IT Technology: How to Detect the Type of RAM in a PC

Different types of RAM are incompatible with each other, so you must find the exact type of RAM installed on your office computer before upgrading the memory. Older Windows operating systems, such as Windows 7 and Windows Vista, required you to either open the CPU casing or install third-party software to check the type of RAM installed. Fortunately, Windows 8 features a revamped Task Manager that automatically detects and displays the type of RAM on your computer.

Step 1
Press “Windows-W” to open the Settings page of the Search charm.

Step 2
Type “Task Manager” (without quotes) into the search box and select the “View System Resource Usage in Task Manager” search result. The Task Manager opens.

Step 3
Click the “Performance” tab, and then select the “Memory” side tab.

Step 4
Check the upper-right side of the Task Manager window to see the type of RAM installed on your computer. Different types of RAM include DDR SDRAM, DDR2 SDRAM and DDR3 SDRAM. However, the Windows 8 Task Manager omits the "SDRAM" part, and simply displays RAM type as "DDR," "DDR2" or "DDR3."