Microsoft is testing the display of memory speeds as MT/s (mega-transfers per second) rather than MHz (megahertz) in the Windows 11 Task Manager.
Historically, the data transfer speed of computer memory has been advertised under the MHz (megahertz) metric. MHz represents how many millions of cycles per second a memory module can perform, with each cycle being an action conducted on the memory module, such as storing and retrieving data.
For example, a memory stick running at 3,200 MHz can perform 3.2 billion cycles per second compared to memory running at 2,400 MHz, which can only perform 2.4 billion cycles per second.
However, new technologies have allowed DDR memory to increase the data transfer rate without increasing clock speed (MHz), making the old way of measuring memory less accurate.
Since then, companies and operating systems have migrated to a performance metric called MT/s (mega-transfers per second), the number of data transfers in millions per second.
As first spotted by Windows sleuth PhantomOcean3, Microsoft is now testing showing MT/s instead of MHz in the Windows 11 Task Manager performance tab.
Source: PhantomOcean3
This feature is currently being rolled out in the Windows 11 Beta preview builds as part of build 22635.3570.
However, if you wish to test this feature now, you can use ViVeTool to enable it using these instructions:
- Download ViVeTool and extract it to a folder.
- Open an elevated command prompt and change into the folder you extracted ViVeTool.
- Type this command and press enter:
vivetool /enable /id:38476224,48380607 - If the Task Manager does not show MT/s, you may need to reboot Windows 11.
It should be noted that enabling these features using ViVeTool could cause instability on your device.
If this is a production computer, you may want to wait until the feature rolls out to your device rather than manually enabling it.
Update 5/6/24: This article originally stated it was a hidden feature. It is rolling out to all Beta insiders.
Comments
fromFirefoxToVivaldi - 1 month ago
There's nothing wrong with standard MHz, beyond DRR5 looking aaverage in comparison to DDR4.
tverweij - 1 month ago
I rather see the current and historical percentage of memory bus usage instead of only the maximum speed and allocated memory.
GT500 - 1 month ago
RAM speed is already measured in mega-transfers per second (MT/s) for DDR memory, but it is usually inaccurately called Megahertz (MHz) due to the fact that that is how RAM was marketed before DDR. This change appears to be nothing more than Microsoft attempting to fix incorrect terminology used in Task Manager.
For instance, my DDR4-3600 kit of RAM doesn't run at 3600 MHz as advertised, but rather runs at 1800 MHz and does two transfers per clock cycle (which is where the "Double Data Rate" or "DDR" comes in), making it 3600 MT/s which is incorrectly marketed as 3600 MHz.
Certain tech reviewers/commentators have pointed out that referring to DDR speed ratings as MHz instead of MT/s is technically inaccurate, and that is why we're seeing this slow push to using MT/s rather than MHz to refer to them. I think this push was started by Dr. Ian Cutress of TechTechPotato on YouTube when responding to Linus Tech Tips continuing to use "MHz" incorrectly to refer to RAM speed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fZO77I-6Cg
DyingCrow - 1 month ago
One or the other, why not both?
U_Swimf - 1 month ago
Update 5/6/24: This article originally stated it was a hidden feature. It is rolling out to all *Beta insiders*
So, it's still a hidden feature. Gotcha.
Microsoft wants us to accept this new measurement standard and try it for...testing accuracy and stability? doubtful. Should've just named it krack speed.. Failed opportunity
GT500 - 1 month ago
MT/s (mega-transfers per second) is actually the correct name for the measurement they were already using. See my comment above for an explanation.
fromFirefoxToVivaldi - 1 month ago
What manufacturers were using was Mbps. Buildzoid had a great video on that topic when influencers started pushing MT/s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diZT3ly0vy4
GT500 - 1 month ago
Mbps may have been advertised as well, but pretty much all manufacturers label their memory in "MHz" (Megahertz) when in fact the unit is MT/s (Mega-transfers per second). MT/s is actually a unit that is already being used, and has been since the introduction of DDR memory, but is incorrectly being labeled "MHz" by manufacturers and tech reviewers (see the YouTube video I linked above).