Windows wmic memorychip get equivalent in Linux
Shows information about physical RAM modules including size, speed, type, and which slots are populated.
wmic memorychip get
sudo dmidecode -t memory
sudo dmidecode -t memory
sudo dmidecode -t memory
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "wmic memorychip get" is used to display physical RAM module details. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "sudo dmidecode -t memory". Shows information about physical RAM modules including size, speed, type, and which slots are populated. This reference is grouped under System & Storage → System Info.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows wmic memorychip get maps to sudo dmidecode -t memory for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
Elevated privilege appears in this workflow
At least one example uses sudo. Confirm the target path, device, service or package before running the elevated form; do not add sudo simply to bypass an unexplained permission error.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux disks, storage and mounts.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Display physical RAM module details
Shows information about physical RAM modules including size, speed, type, and which slots are populated.
sudo dmidecode -t memory
Full RAM module details
sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep Size
Size of each slot
sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep Speed
RAM speed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep -E 'Size|Speed|Type|Manufacturer'
sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep -c 'Size:'
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows: wmic memorychip get capacity,speed
sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep -E 'Size|Speed|Type|Manufacturer'
Size: 16 GB
Speed: 3200 MT/s
Type: DDR4
# How many slots total:
sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep -c 'Size:'Reference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
sudo dmidecode -t memory | Full RAM module details |
sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep Size | Size of each slot |
sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep Speed | RAM speed |
free -h | Total and used RAM (simpler overview) |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "sudo dmidecode -t memory" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | sudo dmidecode -t memory |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | sudo dmidecode -t memory |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | sudo dmidecode -t memory |
Same command on this distribution. |
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