Where Is RAM In Device Manager? (8 Ways To Find)

 

Knowing your computer’s specifications, including the CPU, GPU, motherboard, storage device, and so on, can help you realize what tasks you can and can’t do with your system.

Your PC’s RAM is one of the most important computer components, and it can determine its power to a great extent.

Therefore, it is important to know the RAM’s type, capacity, speed, form factor, and so on.

Read on to learn more about RAM specifications and find out where you can find your RAM details on Windows and macOS devices.

 

Where Is RAM In Device Manager?

 

Device Manager displays a graphical view of all the Windows-recognized hardware installed on your computer, including USB devices, keyboards, hard disk drives, and so on.

You can use Device Manager to view and manage hardware devices and their drivers.

RAM doesn’t have a driver, and it is not listed in the Device Manager window.

You won’t be able to control your RAM through this utility or get information about its specs.

However, there are multiple other ways to find your RAM details on Windows PCs.

 

1. Using System Information

 

1. The System Information is a built-in Windows tool that can show you your RAM size.
2. Press the Windows and R key on the keyboard simultaneously.
3. In the Run box, type “msinfo32.exe” and hit the OK button to open the System Information window.
4. You can also type “System Information” in the Windows search bar and open the utility.
5. Under the Item column, find the Installed Physical Memory (RAM).
6. The value next to it will be your total RAM capacity.

 

2. Using Windows Settings

 

Another way to find out how much RAM exists in your PC is through the Settings app in Windows.

1. Press the Windows and I keys on the keyboard to open the Settings app.
2. Choose the system from the main menu.
3. Find and select About from the left menu bar.
4. Under Device Specifications, you should see the Installed RAM with its size right next to it.

 

3. Using Task Manager

 

Task Manager in another built-in Windows utility that will give you more information about your RAM specs.

1. Right-click on the Start button and choose Task Manager from the list.

You can also hit the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on the keyboard to open the app.

1. Head to the Performance tab and click on Memory from the left column.
2. You’ll see a Memory usage graph that shows you how much of your RAM is currently involved in the processes you’re running.
3. You’ll see your total RAM capacity and the Memory Type at the top right corner of the graph.

For instance, if it reads 8GB DDR4, you have a total of 8 GB of RAM that belongs to the DDR4 generation.

1. At the bottom side of the graph, you’ll see the amount of RAM in use and available.
2. You can also see your RAM’s speed, form factor, and the number of RAM sticks you have installed mentioned as the slots used.

 

4. Using Control Panel

 

1. Type “Control Panel” in the Windows search box and open the utility.
2. Select System and Security from the menu.
3. Under the system, click on the View amount of RAM and Processor speed option.
4. Under the System heading, find the Installed Memory (RAM) option.
5. The RAM size and its usable amount will be written next to it.

 

5. Using Command Prompt

 

Command Prompt is the best Windows utility you can use to determine your RAM details because it provides the most in-depth specifications.

1. Type “Command Prompt” in the Cortana search box, right-click on the first result and choose Run as Administrator.
2. Type any of the following commands (without the quotation marks) to get the following information about your installed Memory:
   • RAM Manufacturer: “wmic memorychip get devicelocator, manufacturer”
   • RAM Type: “wmic memorychip get devicelocator, memorytype”

Note: Command Prompt can only identify some RAM types, and it represents each type with a number.

Refer to the following list to find out what the number means:

• Unknown: 0
• Other: 1
• DRAM: 2
• Synchronous DRAM: 3
• Cache DRAM: 4
• EDO: 5
• EDRAM: 6
• VRAM: 7
• SRAM: 8
• RAM: 9
• ROM: 10
• Flash: 11
• EEPROM: 12
• FEPROM: 13
• EPROM: 14
• CDRAM: 15
• 3DRAM: 16
• SDRAM: 17
• SGRAM: 18
• RDRAM: 19
• DDR: 20
• DDR2: 21
• DDR2 FB-DIMM: 22
• DDR3: 23
• FBD2: 24
• RAM Capacity: “wmic memorychip get devicelocator, capacity”

Note: The value will be presented in bytes, but if you want to calculate it in gigabytes, divide the number by 1,073,741,824.

• Total Physical RAM Capacity: “systeminfo | findstr /C: “Total Physical Memory”
• RAM Speed: “memorychip get devicelocator, speed”
• RAM Form Factor: “wmic memorychip get devicelocator, formfactor”

Note: If you see the number 8 as the form factor, it means your device uses DIMM modules, usually present on desktop computers.

If the number is 12, your PC uses SODIMM modules, usually installed on laptops.

• RAM Part Number: “wmic memorychip get devicelocator, partnumber”
• RAM Serial Number: “wmic memorychip get devicelocator, serialnumber”

1. Hit Enter after typing each command.
2. You can also get the complete information about your RAM by typing the following command: “wmic memorychip list full.”

 

6. Using Windows 10 PowerShell

 

The Windows 10 PowerShell utility functions the same as the control panel.

1. If you run Windows 10, right-click on the Start button and choose Windows PowerShell (Admin).
2. Type the following command (again, without quotation marks) to get a complete list of your RAM properties, including its capacity, type, form factor, speed, and so on:
   • “Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_PhysicalMemory | Format-Table Capacity, Manufacturer, MemoryType, FormFactor, Name, Configuredclockspeed, Speed, Devicelocator, Serialnumber -AutoSize.”
3. Hit Enter.

 

7. Using Bios

 

Every computer has a different way of entering the BIOS interface, depending on its motherboard model.

You need to turn the PC on and press one of the following keys when it’s starting up:

• F10
• F2
• F1
• Del
• Esc

You can check the computer or motherboard manual to find the correct key or search your PC model on the internet.

Once the BIOS interface boots up, navigate to the RAM or Memory section, where you can find your RAM details.

 

8. Using CPU-Z App

 

CPU-Z is a capable third-party app that you can install to find out about your PC specs, including the RAM details.

1. Download, install and launch the CPU-Z software.
2. Navigate to the Memory tab.
3. Find the RAM size, type, speed, latency, and real-time frequency there.

 

About RAM

 

Random Access Memory or RAM is a volatile storage device, meaning it stores data temporarily while you are running apps and processes on the computer.

Simply put, if you consider your computer as a brain, the RAM would be its short-term memory.

Its purpose is to allow the CPU to access necessary data for doing a task more quickly without delving into slower, long-term storage devices, which will allow the system to run faster and smoother.

Therefore, the presence of RAM is essential for efficient multitasking, like keeping various applications running at once or playing games without interruptions and lags by storing all the relevant assets it needs to access quickly.

Your computer continuously overwrites and refreshes your RAM, and it resets once the system is restarted.

When you check out your RAM specs, you will run into terms like RAM brand, type, form factor, size, speed, voltage, and latency that describe the device.

Continue reading to understand what each of these terms means and get to know your RAM better.

 

1. RAM Form Factor

RAM modules are available in two primary and standard form factors:

• Dual In-Line Memory Module or DIMM: The DIMM is the RAM form factor used for desktop computers, and it refers to the physical size of the RAM stick, which is bigger for desktops.

The standard length is 133.35 mm for DIMMs.

• Small Outline DIMM or SO-DIMM: SO-DIMM RAM modules are for laptops and compact computers, in general.

They’re almost half as small as DIMMs, at 67.6 mm in length.

 

2. RAM Brand

Like any PC-related device, memory sticks have different manufacturers and assemblers with different brand names.

It’s a well-known fact in the computer community that two different manufacturers can make the same RAM stick and package them slightly differently.

However, no one can ever be sure of this because the brands don’t publicize all their RAM specs.

 

3. RAM Type

RAM sticks have improved and gained more enhanced features like any other technology.

There are five main RAM types or generations for the DDR SDRAMs (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic RAM) commonly in use today:

• DDR1 SDRAM (2000)
• DDR2 SDRAM (2003)
• DDR3 SDRAM (2007)
• DDR4 SDRAM (2014)
• DDR5 SDRAM (2020)

There is no backward compatibility between the different RAM types because each uses a different number of pins.

Therefore, you can’t fit one into a slot made for the other.

 

4. RAM Size

RAM size refers to the capacity of the RAM module, determining how much data it can store.

RAM sticks come in different sizes, varying from 2 GB to 32 GB.

If you get two 2GB RAM sticks, your computer will have a total of 4 GB of memory space.

 

5. RAM Speed

RAM speed or frequency refers to the number of cycles a RAM module can perform every second.

The more the frequency, the more data your RAM can read and store.

This results in smoother system performance.

RAM manufacturers state their product’s frequency in Megahertz (MHz).

For instance, if you see the number 3,600 MHz in a RAM’s specs, you’ll know that it can perform 3.6 billion cycles every second.

 

6. RAM Latency

Latency is the time it takes a RAM stick to respond to the system commands by accessing a specific set of data that it has previously stored.

The number written next to “CL” in a RAM stick’s specifications will indicate latency.

For example, a CL16 memory module will take 16 cycles to respond to a command, so the lower the latency, the faster the memory module will perform.

 

7. RAM Voltage

The power that the DRAM modules should receive to work smoothly is referred to as their voltage.

Different RAM sticks have different voltages ranging from 1 volt to 1.4 volts.

 

Why Would You Want To Know Your RAM Specs?

 

If your system is getting slow and sluggish due to a lack of RAM, you might upgrade it and boost the performance.

You might even want to upgrade your whole system to be able to play more demanding games or run heavy applications.

Therefore, you need to know what RAM specs you’ll need and what will be compatible with your current build.

Also, knowing your RAM specs will help you tweak the memory settings inside the BIOS or UEFI.

 

How To Find RAM Specs On macOS?

 

Finding details about your PC components, including the RAM, is easy on macOS devices.

1. Click on the Apple logo and select About This Mac.
2. Head to the Overview tab to get some information about your RAM.
3. Click on the System Report option and head to the Memory tab if you want more details.
4. If you want to see your real-time memory usage, hit the Cmd + space bar on the keyboard to open Spotlight.
5. Type “Activity Monitor” in the search box and click on the associated link.
6. Head to the Memory tab, where you’ll find how much of the Ram capacity you’re currently using.
7. You can also open Finder, click on Applications, and select the Utilities folder.
8. Open the Activity Monitor and head to the Memory tab.