Most laptops include two slots to install RAM sticks, whereas desktop computers (or motherboards) generally offer four RAM or memory slots.
OEMs usually install the RAM (be it 8 GB or 16 GB) in one slot so that end users can also use the other slot (if available) to upgrade the RAM.
If you have decided to upgrade your PC’s RAM, you might want to make sure there is a vacant RAM slot available before buying an additional RAM stick.
Fortunately, both Windows 10 and 11 can help you find out the total number of RAM slots available in your computer (motherboard, to be precise) and the number of RAM slots currently free.
This guide shows you how to know the number of RAM slots available and number of RAM slots being used in Windows 10 and 11.
Method 1 of 3
Use Task Manager to find out how many RAM slots are used or free in Windows 10/11
Step 1: Open the Task Manager. If you are new, use search or right-click on an empty spot on the taskbar and then click the Task Manager option to open the same.
Step 2: If you see the Task Manager with limited information, please click the More details button.
NOTE: The Task Manager in Windows 11 opens in full. So, this step applies only to the Task Manager in Windows 10.
Step 3: Next, click on the Performance tab to switch to the same.
Step 4: Here, by default, the CPU tile is selected. So, you need to click on the Memory tile to see details related to the RAM.
Step 5: As you can see in the picture, the page displays plenty of information, such as the RAM usage, total RAM installed in your PC, form factor, and RAM speed. On the same page, you can also find a field called Slots used (refer to the picture below).
The Slots used field shows the total number of RAM slots available and how many are being used now.
As you can see in the picture, one out of two memory slots are in use in my ThinkPad laptop. So, one RAM slot is free, which I can use to upgrade the total RAM if and when I want.
A word of caution: The information provided by the Task Manager might not be accurate on some computers. Depending on the information available in the driver, it might show inaccurate information. So, we suggest you check your PC’s user manual or contact customer care before buying the RAM stick.
Method 2 of 3
Use Speccy or CPU-Z software to know how many RAM slots are used in Windows 10/11 PC
There are several software available to extract advanced hardware information from your computer. CPU-Z, HWiNFO, and Speccy are some of the popular tools for the job.
If using Speccy, click Memory in the left pane to know details about the total memory slots and used memory slots.
The memory or RAM slots information can be found under the SPD tab in the CPU-Z software.
Method 3 of 3
Use the official user manual to check the number of RAM slots available
While Windows and third-party tools are pretty accurate, we suggest you check the user manual for the exact number of RAM slots in your PC’s motherboard. However, the manual cannot tell you how many RAM slots are currently being used!
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