Our computers have very different components that are all working together to make a cohesive, multi-purpose system. But one massively important component in our system is the Random Access Memory, or RAM for short.

RAM is crucial for multitasking because it's your computer's working memory where ongoing tasks are stored for quick access. The more RAM you have, the more tasks you can do simultaneously. But not everything comes down to memory size. RAM speed is also an important factor to have in mind. Today, we're going to give you a rundown on how you can check your Windows computer's RAM speed.

1. Use the Windows Task Manager

The first method involves the Windows Task Manager in Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11. The older Task Manager present in Windows 7 and older operating systems does not show this information, so if you have an older version of Windows, please refer to other methods in this tutorial.

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

Access Task Manager 1

If it's the first time you've opened the Task Manager, you'll probably want to click on View more to expand the over-simplified version of the Task Manager. Then, click on the Performance tab, where you'll see a number of metrics on your CPU, RAM, and GPU usage.

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

In our example here, we can see that our RAM is running at 3600MHz, which is as good as it gets for enthusiast-grade DDR4 memory. Most modern computers running DDR4 RAM should be running somewhere in between 2133MHz and 3600MHz, with some enthusiast RAM kits going over 4000MHz. DDR3 RAM, on the other hand, should go up to 1866MHz.

RAM Speed Task Manager 2

2. Checking RAM Speed Using CPU-Z

CPU-Z is a utility that lets you see several pieces of data about your computer, including information about your computer's CPU as well as the RAM. CPU-Z is a good option if you have an older version of Windows or if the information shown by the Task Manager seems to be unreliable for whatever reason.

For clarification, there are lots of different pieces of software for this purpose. However, we're settling on CPU-Z because it's fairly reliable, lightweight, and is compatible across a whole range of computers and Windows versions.

Related:

How to Free Up RAM and Reduce RAM Usage on Windows

First up, head over to the CPUID Windows download page. You can download any version you want, although we'd recommend using one of the latest ones if you happen to have newer hardware on your system. The latest version of CPU-Z has added support for DDR5 memory and Intel Alder Lake 12th gen CPUs.

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

Here, we can see that Uncore Frequency and DRAM Frequency are both listed as 1799.6MHz. You might be asking here, isn't it supposed to be running at 3600MHz as per the results of the previous method? This is not a mistake: CPU-Z is just listing your RAM's single data rate frequency, while your RAM is supposed to be double data rate (hence the DDR in DDR4).

The CPU-Z RAM speed fields

To get your actual RAM speed, you just need to multiply that "single data rate" frequency by two: 1799.6 x 2 gives us 3599.2MHz, which is much closer to the reported 3600MHz we saw previously.

Why Is It Important to Know Your RAM Speed?

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

One common mistake a lot of PC builders end up making is not properly setting up an XMP profile in the BIOS after finishing their PC's set-up. This will result in your computer's RAM running at the default clock speed of 2133MHz instead of its advertised speed. This can cause a performance penalty.

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

Even replacing it entirely might still not make it run at its advertised speed, as the laptop might be incapable of running RAM at a speed higher than 2400MHz. You'll need to check for this before, during, and after, an upgrade, and troubleshoot accordingly.

Why Is RAM Speed Important?

Close-Up of Chips in a RAM Stick

RAM speed, or data rate, defines how quickly your memory can transfer data to and from your CPU. On DDR4, or Double Data Rate 4, we normally see RAM running at speeds between 2133MHz and 3600MHz.

When you're buying a new computer, or you're buying just memory, you'll often see the memory speeds listed in the specification sheet. For RAM running at 3200MHz, for example, you'll see the RAM speed listed as "DDR4-3200".

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

The easiest way to put it is "the faster the data rate, the faster the RAM." That's not really the be-all and end-all of it, as several factors can impact your RAM's performance. CAS latency, for example, can also go up as the data rate increases, and that can actually have a negative impact on performance.

In most applications, it's also much better to have more RAM than faster RAM as well. If you're gaming, however, faster RAM might be able to help you squeeze out a little bit of better performance and a few more frames per second. Whether it's a worthy upgrade, however, is another story. Faster RAM can get expensive quickly, especially as you try to keep CAS latencies low while you keep increasing the speed.

It's important, and a number you should have in mind, but it doesn't tell the whole story, and if you're looking for an upgrade, you'll be better served by more RAM than faster RAM.

Is Your RAM Up to Speed?

People often overlook RAM speed, especially given that getting more RAM is better than getting faster RAM. However, if you need to check that everything is running as it should, now you have the tools needed to get the job done.