Your computer’s RAM is short-term RAM used to run applications and open files. The more RAM your computer has, the more you can do at a time. Here’s how to check how much your system has.
We will show you how to test the speed of your RAM. Like almost all technology, with the possible exception of batteries, RAM gets better and faster over time. Newer computers will have faster RAM than older ones.
What is working memory?
RAM stands for «Random Access Memory». This is the physical working memory used by your computer. All your open applications, files and other data are stored here for easy access. RAM is different from your computer’s SSD or hard drive, which are much slower than RAM. When you run a program or open a file, it moves from your system’s storage to RAM.
The more RAM you have, the more you can do at once. If you don’t have enough RAM for open applications, your system will run slower as Windows (or another operating system) is forced to move data in and out of the pagefile to and from the system drive. You may even see an insufficient memory error if there is not enough RAM.
How much RAM you need depends on what you’re doing. You’ll need more RAM to play the latest PC games, run virtual machines, and edit 4K videos.
How to check how much RAM you have on Windows
You can check how much RAM you have in various ways.
On Windows 10, use Task Manager. Right-click on the taskbar and select «Task Manager» or press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open it. Click the «Performance» tab and select «Memory» from the left pane. If you don’t see any tabs, click «More Info» first.
