How to Identify Ram Type Physically

How to Identify Ram Type Physically | RAM DDR1, DDR2, DDR3, And DDR4

When we need to add more RAM modules to our computer, we must determine ram type we currently have installed to buy a compatible one. To do this, we can identify them utilizing software without having to observe them physically.

The first alternative is Everest, well-known commercial software and quite useful for other tasks. To look at the type of memory that we have installed, click on the motherboard, in the options that appear to the program’s right, then in PSD, and then we will get all the RAMs installed together on their respective references.

Right there, we can see the part that says kind of memory, which is what we wanted to see from the beginning.

The other alternative is to use a free software called CPU-Z, which has fewer functions than Everest but gives the necessary information to achieve our goal. Using it is even easier than using Everest; when you run it, we will see several tabs; with heading to the tab that says SPD, we can see that the first reference they give us is RAM.

Additionally, with CPU-Z, we can see the different slots of our computer that obviously indicate the memory banks located on the computer.

How To Identify DDR1, DDR2, DDR3, And DDR4 RAM Physically Laptop

Currently, the current RAM standard is DDR4, but there are still many computers with DDR3, DDR2, and even DDR in use. Because of this variety of RAM standards, many users are confused and forget what RAM is used on their computer. This article will be devoted to solving this problem. Here’s how to determine what RAM is used on DDR, DDR2, DDR3, or DDR4.

Physically Inspection of RAM

Physically Inspection of RAM
Physically Inspection of RAM

If you can open the computer and inspect its components, then all the necessary information you can get with the stickers on the RAM module.

Usually, you can find an inscription on the sticker with the name of the memory module. This name starts with the letters “PC,” after which the numbers are, and it indicates the type of this RAM module and its bandwidth in megabytes per second (MB/s).

For example, if the memory module is written PC1600 or PC-1600, it is a first-generation DDR module with a bandwidth of 1600 MB/s. If the module is written PC2-3200, it is ADR2 with a bandwidth of 3200 MB/s. If PC3 is DDR3 and so on. In general, the first digit after the letters PC indicates the DDR generation; if this number is not, then it is a simple first-generation DDR.

In some cases, the RAM modules do not specify the module’s name but the type of RAM and its effective frequency. For example, a module might say DDR3 1600. This means that it is a DDR3 module with an effective memory frequency of 1600 MHz.

To correlate module names with the type of RAM and bandwidth with effective frequency, you can use the table, which we present below. On the left side of this table are the modules’ names, and in the right type of RAM corresponds to it.

Module nameRam type
PC3-6400 DDR3-800
PC3-8500 DDR3-1066
PC3-10600 DDR3-1333
PC3-12800 DDR3-1600
PC3-14900 DDR3-1866
PC3-17000 DDR3-2133
PC3-19200 DDR3-2400
PC4-12800 DDR4-1600
PC4-14900 DDR4-1866
PC4-17000 DDR4-2133
PC4-19200 DDR4-2400
PC4-23466 DDR4-2933
PC4-25600 DDR4-3200
PC-2100 DDR-266
PC-2400 DDR-300
PC-2700 DDR-333
PC-3200 DDR-400
PC-3500 DDR-433
PC-3700 DDR-466
PC-4000 DDR-500
PC-4200 DDR-533
PC-5600 DDR-700

In online stores, RAM is often marked by memory type and efficient frequency (e.g., DDR3-1333 or DDR4-2400), so if your memory says the name of the module (e.g., PC3-10600 or PC4-19200), you can translate it with a table.

Using special programs

If your RAM modules are already installed on your computer, you can determine what type they belong to with special programs.

The easiest option is to use the free CPU program. To do this, run APU-q on your computer and go to the memory tab. Here, in the top left corner of the window, you’ll see the type of RAM you use on your computer. And just below is the total RAM on your computer.

You can also find out the effective frequency at which your RAM works on the memory tab. To do this, you need to take the real clock point, which is indicated in the SDRAM Frequency line, and multiply it two. For example, the screenshot at the bottom shows the frequency of 665.1 MHz, multiplies it by 2, and gets an effective frequency of 1330.2 MHz.

If you want to know more about the RAM modules installed on your computer, you can do so on the SPD tab.

Here you can see which modules occupy memory slots.

The volume of each installed module (in this case, 4096 MB).

The name of each module (e.g., PC3-10700).

The real frequency of each module (to get an effective frequency, this number must be multiplied by 2).

Ram rank (peer-to-peer RAM is usually better accelerated).

Manufacturer of each module (chip manufacturer may be different and is not specified here).

Batch number, serial numbers, and production date of each module.

As well as timings and voltages, which were laid by the manufacturer, for each module.

Despite the abundance of information available in the CPU-z program, it is not necessary in most cases. It is enough to know its type and effective frequency (e.g., DDR3-1333).

How to Know the Voltage of RAM

How to Know the Voltage of RAM
Voltage of RAM

RAM is one of the main components of any computer. The overall performance of the system largely depends on the speed of RAM. That’s why many users are interested in how to know the frequency of computer RAM. In this article, we’ll describe a straightforward and reliable way to determine the frequency of RAM.

So, to know the frequency of computer RAM, we will need a special program to view the characteristics of the computer. In our case, we will use the CPU-z program. With this program, you can learn all the basic characteristics of the processor, motherboard, and RAM.

Let’s run the CPU-z program and move to the “Memory” tab. This tab can tell you how much RAM you need, as well as some of its other characteristics. The frequency value is in the “DRAM Frequency” graph.

But, it should be noted that the CPU-q program displays a real (physical) frequency of RAM. Whereas RAM has such a characteristic as an effective memory frequency, it is twice as high as the real one. For clarity, here’s a frequency table for DDR3 RAM.

Module nameStandard name for RAMReal memory frequencyEffective (double) frequencyPeak data speeds
PC3-17000DDR3-21331066 MHz2133 MHz17066 MB/s
PC3-14900DDR3-1866933 MHz1866 MHz14933 MB/s
PC3-12800DDR3-1600800 MHz1600 MHz12800 MB/s
PC3-10600DDR3-1333667 MHz1333 MHz10667 MB/s
PC3-8500DDR3-1066533 MHz1066 MHz8533 MB/s
PC3-6400DDR3-800400 MHz800 MHz6400 MB/s

In our case, the real frequency of RAM is 667 MHz. Hence the effective (double) frequency is 1333 MHz, and the name of RAM DDR3-1333. As a rule, online stores indicate an effective memory frequency or the name of RAM. Therefore, if you plan to buy new memory modules, you need to focus on these characteristics.

The name of the module is also specified in some cases. In our case, it’s PC3-10600. The name of the module also carries useful information. The letters “PC3” indicates that memory belongs to the type DDR3. And the number 10600 is the peak data rate that this memory can provide.

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