How to find the RAM type on Windows 10 / Windows 11

Introduction

Checking the RAM type on Windows serves several practical purposes. For example, you might be looking to find essential information about the hardware configuration of your Windows system. When troubleshooting issues related to both hardware and software, having details such as the manufacturer’s name, part number, and serial number becomes valuable for effective communication with technical support.

Understanding the RAM type, such as DDR2 or DDR3, is also essential for making informed decisions regarding potential upgrades or replacements, to ensure compatibility with the motherboard.

On your Windows machine, you can get the basic info of the installed RAM from your Task Manager. You can find basic information such as the installed RAM capacity, its speed, Used Capacity, Free & available capacity etc. However, to get a more detailed understanding of the hardware and the RAM type installed, there are some easy commands you can run on the command prompt.

How to check RAM Type and specification using the Command Prompt

Query specific information about the RAM

Microsoft’s Documentation provides a full list of all the details you can query from the command prompt. Example:

c:\> wmic MemoryChip get MemoryType, Capacity, Speed, DeviceLocator, FormFactor, Manufacturer, Serialnumber, Partnumber 

• The MemoryType value will give you details of the type of RAM such as DDR2, DDR3 etc in a numeric format. See the Windows MemoryType: Numeric Value and RAM Type Reference section for a full list of MemoryType numbers and their corresponding RAM Type.
• The Capacity value denotes the total capacity of the RAM in bytes.
• The speed property denotes the supported memory speed indicated by your RAM, usually within the range of 800 to 3200.
• The DeviceLocator property denotes the physical slot where the RAM is plugged into on the motherboard.
• The FormFactor value denotes the physical shape of the RAM module. It is commonly identified with the numeric value 8 for DIMM modules in desktop PCs or 12 for SODIMM forms in laptops.
• The Manufacturer, Serialnumber and Partnumber identify the manufaturer of the RAM module, it’s serial number, and the part number. This can help you buy the same model or variant if you need to replace it. This can sometimes show up as Unknown.

Windows MemoryType: Numeric Value and RAM Type Reference

Numeric value	Memory Type
0	Unknown
1	Other
2	DRAM
3	Synchronous DRAM
4	Cache DRAM
5	EDO
6	EDRAM
7	VRAM
8	SRAM
9	RAM
10	ROM
11	Flash
12	EEPROM
13	FEPROM
14	EPROM
15	CDRAM
16	3DRAM
17	SDRAM
18	SGRAM
19	RDRAM
20	DDR
21	DDR2
22	DDR2 FB-DIMM
23	DDR2—FB-DIMM
24	DDR3—May not be available
25	FBD2
26	DDR4

Properties you can query from the wmic command

A full reference list of all the properties you can query from the wmic command

Attribute / Property	Description
Attributes	The SMBIOS – Type 17 – Attributes. Represents the RANK.
BankLabel	Physically labelled bank where the module is plugged in on the motherboard
Capacity	The total capacity of the RAM in bytes
Caption	A one line string – short description of the object
ConfiguredClockSpeed	The set clock speed of the memory device, measured in megahertz (MHz), or reperesented as 0 if the speed is not identified.
ConfiguredVoltage	The configured voltage for the device, in millivolts, or 0 if the voltage is unknown.
CreationClassName	This refers to the first concrete class within the inheritance chain utilized in instance creation. When coupled with other key properties of the class, this attribute enables the unique identification of all instances belonging to this class and its subclasses.
DataWidth	Data width of the physical memory—in bits. A data width of 0 (zero) and a total width of 8 (eight) indicates that the memory is used solely to provide error correction bits.
Description	Description of the object.
DeviceLocator	Label of the slot where the device is plugged in
FormFactor	The physical shape of the RAM module, commonly identified as the numeric value 8 for DIMM modules in desktop PCs or 12 for SODIMM forms in laptops. A full list of FormFactor values is available here.
HotSwappable	If set to TRUE, the device can be swapped while the machine is still turned on.
InstallDate	Date and time the object was installed. May be blank sometimes.
InterleaveDataDepth	Date and time the object was installed. It may be blank sometimes.
InterleavePosition	The placement of physical memory within an interleave. For instance, in a 2:1 interleave, a “1” value signifies that the memory is situated in the “even” position.
Manufacturer	The manufacturer of the hardware device (RAM)
MaxVoltage	The maximum operating voltage for this device, measured in millivolts, or registered as 0 if the voltage information is unavailable.
MemoryType	An unsigned 16-bit integer representing the maximum consecutive rows of data accessed in a single interleaved transfer from the memory device. If the value is 0, the memory is not interleaved.
MinVoltage	The minimum operating voltage for this device, measured in millivolts, or registered as 0 if the voltage information is unavailable.
Model	The model of the physical RAM.
Name	A name label for the RAM device.
OtherIdentifyingInfo	Supplementary information, extending beyond asset tag details, that is utilised to identify a physical element. For instance, barcode data linked to an element with an asset tag. In cases where only barcode data is accessible, uniquely identifiable, or suitable as an element key, this property remains NULL, and the barcode data is employed as the class key in the tag property.
PartNumber	Supplementary information, extending beyond asset tag details, is utilised to identify a physical element. For instance, barcode data linked to an element with an asset tag. In cases where only barcode data is accessible, uniquely identifiable, or suitable as an element key, this property remains NULL, and the barcode data is employed as the class key in the tag property.
PositionInRow	The placement of physical memory within a row. For instance, if two 8-bit memory devices combine to form a 16-bit row, a value of 2 indicates that this memory is the second device. A value of 0 is considered invalid for this property.
PoweredOn	If TRUE, the physical device is powered on.
Removable	The part number designated by the entity responsible for producing or manufacturing the physical RAM.
Replaceable	If set to TRUE, it indicates that a physical component is designed to be removed from the usual physical container without affecting the overall packaging’s functionality. The component may still be removable even if power must be turned “off” for removal. If the component can be removed with power “on,” it is both removable and hot-swappable. An example includes a removable and upgradable processor chip.
SerialNumber	Manufacturer-designated number to identify the physical device.
SKU	Stock keeping unit number for the physical device allocated by the manufacturer.
SMBIOSMemoryType	If set to TRUE, this physical media component can be substituted with a physically distinct one. For instance, certain computer systems permit upgrading the main processor chip to a higher clock rating. In such scenarios, the processor is considered replaceable. It’s important to note that all removable components are inherently replaceable.
Speed	The unprocessed SMBIOS memory type, denoted by the MemoryType property, represents a CIM value linked to the corresponding SMBIOS value.
Status	A unique identifier for the physical memory device is represented by an instance of Win32_PhysicalMemory. This property is inherited from CIM_PhysicalElement. Example: “Physical Memory 1”
Tag	The object’s present condition can include various operational and nonoperational statuses. Operational statuses include “OK,” “Degraded,” and “Pred Fail,” where an element, such as a SMART-enabled hard disk drive, may function correctly but anticipate a future failure. Nonoperational statuses consist of “Error,” “Starting,” “Stopping,” and “Service.” The “Service” status might be applicable during tasks like mirror-resilvering of a disk, reloading a user permissions list, or other administrative work. Not all such activities are online, yet the managed element is not in an “OK” state or any other defined operational state.
TotalWidth	The version of the physical device.
TypeDetail	This value comes from the Type Detail member of the Memory Device structure in the SMBIOS information.
Version	A unique identifier for the physical memory device represented by an instance of Win32_PhysicalMemory. This property is inherited from CIM_PhysicalElement. Example: “Physical Memory 1”

With these steps and references, you should be able to retrieve all the information you need about your RAM.

While the Command Prompt proves instrumental in extracting various RAM specifications, it’s worth noting that certain information may be inaccessible based on the specifics of your system’s hardware.

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