Random Access Memory (computer RAM) might or might not be that magic pill your PC swallows and everything gets sorted out. To be honest, there’s just so many variables to consider.
Check to make sure the RAM is fully seated in the slot Before you can install your RAM cards on your (powered off, unplugged) PC, you have to open the clips at the sides of the slots. These are white or colored tabs on either side of the RAM slot. Push down gently, but firmly, to open the clips. Empty RAM slots Open the Task Manager and go to the Performance tab. Select ‘Memory’ and under the memory graph, look for the Slots used field. It will tell you how many of the total slots are currently in use. In the screenshot below, the system has a total of 2 slots, and one of them is in use. Upgradeable recommends the CPU-Z scanner tool to identify what type of RAM your computer uses and how many slots there are available. CPU-Z is available for download on their website, it is a free download. Using CPU-Z takes the guess-work out of upgrading your computer's RAM. Simply download the tool as a zip or exe file and simply run it.
Your PC might be slow because it’s old and tired. Or it could simply be a defective hard drive. A nasty virus/malware infection could be keeping it bedridden. And what if some enterprising bitcoin miner is sucking up your system resources behind the scenes?
Without deliberate troubleshooting, we surely cannot know. But even so, upgrading your computer RAM is one thing to tick off in our books.But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before you rush off to purchase the first RAM chip you come across or cannibalise RAM from another PC you no longer need, there’s a few questions you need to ask yourself.
What you need to know
- Firstly does your PC use DDR4 or DDR3 or DDR2 RAM?
- Is it a desktop, laptop or 2-in-1?
- Also, how many RAM slots does your PC have?
- And does it run a 32-bit or 64-bit OS? [And yes, it matters.]
These are questions you should be able to answer belong long. On this premise, we would like to show you how you can properly go about upgrading your RAM, starting with the basics. The endgame here is to hit the stores, online and offline, armed to the teeth and knowledgeable about what you’re buying.
Related: DDR5 vs DDR4 vs DD3 vs DDR2 SDRAM: features and specs comparison
Checking for details about your RAM with Task Manager
Let’s head over to the Task Manager to check up on a few details about the RAM. These comprise the form factor, the number of slots on your motherboard and the clock speed. You can throw in the current amount of RAM you have.
To open the Task Manager
- Click the Windows button and type Task Manager in the search box
- Or Press the combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc
- Select the Performance tab (As shown in the image below)
On the top right, you will see how much RAM you have. Our PC has 6 GB, of which 4.2 GB is currently in use. At the bottom right, you will see the clock rate of your RAM, the form factor (SODIMM) and also how many slots you have on the motherboard.
If you must know, laptops use SODIMM RAM whereas desktops use DIMM RAM. The difference is in the size really. Not to worry. We will throw in an explainer at a later date.
Knowing your PC & OS Architecture
We have covered at length the difference between a 32-bit and a 64-bit PC. But it appears we are due for a recap. Most laptops manufactured in the last 10 years are 64-bit, seeing as 32-bit is getting antiquated. But cheaper 32-bit laptops do exist. We don’t always buy/inherit the newest of gadgets, now do we?
What you need to know is that 32-bit PCs can only run the 32-bit version of Windows. A 64-bit PC can run both 32-bit and also 64-bit Windows OS. The devil is in the details though. A 32-bit OS can only utilise a maximum of 4 GB where a 64-bit OS can use more computer RAM than you can fit in the slots.
How to check if you’re using 32-bit vs 64-bit
We will head to the System/System and Security in the Control Panel for this. A shortcut is to open a new Window:
- Right Click on My Computer/This PC
- Select Properties (at the bottom)
Related: What’s the difference between 32-bit vs 64-bit architecture in Windows? Here’s a clue: Ones & Zeros
So then, is it DDR4 or DDR3 or DDR2 RAM?
There’s a few ways you can find out what iteration of computer RAM you use. The most obvious is that sticker on your laptop right next to the touchpad. Oh, did the wording there fade or did you rip it off? Bummer. Let’s do it the hard way then. What we need to do now is turn to a couple third-party software.
We recommend CPU-Z and the more comprehensive HWinfo for a rundown of hardware information otherwise unavailable. These tools are usually very small (1MB to 5MB) and install in seconds.
And finally, finally, we get to see the information we have been looking for. Clicking on the Memory tab in CPU-Z shows you the computer RAM type (DDR4), the RAM size (6GB). The next tab, SPD, shows more detailed information. One of the two RAM chips installed (in slot #3) is DDR-2400 (1200 MHz) 4 GB RAM by Micron Technology.
An Amazon search for DDR-2400 (1200 MHz) doesn’t return any specific information though. What this means is that the criteria we used isn’t adequate. How about we bring in the big guns?
How about HWinfo?
HWinfo returns a motherload of information. We have information about the CPU, GPU, Motherboard, Chipset, Memory Modules, Bios, and more. The thing to do it copy the Memory module type (It’s highlightable). A search for DDR4-2400 / PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM SO-DIMM in Amazon returns some very good leads. Our first result is SK Hynix PC4-19200 2400Mhz 8GB RAM at $90.88. Not bad, is it?
Alternatively, you can head over to vendor websites and browse through their offerings for compatible RAM. We personally loved Crucial‘s website. Armed with the information we scoured from HWinfo, we filtered our results by form factor, capacity, module quantity, PC Speed, DDR type and more.
Featured image: dekhnews.com
Check Ram Slots On Laptop
Related
Dear Customers, Before you buy RAM you may have the questions …
“How to check the maximum RAM memory capacity of my motherboard ?”
You have several ways to check the maximum storage capacity of your computer/motherboard support?”
If you know the model number of the motherboard, you can write “MB model number” on the official website of the motherboard and there you have the full specification.(how much RAM Memory support and what type of RAM Memory: Example DDR, DD2, DDR3 etc.etc.(Example: You has Asus h81m “model number” and type this name “H81M” on the official Asus website.)
Here you can find the official motherboard-websites for some brands of motherboards.
Or you have another way to check how much RAM Memory capacity your computer/motherboard supports;(Only how much RAM Memory support. Not the type of RAM Memory support.)
Follow the instructions listed below:
How to check the maximum RAM memory capacity of my motherboard
- Press the taste “Windows” and “R”, then the “Run” appears.
- Enter “cmd”. Then a dialog box appears.
- Continue typing with “wmic memphysical maxcapacity”, then press “Enter”
- You can then get the number, the unit KB.
For example, as shown in the figure is the number 4,194,304, then put it in this formula.
Xxx / 1024/1024, 4194304/1024/1024 =4. ” it means the computer can support up to 4GB Memory”!
Check Ram Slots Online Slots
NOTE:
Before upgrade you need to determine if Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit
See this guide for details on checking your copy of Windows. Generally you can see whether Windows is 32- or 64-bit from the System Properties window
(Press the taste “Windows” and “Pause”)
32-bit can support up to 4 GB of RAM
64-bit can support over than 4 GB of RAM
Before you buy. I hope that i help you with my recommendations about Checking maximum storage capacity of your computer.