Microsoft will switch memory speed units in Task Manager: From MHz to MT/s

According to updates provided by the Windows Insider blog, Microsoft has begun to modify the unit for reporting memory speed in Task Manager from MHz to MT/s, starting with build 22635.3570, and will gradually extend this update to different beta users. The shift is prompted by the fact that the actual frequencies of modern memory are significantly lower than their effective frequencies, leading the industry to move away from using MHz to denote DDR memory speeds.

During the 1990s, in the era of Single Data Rate SDRAM (SDR SDRAM), memory speeds were typically denoted in MHz. At this time, memory frequencies were synchronized with the CPU external frequency, and the 64-bit bus width corresponded with the bus of the CPUs of that period, with data being transferred once per cycle.

However, with the advent of Dual Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), the scenario changed significantly. The major innovation with DDR SDRAM was that it transmitted data on both the rising and falling edges of each clock cycle, effectively doubling the data transfer rate without increasing power consumption. From this period onwards, a memory running at 100 MHz would have an effective rate of 200 MT/s. Memory manufacturers naturally preferred to advertise the higher number to highlight superior performance, though MHz continued to be used as a unit of speed for a long time to avoid consumer confusion.

As technology advanced, the situation grew more complex. For instance, DDR5 at 6000MHz corresponds to a rate of 6000 MT/s, though the actual frequency is much lower than 6000MHz (you can learn more about this by clicking here through our Superpower Classroom article). Currently, when memory manufacturers promote their products, they typically label them as DDR5-6000, and occasionally as DDR5 6000 MT/s. Furthermore, the GDDR5/6(X) used in graphics cards adopts a Quad Data Rate (QDR), which is a quadruple rate, making the use of MHz even less accurate.

Clearly, with the update to Windows 11, Microsoft is aligning with industry standards.