How to Test Computer Memory

There are two types of memory on a computer. Physical memory is the capacity of the hard drive, which determines how many files the computer can store. Random access memory (RAM) largely determines the processing speed of the computer. Both memory can be tested easily, whether on PC or Mac.

Table of Contents

Check hard drive memory on Windows

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You need to know that physical memory is the storage space on the computer. Physical memory stores music, pictures, files, and so on (like a USB or hard drive). And RAM is a factor that determines a part of computer performance.

There are two types of memory: physical memory and random access memory (RAM). If you’re worried about capacity, it’s a good idea to check the physical memory. If you’re worried about speed, check your RAM. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Navigate to the “Computer “ section of the window. Click Start in the lower left corner of the screen. Then click on “Computer.”

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On the left side of the page, click the hard drive you want to check. Look at the “Windows (C:)” drive on the screen. This is the most popular hard drive used by many people (however, you can still check all drives if you want). The hard drive has a gray rectangular icon.

If you don’t see any hard drives, click the little triangle next to the “Computer” heading.

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Look at the details pane at the bottom of the window to see how much space is left. You should see the line “____ GB free of ____ GB” (The number of GB remaining out of the total GB).

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Open Windows Explorer and check the “Properties” section of each drive. If you are unable to proceed with the instructions above, here is another way to test the memory. In the Windows Explorer pane, right-click the drive (C:) and select “Properties”. The total capacity as well as the currently used memory will be displayed. You can check multiple drives (if available). ^{[2] X Research Source}

Check RAM on Windows

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Press the “Start” button at the bottom left of the screen. You need to find “Windows Explorer” – the window to organize files. You can also open the program by clicking “My Computer.”

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Find the keyword “Computer” in the left sidebar. In the left sidebar on the screen, you will see the option “This PC” or “Computer”. Right-click it and select “Properties” at the bottom of the task list.

The middle of the screen should now say “Installed Memory (RAM):”. This is the RAM or random access memory of the computer.
The higher the amount of RAM, the faster the computer will run. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Or, you open the “Contrp Panel” in the Start Menu and then check the “System and Security” section. After accessing the path “Contrp Panel” → “System and Security” → “System”, the amount of RAM will appear. This option is labeled “Installed Memory.”

Test your Mac’s memory

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Open Finder and find the hard drive. Usually, the hard drive will be labeled “Hard drive”. However, it can also be the drive (C:).

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Hold down the Contrp key then click the drive and select “Get info “. If the drive is already highlighted, you can press Command + I (capital “i”) to open the info pane.

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View the size and remaining space on the drive. After opening the info pane, the disk space will show up as GB (gigabytes). This is the memory you have for files like music, pictures, and documents. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Check your Mac’s RAM

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Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner. Random access memory or RAM represents memory for fast tasks on the computer and is proportional to the processing speed of the computer. Testing RAM on a Mac computer is very easy.

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Click “About this Mac”. Your computer’s specifications, including used memory and RAM, will appear. If RAM doesn’t show up right away, click “More Information” to find it. RAM capacity is calculated in GB units, usually around 4-16GB. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Warning

When you click on the hard drive, you will be able to access the files on the computer. These data should not be changed.

Steps

Check hard drive memory on Windows

Check RAM on Windows

Test your Mac’s memory

Check your Mac’s RAM

Warning

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