How to Check Your RAM Speed in Windows (and Fix It Running Slow)

A surprising number of PCs run their memory well below its rated speed. A DDR5-6000 kit sitting at 4800, or a DDR4-3600 kit stuck at 2133, is one of the most common performance problems in home-built and even pre-built systems. The good news is that it's easy to spot and usually takes a couple of minutes to fix.

Method 1: Task Manager (fastest)

Every copy of Windows 10 and 11 can show your memory speed without installing anything.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click Performance, then Memory.
3. Look at the Speed figure in the lower section.

On Windows 11 it's shown in MT/s, for example "Speed: 6000 MT/s". Older versions of Windows 10 label the same number as MHz, but it means the same thing: the effective transfer rate, which is the number printed on your RAM kit.

While you're there, check two other lines:

• Slots used: shows how many sticks Windows sees, such as "2 of 4". If you installed two sticks and it says "1 of 4", one isn't seated properly.
• Form factor: DIMM for desktop memory, SODIMM for laptops and mini PCs.

Method 2: CPU-Z (most detail)

CPU-Z is a free, long-established system information tool from CPUID. Download it only from the official cpuid.com website.

Open the Memory tab and look at:

• DRAM Frequency: this shows half the rated number, so a DDR5-6000 kit correctly shows about 3000 MHz. That's not a fault. DDR (double data rate) memory transfers data twice per clock cycle, so the advertised speed is double the clock.
• Channel #: confirms whether your memory is running in dual-channel mode. For DDR4 it should say "Dual". For DDR5, which splits each stick into two smaller channels, a correct two-stick setup usually shows "4 x 32-bit", while a single stick shows "2 x 32-bit".
• Timings: the CAS latency (CL) and other timings your memory is actually running at, which you can compare against the kit's label.

The SPD tab shows what each individual stick is rated for, including its XMP or EXPO profiles. If the speed on the Memory tab is lower than the profile on the SPD tab, your profile isn't enabled.

Method 3: PowerShell (no downloads)

If you prefer not to install anything, PowerShell can list every stick and its speed. Right-click the Start button, choose Terminal or Windows PowerShell, and paste:

Get-CimInstance Win32_PhysicalMemory | Select-Object DeviceLocator, Manufacturer, PartNumber, Capacity, Speed, ConfiguredClockSpeed

Two columns matter:

• ConfiguredClockSpeed is the speed the memory is running at right now.
• Speed is the maximum the stick reports, which on many kits is the standard baseline rather than the XMP or EXPO speed.

The PartNumber column is handy too. You can search it to find exactly which kit you have and what speed it's rated for.

What "normal" looks like

Compare the speed you found with the speed on your kit's label or listing:

• DDR5 without a profile enabled: usually 4800 or 5600 MT/s, depending on the kit and processor.
• DDR4 without a profile enabled: usually 2133, 2400 or 2666 MT/s.
• With XMP or EXPO enabled: the rated speed on the box, such as 6000 or 3600.

If your number matches the label, you're done. If it's one of the baseline figures above, read on.

Why your RAM might be running slow

In rough order of how often each one is the cause:

1. XMP or EXPO isn't enabled. This is the cause most of the time. New memory always boots at the safe baseline speed until you turn on the profile in the BIOS.
2. The BIOS was reset. BIOS updates and clearing the CMOS often switch the profile back off. If your speed dropped after an update, this is almost certainly why.
3. You're running four sticks. On DDR5 especially, four modules often can't hold the rated speed, and many boards fall back to a lower one for stability.
4. The sticks are in the wrong slots. Two sticks in neighbouring slots can leave you in single-channel mode or cause the board to pick a lower speed. Most boards want slots A2 and B2.
5. Your platform limits memory speed. Some budget chipsets, many laptops and most pre-built office PCs lock memory to the standard baseline speed. In that case there's nothing to enable.
6. Mixed kits. Sticks from different kits, even the same model, may not run together at full speed.

How to fix it

1. Enable the profile. Restart, press Delete or F2 to enter the BIOS, and turn on XMP or EXPO (on some AMD boards it's called DOCP or A-XMP). Save with F10. Our XMP vs EXPO guide has step-by-step locations for each motherboard brand.
2. Check your slots. With two sticks, make sure they're in the slots your motherboard manual recommends, usually A2 and B2.
3. Update your BIOS. Newer BIOS versions often improve memory compatibility, especially on recent platforms. Remember to re-enable XMP or EXPO afterwards.
4. If it won't boot at the rated speed, let the board recover or clear the CMOS, then enable the profile and lower the speed one step manually.
5. Check again in Windows using any of the methods above to confirm the new speed stuck.

The short version

Open Task Manager, go to Performance and then Memory, and compare the Speed figure to the number on your RAM kit. If it shows 4800 on DDR5 or 2133 on DDR4, your XMP or EXPO profile almost certainly isn't on. Enabling it takes two minutes and is one of the easiest free performance boosts in PC building.

Frequently asked questions