How to Check RAM in Windows 11

This article describes five ways to check how much RAM you have in Windows 11. Each method is slightly different, so you should pick the one that shows the memory specs you want.

Use the Settings App

Arguably, the easiest way to check how much RAM you have is to use Settings. It shows the total amount of RAM that's installed plus the usable RAM.

1. Open Settings via WIN+i, or by searching for it from the taskbar.

2. Select System on the left, and then About on the right.

3. Check RAM from the Device specifications section.

Use the System Information Tool

If you check RAM with the System Information utility, you'll see details about the physical and virtual memory.

1. Select the search bar on the taskbar, type System Information, and then click or tap that result.

2. Select System Summary from the left pane.

3. Locate the various memory items on the right.

   Your options include Installed Physical Memory (RAM), Total Physical Memory, Available Physical Memory, Total Virtual Memory, and Available Virtual Memory.
   

Use Task Manager

You can also use Task Manager to check RAM details. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open it, then go to the Performance tab and select Memory to see all kinds of information about the system memory.

Task Manager lists the amount of RAM in use and the total cached memory, plus the speed, number of slots being used, form factor, and more.

Use Command Prompt

Although Command Prompt isn't most people's choice for digging up information like this, it is possible to use it to check RAM details.

Check Total Physical Memory

For example, if we enter the command below, Command Prompt says the total amount of physical memory installed in this computer is 34120515584 bytes. Using a converter, like Omni Calculator's byte conversion tool, we can see that it equates to 34 gigabytes.

 wmic computersystem get totalphysicalmemory

Check RAM Capacity

Use this command to see the individual capacity of each memory stick:

 wmic memorychip get devicelocator, capacity

Example result:

 Capacity     DeviceLocator
17179869184  ChannelA-DIMM0
17179869184  ChannelB-DIMM0

Check RAM Speed

Use this command to check the maximum bandwidth of each memory module (measured in MHz):

 wmic memorychip get devicelocator, speed

Example result:

 DeviceLocator   Speed
ChannelA-DIMM0  2667
ChannelB-DIMM0  2667

Check RAM Manufacturer

Use this command to see who made your RAM sticks:

 wmic memorychip get devicelocator, manufacturer

Example result:

 DeviceLocator   Manufacturer
ChannelA-DIMM0  Kingston
ChannelB-DIMM0  Kingston

Check RAM Type

Use this command to see the RAM type:

 wmic memorychip get devicelocator, memorytype

Example result:

 DeviceLocator   MemoryType
ChannelA-DIMM0  0
ChannelB-DIMM0  0

Check RAM Form Factor

This command identifies the physical shape of the RAM module:

 wmic memorychip get devicelocator, formfactor

Example result:

 DeviceLocator   FormFactor
ChannelA-DIMM0  12
ChannelB-DIMM0  12

Check RAM Part Number

Use this command if you need to see the part number for each of your memory sticks:

 wmic memorychip get devicelocator, partnumber

Example result:

 DeviceLocator   PartNumber
ChannelA-DIMM0  99U5700-032.A00G
ChannelB-DIMM0  99U5700-032.A00G

Check RAM Serial Number

This one shows the serial number for your RAM:

 wmic memorychip get devicelocator, serialnumber

Example result:

 DeviceLocator   SerialNumber
ChannelA-DIMM0  D446296B
ChannelB-DIMM0  DB8629D0

List All the RAM Information

Finally, use this command to get a list of tons of information about your RAM:

 wmic memorychip list full

Example result:

 BankLabel=BANK 0
Capacity=17179869184
DataWidth=64
Description=Physical Memory
DeviceLocator=ChannelA-DIMM0
FormFactor=12
HotSwappable=
InstallDate=
InterleaveDataDepth=1
InterleavePosition=1
Manufacturer=Kingston
MemoryType=0
...

Use a System Info Tool

I included the built-in System Information utility above, but there are also third-party apps (not from Microsoft), also called system information tools, that let you check RAM in Windows 11.

Speccy is one of my favorites, so we'll look at how to see your computer memory specs in that program. It shows how many memory slots your computer has, the total size of all the memory, the current memory usage, and tons of details about the memory slots.

1. Download Speccy, install it, and then open it.

2. Select RAM from the left side of the program.

3. Expand the various categories to check RAM information.

When to Check RAM

Most people can use a computer for years without ever knowing or caring to know anything about the memory in their PC, but there are legitimate reasons to look into these details.

One reason to check your RAM is if you're replacing your memory. Knowing your RAM specs is helpful here so you know what kind of memory to buy for your specific computer. Facts like the form factor are important when considering RAM and motherboard compatibility.

Or maybe you need to confirm that your computer will work with some new software or operating system you're interested in. If a software program recommends that you have 8 GB of RAM, looking up how much total RAM you have installed now will determine whether you should get that program or need to upgrade your RAM.