Get Maximum Supported RAM on Linux

When it comes to optimizing system performance on Linux, one crucial aspect to consider is the amount of RAM available. RAM plays a vital role in ensuring smooth multitasking, efficient program execution, and overall system responsiveness. Obtaining the maximum supported RAM on Linux can be useful when planning hardware upgrades. This tutorial demonstrates how to get maximum supported RAM on Linux.

The dmidecode is a command on Linux that provides detailed hardware-related information about the system, including the BIOS version, motherboard model, CPU details, memory configuration, and more.

The -t 16 option specifies to retrieve information about Physical Memory Array. It includes details about the physical memory configuration, such as the location of the memory array, the maximum capacity supported by the system, error correction type (if applicable), and the number of memory devices installed.

sudo dmidecode -t 16

Output example:

# dmidecode 3.3
Getting SMBIOS data from sysfs.
SMBIOS 3.3.0 present.

Handle 0x003C, DMI type 16, 23 bytes
Physical Memory Array
    Location: System Board Or Motherboard
    Use: System Memory
    Error Correction Type: None
    Maximum Capacity: 32 GB
    Error Information Handle: Not Provided
    Number Of Devices: 2

In our case, the system can accommodate up to 32 GB of RAM in total and the system has 2 memory modules physically installed.