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When a user wants to add or upgrade memory (RAM) in a computer, they need to know how many memory slots are available. The following section helps you to determine the number of memory slots in your computer, and how many are used.
Edit: added picture showing task manager saying slot 1 & 3 are used and 2 & 4 are empty. Showing Slot 1 and 3 used and 2 and 4 are empty. So if you get 2 x 8GB sticks and slot correctly will run in dual cahnnel. The potental issue is if 16GB is not enough. It is impossible to tell when that day will come. So buying a 2 slot Motherboard now may be saving you money now. If 16 GB is not enough then you need to get new memory completely. With 4 slots, just buy more memory if needed. So I have 16GB RAM. After upgrading to Windows 10 however it says I only have 8GB. When I look in task manager it seems to know I have 16GB but for some reason only using 8Gb of it and for slots used it says 2 of 4 when I'm using all 4 RAM slots. I'm not techy at all but if somebody could explain to me why this is it would be appreciated. If it is something like just a broken RAM stick then. Dual channel memory in 2 slots only or all 4 if used? Question Planning to go to Microcenter this morning and debating on buying an additional 16GB RAM for my rig to add up to 32GB (Black Friday $60 deal is hard to ignore, exact same model as my existing one too).
Windows Task Manager
The easiest solution for Windows users is to open the Windows Task Manager.
- Press the Windows key, type Task Manager, and then press Enter.
- In the window that appears, click the Performance tab (A), then select Memory (B).
- In the lower-right corner, the number of slots is displayed in the Slots used: section (C).
- As you can see, this computer has a total of four memory slots, although only two are currently being utilized.
Use the CPU-Z utility
Another way to get information about memory slots and details about the RAM currently installed on your computer, is to use the free CPU-Z third-party utility.
- Open an Internet browser and visit the CPUID website.
- On the left side of the screen, select your operating system.
- On the next page, select your preferred language.
- On the next screen, click the DOWNLOAD NOW! button.
- Once the download has finished, install it from your browser and open the program.
- Click the SPD tab at the top of the screen, and then click the down arrow in the Memory Slot Selection section.
- As you can see in the image above, all of the memory slots are listed on the drop-down menu.
If you select a different slot from the drop-down menu, CPU-Z will tell you additional information about the RAM that is installed.
Examine the motherboard
Sometimes the best way to determine the available memory slots is to open the computer and examine the motherboard. Opening the computer is the best option if were unable to get the Windows Task Manager or CPU-Z to work.
Looking inside the case, the motherboard is the primary large circuit board. On most motherboards, the memory slots are on either side of the CPU, and resemble what is shown below.
Most computer motherboards have two, three, or four memory slots. Some higher-end motherboards have as many as eight. The above motherboard picture above has no memory modules installed in any of its three slots.
NoteIf your computer has no memory slots available and you want to upgrade, you must remove and replace some of the existing memory.
Additional information
- See our memory definition for further information and related links.
Whenever you want to add or upgrade RAM (Memory) then you’ll definitely want to know how many memory or RAM slots are available on my laptop. Meanwhile, it’s absolutely a daunting task to open a laptop case and check. So, in this guide, you will learn how to check the number of RAM slots in the laptop on Windows 10 operating system without opening the laptop case.
You Might Also Like: How to Check RAM Type & Size in a Laptop on Windows 10
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How to Check Number of RAM Slots in Laptop on Windows 10
So here, I will show you three (3) different ways to find the exact number of slots available on any laptop like HP, Dell, Acer, and many more.
Method 1. Check via Command Prompt
The Windows Management Interface Command (WMIC) is a basic but useful Command Prompt (CMD) tool for testing device details on which you run it. So, you can also find how many RAM slots you have on your laptop. Here how it’s done:
Step 1. Open Command Prompt or simply search cmd in the Start menu.
Step 2. In Command Prompt window, type wmicmemphysical get memorydevices and press Enter.
Step 3. The number shown under MemoryDevices is the exact number of RAM slots on your laptop.
wmic memphysical get memorydevices
Method 2. Check RAM Slots via Task Manager
Step 1. Right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager or simply press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to bring the Taskbar in the easiest way.
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Step 2. Click More details to expand the Task Manager.
Step 3. Click the Performance tab and select Memory on the left-pane menu. Check the number of slots next to Slot used. If it’s 2 of 2, it means you have 2 RAM slots or if it’s 2 of 4, it means your laptop has 4 RAM slots.
Method 3. Find RAM Slots via CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z is the most popular software on your computer and it provides all types of hardware information. You get RAM type, channel #, size, NB frequency, cycle time, and a lot more on a simple interface. The powerful hardware detection tool is based on a kernel-mode software driver that collects information in real-time. This app’s Qusere engine is really fast so you don’t have to wait any longer. And you can use this feature to search the RAM type on your Windows machine without hesitation.
Step 1. You can download CPU-Z from CPUID.comand follow the on-screen instructions to install.
Step 2. When installed, open the CPU-Z app, and if you’re prompted simply click Yes.
Step 3. Now, click the SPD tab and then click the down arrow in the Memory Slot Selection section.
CPU-Z
Wrapping Up
That’s it. This is how you can check RAM slots in a laptop on Windows 10 operating system. Usually, two RAM slots are available on most laptops. One is used while the other is able to be upgraded. You can replace the original RAM with new higher powerful RAM if you notice that your laptop has not an extra RAM slot and you do want to upgrade RAM. However, it is worth noting that you should be careful to pick the right RAM to prevent compatibility problems for your laptop.