2 Ways to Know RAM Speed in Windows

 There are several reasons why it is important to know the speed of RAM we have, but how to find out the speed of RAM?

A computer is a device made up of several different components that all work together to create a cohesive multi-purpose system. But one very important component in a computer system is Random Access Memory, or RAM for short.

RAM is very important for multitasking because it is the computer's working memory and is where ongoing tasks are stored for quick access. The more RAM you have, the more tasks you can perform simultaneously.

But not everything is based on memory size. RAM speed is also an important factor to consider. Today, We are going to give you an overview of how to find out the RAM speed of your Windows computer.

How to Know RAM Speed

1. Use the Windows Task Manager

Use Windows Task Manager

The first method involves the Windows Task Manager in Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11. Older Task Managers such as those in Windows 7 and earlier operating systems do not display this information, so if you have an earlier version of Windows long, please refer to other methods in this post.

The first thing you need to do is access the Windows Task Manager. You can access it by right-clicking on the Windows taskbar then clicking on the Task Manager option. Or, just press Ctrl + Shift + Esc key which will boot Task Manager.

If this is your first time opening the Task Manager, you may want to click View more to expand an oversimplified version of the Task Manager. Then, click the Performance tab, where you will see a number of metrics on CPU, RAM, and GPU usage.

Click on Memory to view information about your RAM. Under the graph itself, you will be able to see some information about your memory, such as the form factor, the slots used on the motherboard, how much RAM is reserved for the system, and RAM speed.

In the example here, you can see that the admin RAM is running at 2400MHz. Most modern computers, run DDR4 RAM between 2133MHz to 3600MHz, even with some RAM kits, it can go over 4000MHz. DDR3 RAM, on the other hand, only goes up to 1866MHz.

2. Use CPU-Z

Use CPU-Z

CPU-Z is a utility that allows its users to view several pieces of data about their computer, including information about the computer's CPU as well as RAM. CPU-Z is a good choice if you have an older version of Windows or if the information displayed by Task Manager seems unreliable for whatever reason.

First, go to the Windows CPUID download page. You can download any version you want, although we recommend going with one of the latest versions if you have newer hardware on your system. The latest version of CPU-Z has added support for DDR5 memory and Intel Alder Lake 12th generation CPUs.

Once downloaded, install the software (or open it if you downloaded the portable version) then open it. Then, click on the Memory tab.

To get your actual RAM speed, you just need to multiply that "single data rate" frequency by two: 1197.7 x 2 gives us 2395.4 MHz, which is much closer to the reported 2400MHz we saw earlier.

Why Knowing RAM Speed Is Important

There are several reasons why you might want to know RAM speed. One is that, after building a custom PC, you might want to check whether the RAM is set up properly or not.

One common mistake that many PC makers end up making is not setting up the XMP profile properly in the BIOS after completing their PC setup. This will result in your computer's RAM running at the default clock speed of 2133MHz instead of the advertised speed. This can cause a performance penalty.

Another reason might be to check if everything is working properly after RAM upgrade. If you're using a laptop, installing an aftermarket kit running at 2666MHz while the computer's memory is running at 2400MHz will result in the RAM being downgraded to the slower speed of the two.

Even replacing it completely may still not make it run at advertised speeds, as the laptop may not be capable of running RAM at any higher than 2400MHz. You should check this before, during, and after the upgrade, and troubleshoot accordingly.

Why is RAM Speed Important?

RAM speed, or data rate, determines how fast the memory can transfer data to and from your CPU. At DDR4, or Double Data Rate 4, we usually see RAM running at speeds between 2133MHz and 3600MHz.

When you buy a new computer, or just buy memory, you will often see the speed of the memory listed in the specs sheet. For RAM running at 3200MHz, for example, you will see the RAM speed listed as “DDR4-3200”.

You may also see it listed as a “PC4” specification, which is the data rate times eight. For example, PC4-25600 memory is rated at 3200MHz, while PC4-28800 memory is rated at 3600MHz.

The easiest way to find out RAM speed is “the faster the data rate, the faster the RAM”. But it's not very specific, because several factors can affect the performance of your RAM. Like CAS latency, for example, it can also go up as data rates increase, and that can actually have a negative impact on performance.

In most applications, having more RAM is also better than having faster RAM. However, if you play games, the faster RAM might help you produce a bit more performance and a few frames per second.

Faster RAM can cost more than normal RAM, especially when you're trying to keep CAS latency low while steadily increasing speed.

And one thing that is important and you have to remember is that if you are looking for an upgrade, you are better off buying more RAM than replacing the existing RAM with much faster RAM.

Conclusion

So that's how to find out RAM speed. People often overlook RAM speed, especially considering that getting more RAM is better than getting faster RAM. However, if you need to check if everything is working as it should, now you know how to do it.