You’ve justupgraded your RAMand you might be wondering if it is running at its advertised speed.

To quickly inspect the memory frequency, use theBIOS/UEFI utilityor evenWindows Task Manager. you may also usehardware monitoring utilitiesandPowershell/CMD commandsto do so.

However, these methods only display thecurrent RAM speed. Your memory stick is capable of running at much more. To find this out, you may directly examine theRAM module or the sticker.

From BIOS Utility

Your motherboard’s firmware interface is ideal for monitoring every hardware component. This is for users who haveinstalled new RAMand wish to verify whether it’s running at the ideal speed.

All you have to do isuse the Del or F2 key during the startup. This shouldtake you to the UEFI/Legacy BIOSSetup page. The exact key may vary depending onwhat motherboard you have.

If you’re in the EZ mode, look forSpeedorDDR Speedunder the Information section.

If you’re in the Advanced mode, you should find it under theMaintab. The exact field will vary. Look forTarget Memory Speed,Target DRAM Frequency, or similar indications.

There are always exceptions though. For example, there’s no EZ mode on myASRock Z370M-ITX. I had to check this fromMain>DRAM Information.

As you may see, the speed is inside the small brackets in theDDR4field. If you’re running the memory indual channel configuration, both the RAM speeds should be indicated in separate sections.

Using Windows Task Manager

If you’re in the Windows environment, getting into BIOS isn’t necessary just to find out the RAM speed.

Simplylaunch Task Managerusing your preferred method. I like to use theCtrl + Shift + Escshortcut.

Get to thePerformancetab and switch toMemory. YourRAM’s frequencyshould be indicated in theSpeedfield.

For Mac Users:Open upSystem InformationusingSpotlight search. ExpandHardware>Memory. On the left pane, look for theSpeedfield underMemory Slot.

Running Dedicated Commands

Users who prefer CLI can easily inspect their RAM details by executing a single command.

OpenWindows Command Prompt or Powershellas per your preference. Now,copy and pastethe following:

wmic MemoryChip get Speed

Hit Enter and the RAM Speed should be displayed as demonstrated in the above snap.

Powershell users may even opt for passing aCIM instance object. Here’s a cmdlet to help you retrieve the RAM frequency:

Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_PhysicalMemory | Format-Table Speed

For Linux Users:You may openTerminaland execute thesudo dmidecode –type 17command. Check theSpeedfield to know the current frequency.

Try Software Utilities

While the above steps should be enough, using third-party software for hardware monitoring isn’t a bad idea either. In fact, a reliable utility will show you the memory module’sexact frequency.

Most PC enthusiasts haveCPU-Z installedon their systems. If you’re in the same boat, just navigate to itsMemorytab. Here, inspect theDRAM Frequencyunder theTimingssection.

You’ll probably notice something strange here. CPU-Z willshow the DDR valuerather than the actual RAM speed. That’s the reason it’s halved and to get the original, just double it (simple maths!).

For instance, the installedV-Color DDR4 4133 RAMon myMSI B4550M Mortarshows to be running at2059.5 MHz. If I double this, it becomes4,118.4 MHz.

Note that the speed keeps changing. That’s the reason I’m getting 14.6 MHz less than what the manufacturer specifies.

Aside from third-party utilities, you may opt for yourmotherboard’s OEM softwaretoo. Even they have a dedicated hardware monitoring section.

Here’s a list of the most popular motherboards with their relevant programs that include RAM speed:

For better compatibility, it’s best that you download these apps from the official support page.

Through Physical Inspection

The frequency specified through BIOS and software solutionsdetermines the JEDEC specifications(if you haven’tenabled XMP). This is the current memory speed, not the one rated by your manufacturer.

By the physical inspection method, you’ll have a clear idea of how much speed your RAM can run at.

Open the PC caseand locate theDIMM slot. Then, remove the stick (if necessary), and check the value beside/below theDDR generation.

Ram Not Operating at Rated Speed?

As I mentioned earlier, yourRAM won’t run at the manufacturer-specified speedby default. They use theJEDEC standardtoensure maximum compatibility. So, this will not just affect speed, but even the timings and voltage.

There’s no need to worry though! A simple solution to this problem isenablingDOCP,XMP EOCP, or a similar profile supported by your motherboard. In fact, that’s what I always doafter getting a new RAM.

However, you need to ensure that the ratedRAM speed is compatible with your processor. Otherwise, you may encounterboot or POST failures.

And for enthusiasts, it’s definitely possible topush your memory beyond its XMP limit. I was able to overclock my RAM from4133 MHz to 4400 MHzwith no instabilities whatsoever.

Coming back to the issue, it even exists among users who aremixing memory sticksof different brands. If the two RAMs aren’t of the same specifications, you’ll belimited to the lower specs.

Sometimes, other problems could be the culprit. In that case, here’s a guide that should help yourun your RAM at full speed.