How to Check RAM on Ubuntu Linux: Step-by-Step Guide

Why check your RAM?

You need to know your RAM size and speed to see if your computer meets the requirements for new apps or games. Understanding your hardware helps you decide if you need an upgrade or if your system is running as well as it should.

Two numbers matter most. Total RAM tells you what the system has to work with. Current usage tells you whether you are close to running out. A machine with plenty of RAM that is always nearly full has a different problem from one with too little RAM to begin with.

What happens when you check your RAM?

You will see exactly how much total memory is installed, how much is currently being used, and details like your RAM speed and manufacturer. This gives you a clear picture of your computer’s performance health.

The Settings app and the free command cover size and usage. Speed, type and manufacturer come from the terminal tools later in this guide.

Check RAM size and speed on Ubuntu Linux

Some terminal steps later do. Installing packages with sudo apt install and running sudo lshw both need administrator (sudo) rights. Your account must be in the sudo group, and you will be asked for your password. The password does not show as you type, which is normal. Also, inxi -m may need sudo to show full memory details. If you run Ubuntu in a virtual machine, the tools may not report the real RAM speed or manufacturer. They show what the virtual hardware reports.

You can check your total RAM size on Ubuntu Linux directly from the graphical interface. RAM speed and manufacturer require a terminal tool such as inxi or dmidecode. Open the Settings app and go to the About page to see your total memory, device name, and other hardware details without needing complicated commands. In Ubuntu 24.04 and later the path is System › About. In older releases, About is at the bottom of the Settings sidebar.

To find your RAM size:

1. Open the Activities overview and type Settings. Press Enter when the Settings⚙️ app appears.
2. Alternatively, click the System menu at the top-right corner of your screen and select Settings. The Settings⚙️ window opens with a sidebar on the left.
3. In the Settings⚙️ sidebar, click on System. On older releases, scroll to the bottom of the sidebar instead and go straight to About.
4. Click on the About section. A page with your device name and hardware details opens.
5. Look for the Memory line to see the total RAM installed on your system.

Check system memory using the command line

The terminal offers more detailed information. Modern tools make this process much easier to read than older methods. Open a terminal with Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for Terminal in the Activities overview.

Using the ‘free’ command

The ‘free’ command in the Ubuntu terminal is a straightforward way to check your RAM usage, showing you how much memory is total, used, and available in a simple, human-readable format.

Run it with the -h option so sizes appear in units like Mi and Gi instead of raw numbers:

`free -h`

The output has a Mem row for RAM and a Swap row for swap space. The columns mean:

• totalthe RAM the system can use. It is a little less than the physical amount if some is reserved.
• usedmemory currently in use by programs and the system.
• freememory that is completely unused. This number is often small on a healthy system, because Linux uses spare RAM for caching.
• sharedmemory shared between processes, such as temporary file systems.
• buff/cachememory used for disk caching. Linux hands it back when programs need it.
• availablean estimate of how much memory new programs can use without the system swapping. This is the number to watch.

If available is low and the Swap row shows heavy use, the machine is short of RAM. A low free value on its own is not a problem.

For the raw kernel figures behind these tools, run `cat /proc/meminfo`. It prints a long list of memory counters, such as MemTotal and MemAvailable, in kilobytes.

Using ‘btop’ or ‘htop’

To see how much RAM your Ubuntu system is using right now, you can use the ‘btop’ or ‘htop’ commands in the terminal. These tools give you a clear, color-coded view of your memory usage, showing you exactly how much RAM is free and how much is being used in real-time.

Install them by typing: sudo apt install btop or sudo apt install htop. Both commands need sudo rights, so enter your password when asked. You only need one of the two tools. Pick whichever you prefer.

Once installed, just type btop or htop in your terminal to see your memory usage in real-time. The screen shows a memory bar and a list of running processes. You can see which programs use the most RAM. Press q to quit either tool.

Using ‘inxi’ for hardware details

The ‘inxi’ command on Ubuntu gives you detailed hardware information, including specifics about your RAM like its speed, type, and manufacturer. After installing ‘inxi’ with `sudo apt install inxi`, running `inxi -m` provides a readable summary of your memory slots and performance, offering a quick way to check RAM details.

Install it with sudo apt install inxi, then run:

inxi -m

This command %📂%LNK0%copy% provides a readable summary of your memory slots and performance. If the output is missing details, run it again with sudo in front, as in `sudo inxi -m`. You can also use sudo lshw -short -C memory %📂%LNK1%copy% if you prefer a standard system utility to verify hardware configuration. It needs sudo rights to show the full report.

For the most detail on each memory module, use dmidecode:

`sudo dmidecode –type memory`

This reads the hardware data the firmware provides. For each slot, look for these fields:

• Sizethe capacity of the module. An empty slot shows “No Module Installed”.
• Typethe memory generation, such as DDR4 or DDR5.
• Speedthe rated speed of the module.
• Configured Memory Speedthe speed the module is actually running at.
• Manufacturerthe maker of the module.
• Locatorthe slot the module sits in. This also shows how many slots your board has and how many are free for an upgrade.

On a virtual machine, dmidecode and inxi may show generic or empty values for speed and manufacturer. The virtual hardware does not expose those details. Run these commands on the physical machine to get real figures. If dmidecode is not found, install the dmidecode package with apt.

Conclusion

Checking your RAM is a simple way to stay informed about your computer. Whether you use the System settings for a quick look or the terminal for detailed hardware specs, you now have the tools to monitor your system memory effectively in 2026. For a quick check of size, use Settings or free -h. For live usage, use btop or htop. For speed, type and manufacturer, use inxi or dmidecode.