Why CPU-Z Shows Memory Half Speed?

CPU-Z is an amazing software that shows your different stats about your computer hardware in great detail for free.

Memory modules are installed on our computer motherboard, called RAMs (Random Access Memory). They are one of the vital parts of a computer system that a computer cannot operate without memory. Memory modules having different speeds are present in the market.

The speed of a memory module specifies how fast a RAM can operate. It is also known as the operating frequency of a memory module. This article discusses why CPU-Z shows memory at half speed. We will also discuss other aspects of computer memory in some detail.

Why CPU-Z Shows Memory Half Speed?

CPU-Z shows memory half speed because it is the real operating frequency of your memory module. But, if you have memory modules of 1333 MHz, CPU-Z will show you the operating frequency from about 580 MHz to 800 MHz in the Timings Table. It shows you the latency after dividing by 2.

The frequency of a DRAM is mostly half of the frequency of the Memory Controller Clock or FSB (Front-Side BUS). That is the reason why CPU-Z shows memory at half speed. But you don’t need to worry, as most DRAMs are DDR. Hence, they can transfer data on both the rising and falling edges of the clock.

Instead, divide the frequency of your memory modules by 2. As on the half frequency, your DDR RAM processes the data twice with each clock cycle. By processing, we mean loading data as bits in a memory module, storing the results temporarily, and storing the output results for devices.

Using memory modules of different frequencies is not recommended, as your computer will operate on the lowest frequency of the slowest RAM. If your computer forces the speed of the fastest memory module, then the slow RAM will burn out on such a high frequency.

Disabled XMP can be the problem behind the half-frequency speed of your memory. If you have fast memory modules with high frequency, they should be operating better. Then, you should enable memory overclocking as it is the only way to take full advantage of your computer memory’s speed.

How To Increase Memory Speed?

1. Multiply The Frequency by 2

Multiply the frequency by two if you are using DDR memory modules. Nearly all our memory modules are DDR (double data rate) RAMs. It means they can transfer two bits on each clock cycle as they operate on both positive and negative edges of the input clock.

That is why you should multiply the frequency of your memory by two to get the exact answer about your memory’s operating speed. For example, if CPU-Z shows you that my memory speed is 666 MHZ. Then multiply it by 2 to get 1333 MHZ. It is the right way to calculate your memory speed.

2. Install Memory Modules of the Same Speed

Installing memory modules of the same speed gives you the best transfer rates. This is because all RAMs are synchronized on the same clock frequency. Hence, they work together in a parallel manner and at the same speed. It increases the performance and efficiency of your computer.

On the other hand, nothing works better when you install memory modules of different speeds on your computer. It is because you cannot take advantage of the fastest speed of the fastest RAM as all memory modules start to operate on the frequency of the slowest memory module.

Your computer must make your memory modules operate on the slowest RAM frequency. Suppose your motherboard allows your memory module with the slowest speed to transfer data at the RAM speed with maximum frequency. Then, your slow memory modules will burn out within seconds.

3. Enable Memory Overclocking

Enable memory overclocking if you use one of the latest motherboards and want to take advantage of the maximum speed of your memory modules. Most of the latest computers only allow you to achieve the full speed of your memory modules once you turn on the memory overclocking. 

Hence, most of the latest computer users must turn on the memory overclocking so the memory modules can run at the speed they are manufactured to run. The operating speed of new processors is also high, which requires memory modules that operate at high speeds.

Restart your computer to the UEFI/BIOS to enable memory overclocking. Press the relevant key for this as your computer system starts again. In the Advance Mode, navigate the tab Ai Tweaker. Click Ai Overclock Tuner to set XMP Profile I. It will enable the memory to overclock.

4. Correct Your UEFI/BIOS Settings

Correct your UEFI/BIOS settings, as the wrong settings can lead to low memory speed. Your computer may demand to enable memory overclocking, but it is disabled. In this case, you must restart your computer and go to your UEFI/BIOS to turn on the memory overclock.

Enabling this amazing feature will allow your memory modules to operate at the maximum speed you installed them for. It will also increase the performance and efficiency of your computer as data transfer will become insanely fast. That is why all professionals enable memory overclocking.

5. Upgrade Your Memory Modules to Faster Ones

Upgrade your memory modules to faster ones, as you may have slower RAMs than those used nowadays. Faster memory modules will allow you to quickly transfer data from other devices to RAM and vice versa. Your apps and games will start loading and working smoothly. There are two factors behind fast memory.

The first thing you must consider when buying new memory is its operating frequency. Usually, the operating speed of a memory module is in Megahertz (MHz), such as 1333 MHz, 2666 MHz, 3200 MHz, etc. The second factor is the Data Rate (DDR). The DDR4 memory modules are faster than DDR3 RAMs.

6. Upgrade to a Better Motherboard with More Clock Speed

Upgrade to a better motherboard that supports installing memory modules with more speed. If your computer motherboard is limited to supporting DDR3 memory modules, it will hardly allow you to install DDR4 RAMs. Hence, you cannot take advantage of the memory modules with higher speed.

But upgrading to a better motherboard with more clock speed will allow you to install faster memory modules and hardware such as CPU, GPU, SSD, etc. You will notice a significant change in the performance and efficiency of your computer. The apps and games will also run smoothly.

The technical reason behind this phenomenon will be the faster clock speed and more bus width of your new motherboard. Our computer motherboards are digital electronic PCBs (printed circuit boards). It means they all operate on some clock frequency. And higher frequency means faster they are.

How to Read Memory Speed In CPU-Z?

To properly read memory speed in CPU-Z, you need to open the app first. You will see a graphical user interface (GUI) with multiple tabs. Now, go to the tab named “Memory.” In the “Timings” section, look for the field saying “DRAM Frequency.” It is the speed of your DRAM.

You will notice that CPU-Z shows you half the speed of your memory modules in Megahertz (MHz). To know the full speed of your memory, multiply this speed by 2. It will give you the approximate speed of your memory modules. It will confuse you if you have memory modules of different speeds.

Installing the memory modules with the same operating speed is always recommended. If you want to see the detailed stats about each of your memory modules individually, then switch to the tab named “SPD.” You will see the stat by selecting “Slot#1” in the “Memory Slot Section.”

What is Limiting My Memory (RAM) Speed?

The first factor that limits your memory (RAM) speed is installing memory modules with different operating frequencies. It is the worst configuration to install memory modules on your computer motherboard. It will lead your fastest memory to operate at the speed of the slowest RAM.

That is why you should always install memory modules of the same speed on your computer motherboard. It will allow your RAMs to properly synchronize with each other and the other computer hardware using them for data transfer. It would help to have the memory modules with the highest frequency possible.

It will increase the performance and efficiency of your computer system. The second factor limiting your memory (RAM) speed is disabled memory overclocking. Nearly all of the latest motherboards allow you to overclock your RAMs. It is the only method to operate your memory at its max.

You can easily do this by going into the UEFI/BIOS of your computer system. Enabling memory overclocking might also increase the temperature of your memory modules. Hence, we recommend a better and more advanced cooling system for your computer before enabling any XMP profile on your computer.

Conclusion

CPU-Z shows the latency of your memory module. It divides the total frequency of your memory by 2 when calculating the latency of your RAM. That is why if you have a 1333 MHz memory, it shows you half of it. You can easily solve this issue by multiplying the shown frequency by 2.

You will see the half frequency if you have DRAM installed in your computer system. This is because the frequency of a DRAM is always half of the frequency of the Memory Controller Clock or Front-Side Bus (FSB). Only a better and faster motherboard supports better and faster memory modules.

Correcting your UEFI/BIOS settings and enabling memory overclocking also works as it is demanded of most of the latest computers present today. The computer manufacturers have an option in the UEFI/BIOS that sets the XMP profile, which enables memory overclocking on your computer system.

To see the speed of your memory modules in CPU-Z, open this app and go to the tab named “Memory.” The “DRAM Frequency” field in the “Timings” section will show you the maximum speed in megahertz (MHz). Multiply this by to get the approximate answer. For more memory details, switch to the “SPD” tab.