Microsoft’s Task Manager: A Shift from MHz to MT/s for Measuring RAM Speeds

In a recent update, Microsoft has begun to roll out a change to how Task Manager reports RAM speeds, updating its units from MHz to MT/s (mega transfers per second). This move aligns with industry trends moving away from using MHz for measuring DDR speeds, as the actual clock frequencies are much lower than the effective speeds.

Understanding the Change

Historically, the data transfer speed of computer memory has been advertised under the MHz (megahertz) metric. However, this method of measuring memory speed has become less accurate over time.

In the 1990s, all consumer RAM was SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory), so called because its operations synced with the clock speeds of the module. Back then, RAM would make one transfer per memory cycle, and as an example a speed of 100 MHz would equal 100 MT/s.

But when DDR (Double Data Rate) SDRAM was introduced in the early 2000s, RAM modules could perform two transfers per cycle. Now a 100 MHz clock speed would actually equate to performance of 200 MT/s. RAM manufacturers moved to using the larger numbers for branding but kept the MHz unit to avoid consumer confusion.

This means that RAM advertised today as running at speeds of DDR5 6000 MHz actually clocks at 3000 MHz but performs 6000 MT/s. Even worse, GDDR5X and later memory solutions (including GDDR6) found on graphics cards can now use QDR, or Quad Data Rate. Using MHz or GHz thus becomes even more incorrect for describing graphics card’s memory speeds.

The Impact of the Change

Microsoft’s shift to MT/s in Task Manager is not a cosmetic update, but a switch that is absolutely needed for the sheer accuracy of the RAM speed. When you’re upgrading your RAM or troubleshooting performance issues, knowing the real transfer speeds can help make more informed decisions.

Today, RAM manufacturers are moving to the simpler DDR5-6000 (no units) or the less common DDR5 6000 MT/s for advertising. It seems Microsoft will be on the earlier wave of adoption with its Task Manager update.

How to Get the Update

According to the Windows Insider blog, Microsoft is rolling out this change gradually to its beta users beginning with build 22635.3570. Windows Insiders who want the updated lingo sooner can jump on the most current update by selecting the “Get the latest updates as they are available” toggle in Settings > Windows Update.

If you’re eager for the change but don’t want to take on the risks of Windows Beta releases, you’ll need to wait a little longer for the change to propagate to non-Insider builds.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that this change is not going to affect the average Windows user. Whether it’s MHz or MT/s, what really matters is how well your system meets your needs. However, for those who like to keep a close eye on their system’s performance, this update will provide a more accurate representation of their RAM’s speed.

Stay tuned for more updates as Microsoft continues to refine and improve the Windows experience!