How to Check Available RAM Slots in Windows 11

January 29, 2023

One of the key things to keep in mind when buying a new PC or laptop is to check for upgrade options. Does your computer have additional RAM slots, PCIe SSD slots, or a hard drive bay? The ability to add more memory in the future will help you protect your computer in the future and improve performance based on your workload. Although checking the number of RAM slots in the traditional way involves opening the system, there are programmatic ways to do this. In this article, we have detailed six ways to check available RAM slots in Windows 11.

Check available RAM slots in Windows 11 (2022)

In this article, we have included 6 different methods to check the available RAM slots in Windows 11. You can check the memory slots using built-in tools such as Task Manager, Command Prompt, third party software, and also by physically disassembling the PC. You can expand the table below and read about the method you want to try.

Use Windows 11 Task Manager to Find Available RAM Slots

1. Use the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut "Ctrl+Shift+Esc" to open Task Manager. Then go to the "Performance" tab on the left sidebar.

2. You will now see the used RAM slots under Used Slots. For example, this Windows 11 laptop I'm using has a total of two RAM slots, one of which is currently in use.

Check RAM Slots in Windows 11 Using Command Prompt

1. First, press the Windows key and type "Command Prompt" in the Windows search bar. Then select "Run as administrator" to open an elevated Command Prompt window.

2. To check the total number of RAM slots through the command line, run the following command:

wmic Memphysical get MemoryDevices

3. As you can see, my Windows 11 laptop has two memory slots. To view the currently used RAM slot, use the command below:

wmic MemoryChip get BankLabel, DeviceLocator, Capacity

Find Windows 11 PC RAM slots with PowerShell

1. You can also find available RAM slots using PowerShell. To get started, run the following command in an elevated PowerShell window (i.e. open Powershell with administrator privileges):

Get-WmiObject -Class "Win32_PhysicalMemoryArray"

2. You can find the active RAM slot on your PC with the command below:

Get-WmiObject -Class "Win32_PhysicalMemory" | Format-Table BankLabel

Find available RAM slots in Windows 11 with CPU-Z

In addition to monitoring CPU temperature, CPU-Z is a third-party program that allows you to view available RAM slots as well as RAM type in Windows 11. It is a great free program to find all sorts of information about your PC hardware. Here's how to use it.

1. Download CPU-Z from the link here. Download the latest classic version.

2. Next, install the program and open it. Click the "Memory" tab to find information about the installed RAM, including the type and size of the memory.

3. To find the available RAM slots, click on the "SPD" tab at the top. Here, under Select Memory Slot, click the drop-down menu. Depending on the available RAM slots, it will show entries in a drop-down menu. For example - I have 4 memory slots, of which only one is currently used.

Find information about installed RAM in Windows 11

While the methods above allow you to check the available memory slots, you can use the System Information utility available in Windows 11 if you want to find information about the installed RAM. Here are the steps you need to follow.

1. Press the Windows key and type "system information" in the search bar. Now open System Information.

2. In the System Information window, click System Summary on the left sidebar. Scroll down in the right pane and you'll find the total amount of physical memory (RAM) installed, as well as the amount of used and available virtual memory. Here's how you can find complete information about installed memory.

Physically Check RAM Slots on Windows 11 PC

If you want to check the available RAM slots on a Windows 11 PC, you need to open the case and physically check the memory slots. As shown in Figure (1) below, you will find the DIMM slots where the RAM is installed on the motherboard. Check how many of these slots are available on your PC motherboard. Typically, most motherboards have two RAM slots, but advanced and expensive motherboards can also have up to 4-8 RAM slots.

(Figure 1) Desktop Memory Slots

Laptops have small brackets for connecting RAM, as shown in Figure (2) below. This is how you can physically check the available RAM slots on your laptop or PC.

(Figure 2) RAM slots in laptops

Check and update RAM on Windows 11 PC

So, these are the steps you need to check the available RAM slots in Windows 11. If you are facing any RAM related issues on your PC, feel free to take a look at our article which details how to fix memory issues. in Windows 11. We also have a separate guide dedicated to tips for speeding up Windows 11 and improving system performance.