select a memory slot to view information about the bar, well, I hope that’s clear. And look what I have written here? Actually, everything you need to know in order to understand what kind of RAM is on your computer is written here. Look, here is the most important information, here it is:
So, once again, what information is indicated here about the memory bar? This is the memory type DDR3, the capacity of the stick is 8192 MB (8 gigs), the memory type is PC3-12800, in brackets then there is a frequency of 800 MHz, this is the actual operating frequency. The effective frequency is 1600 MHz, because 800 * 2 will be 1600. That is, if you suddenly buy memory for yourself, then you need to tell the store that, for example, you need a DDR3 1600 MHz memory stick or just PC3-12800 and they will understand you. Although I have never used a name like PC3-12800, I’m somehow already used to the fact that there is DDR3 1333 MHz, DDR3 1600 MHz, and so on, it’s somehow easier for me
Oh, I forgot to write some very important information! You know, there is such a memory that only works with Intel platform, the other only works with the AMD platform.. Therefore, if you buy memory, be sure to check this point, it is very important! I don’t know if this applies to DDR3 or DDR4, but when I bought DDR2, there were some for Intel, others for AMD, and others for both platforms.
There’s just one funny thing, and to be honest, I’m even a little surprised; in short, I couldn’t find the manufacturer of the bracket in CPU-Z. The fact is that I have a Kingston bracket (later it turned out that this is not the case), but the most that I learned is that on the SPD tab, well, where the slot is selected, there is information there, and that’s the maximum that I found this is a manufacturer of chips on the bracket, for me it’s Hyundai Electronics (in fact, the manufacturer is written here, for me it’s Hynix). But the fact that I have a Kingston bar is nowhere to be found and you know, this is very strange! I didn’t notice this before, because I knew what brand my bracket was, so in CPU-Z I could only look at detailed information about the bracket. Anyway, guys, I’m a little surprised and a little upset that I noticed such a jamb in CPU-Z ..
If you still need to find out exactly the manufacturer of the RAM, then you can download the AIDA64 program, but the strangest thing is that even it did not show me the real manufacturer of the RAM:
Well guys, this is just some kind of mysticism...
Hmm, but now you know what I thought? Or maybe there is no bug in the CPU-Z program? Maybe it's a bug in me? Because I had the idea that it might be I myself don’t know exactly what DDR3 bar I have! I turned on the flashlight on mine right now Sony Ericsson K750 and went to open the side cover of the computer and look at some kind of strip there, because I was really interested... Well, in short, as always, the sticker is no longer on the strip, I probably tore it off, bummer! But I’m thinking, maybe I still have Hynix? The bar is not green, as usual with Kingston, but dark blue...
All the guys, hurray, I found out exactly what my level is! Do you know how you found out? I bought it in an online store, and then I logged into my account again, well, into the online store, and there I saw that it was the Hynix DDR3-1600 8192MB PC3-12800 that I bought! So the bar is not Kingston, but Hynix. It's good that I finally got to the bottom of the truth. So CPU-Z and AIDA64 show everything correctly, I still have a Hynix bracket! So sorry guys here
So, let's do it again. AIDA64 correctly showed that I really have a Hynix bracket. CPU-Z also really showed everything, in the Manufacturer field the manufacturer of the bracket is written, and there I have Hyundai Electronics written, this is Hynix! Well, finally, now I understand everything and told you all this, now I hope everything is clear to you and now you know how to find out what type of memory is on a computer and who its manufacturer is.
Well guys, that’s all, sorry that the article turned out to be a bit long, you just see for yourself, this joke happened to me, I’m shocked that I actually have Hynix, and I all the time thought that Kingston, damn it.. Well, all the guys, good luck to you and may everything go well for you
17.12.2016- Open context menu“My Computer” shortcut (right-click on it once). Next, select "Properties".
As a result, a window will appear indicating the size of available RAM, the type of operating system (for example, 32-bit), etc.
- An alternative method is to go through Start.
Start – Run.
In the window that appears, manually enter msinfo32 and press Enter.
- Another method that is based on a combination of function keys.
- Press “Win + R” and enter dxdiag in the window that opens.
- A new window will appear. Pay attention to the “Memory” line. The physical amount of computer memory will be indicated there.
- All methods describe the free number of Gigabits on your PC.
But how you can find out exactly the RAM of your laptop or computer and analyze its additional characteristics, read below.
I want to immediately warn you that here you cannot do without using third party applications and utilities. One such program is Speccy. It allows you to access all the characteristics of modules and boards that are currently connected to your PC.
The utility is free and readily available for downloading from the Internet.
After downloading the program, proceed with installation. The utility is being installed using standard methods, without much difficulty.
To check what RAM is installed on your PC, do the following:
- Launch the program.
- Open the "RAM" section.
And then just read the information that interests you. Everything is described there in an accessible and understandable way. There are characteristics about DDR type, number of channels, volume and frequency. You can also see what percentage of RAM is being used at a given minute and many other useful characteristics. Based on these characteristics, you can decide whether you should
But here is the most direct way to find out the RAM of your computer. If you understand all the system hardware, then:
- turn off the power to the system unit;
- remove the cover;
- take out the memory modules and read the characteristics you are interested in directly on them.
However, this method is only for experienced craftsmen, and not for beginners.
On a note! Recently, if you missed it, I told or. And I also spoke. Be sure to read and do not forget to leave comments on the articles.
That's all for me! Now you know for sure how to find out your computer's RAM. Please write your wishes and comments under the article. I also advise you to subscribe to new blog articles and receive something new directly to your email. I wish all my readers great health and peace!
With UV. Evgeny Kryzhanovsky
It is one of the main components of any computer. The amount of RAM depends on the number of programs that the user can work with simultaneously. The more memory, the more programs you can run without slowing down your computer's performance.
In addition, some programs and computer games for normal operation require a certain amount of memory. Therefore, inexperienced users very often ask how to see how much RAM is on the computer. This question we will look at this in this article.
Method number 1. Computer properties.
The easiest way to see how much RAM is on your computer is to open the computer properties window. This can be done in several ways. For example, if your work computer has a “My Computer” icon (an icon, not a shortcut), then you can click on it and select “Properties”.
You can also open the computer properties window through "". To do this, open the “Control Panel” and go to the “System and Security – System” section.
Another option is the Windows key combination + Pause/Break. Just press this key combination in any window, and the window we need will open in front of you.
After you have opened the computer properties window, turn your attention to the “Installed memory (RAM)” item. The amount of your RAM will be indicated here.
Method number 2. Task Manager.
If you have Windows 8 or Windows 10, then you can see how much RAM is on your computer using the Task Manager. To do this (for example, using the key combination CTRL + Shift + Esc). After that, go to the “Performance” tab and open the “Memory” section there. Here in the upper right corner of the window it will be indicated how much RAM is installed on your computer.
Method number 3. Special programs.
You can also see how much RAM is on your computer using special programs designed to view computer characteristics. For example, you can use the program. Run this program on your computer and go to the “Memory” section. This tab will indicate how much RAM is on the computer. You can also see other RAM characteristics here.
Method number 4. BIOS.
If your computer does not yet have an operating system installed or does not start, then you can see the amount of RAM using. Go to the BIOS and examine its contents. One of the BIOS sections should contain information about the computer.
Usually it indicates the processor model, its clock speed and the amount of RAM.
