How to Tell How Much Memory Your Computer Had Originally

If your once-fast computer starts to crawl when it's asked to run complex programs and operating systems, consider upgrading the RAM (Random Access Memory)--often called, simply, "memory." Before you can do this, you will need to know how much memory is installed in your computer.

Things You'll Need

• Product manuals
• Computer's model number
• Internet access

Instructions

Discovering The Original Memory Configuration

1. Locate the manual that came with your computer. In the "Specifications" section, there should be an entry listing the amount and type of RAM that was originally installed on your computer. The types you may see include DDR and SDRAM.

2. If you cannot find your user's manual, check the current memory on your computer, using Windows. Go to the Start Menu and select "Control Panel," then "System."

   In Windows, the main screen that comes up will have an entry labeled "Installed Memory (RAM)." This is the amount of memory that is currently on your computer. If you have not added memory, this is the original configuration.

3. If you still can't determine how much memory came with your computer, search the manufacturer's website. Most sites have a technical support link. You may have to contact the company and give them your model number, found on the back of the tower.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are planning to upgrade your computer's memory, make sure the memory you buy is compatible with your current memory.

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• Your memory slot configuration determines how much, if any, memory you can add based on the number of available slots.

References

• Identifying Computer Memory
• About Memory Slots