How to Check Desktop PC RAM Type and Maximum Memory – Dr Memory (XUM Enterprise Ltd)

Make sure you are using a desktop computer because the RAM installation instructions are designed specifically for desktop computers.

Step 1: Identify Installed Memory

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialogue box.

Type "msinfo32" and press Enter. This opens the System Information window.

In the left pane, navigate to "System Summary". On the right side, you'll see details about your installed memory, including the total installed physical memory (RAM).

Using Command Prompt to Convert Memory Size to GB

Open Command Prompt by pressing the Windows key + R and typing "cmd" into the search bar.

Open Command Prompt by pressing the Windows key + R and typing "cmd" into the search bar. type the following command: "wmic memorychip get capacity" In the Command Prompt window, press Enter. This command will display the capacity of each memory module in kilobytes (KB).

To convert KB to GB, divide the capacity by 1,048,576 (1024 x 1024).
For example, if the capacity is displayed as 4294967296 KB, the calculation would be:
4294967296 KB / 1048576 = 4096 GB
4194304 KB / 1048576 = 4 GB
Repeat this calculation for each memory module listed to determine the total memory size in GB.

Step 2: Maximum RAM Capacity

The maximum amount of RAM your computer can support is as follows:

Press Windows Key + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
In the command prompt, type wmic memphysical get maxcapacity, and press Enter.
The result will be displayed in Kilobytes. Convert this to Gigabytes by dividing by (1024) twice. For example:

To calculate the maximum RAM capacity for a computer that supports up to 8GB:

10248388608KB=8192MB
10248192MB=8GB
Thus, the maximum memory capacity is approximately 8 GB.

Step 3: RAM Slot Information Through Command Prompt.

Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type "cmd" and press Enter to launch Command Prompt.
In the Command Prompt window, type: wmic Memphysical get MemoryDevices Then, press Enter.
The number displayed represents the total number of RAM slots on your computer. For Example, if it shows '2', your computer has two slots.

To determine the maximum capacity per slot, divide the total maximum RAM by the number of slots. For example, if your system has a maximum capacity of 8 GB and 2 slots, each slot can support up to 4 GB.

Step 4: Slot Information Through Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc together to directly open the Task Manager.

Alternatively, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, then select "Task Manager" from the options menu that appears.

Another alternative is to right-click on the taskbar and select "Task Manager" from the context menu.

Click on the "Performance" tab in the Task Manager window. In the left pane, click on "Memory". This will display information about your system's memory usage.

Look for the "Slots used" field under the "Memory" section. This indicates the number of memory slots currently in use.

Step 5: To identify the required generation of RAM:

Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc or by right-clicking the Start button.
Navigate to the ‘Performance’ tab to find the RAM generation (e.g. DDR3, DDR4). RAM generations are not interchangeable.

Step 6: Check Memory Speed

In the same Memory section of the System Information window, look for the "Speed" field.
The speed will be listed in megahertz (MHz) and indicates the frequency at which the memory operates.

Step 7: System Memory Support

Determine your system's architecture using either of the following methods:

Option 1: Using Command Prompt

Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type "cmd" in the command prompt window and then press Enter.
In the Command Prompt window, type: wmic os get OSArchitecture Then, press Enter. This command will display whether your system is running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

Option 2: Check system memory support.

Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type "msinfo30" in the Run dialog box to open the system information, then press Enter.
In the System Information window, look for the "System Type" under the "System Summary" section. This command will display whether your system is running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

Based on your system's architecture, understand the following limitations:

For 32-bit Windows, the maximum amount of RAM supported is typically around 4 GB, although this can vary depending on the specific version of Windows and any limitations imposed by hardware or software.
For 64-bit Windows: The maximum amount of RAM supported varies depending on the specific edition of Windows. For example, Windows 10 Home supports a maximum of 128 GB of RAM, while Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise support up to 2 TB of RAM.