Il Task Manager of Windows 11, which can be quickly recalled by pressing the key combination CTRL+MAIUSC+ESChosts among the various tabs also the one called Performance. Here you can get real-time feedback on the performance of your CPU, GPU, memory, network connection (Ethernet or WiFi), storage drives and, soon, even the NPU (Neural Processing Unit). By clicking on the item Memory, the Windows Task Manager summarizes the characteristics and behavior of RAM memory. Next to the voice Speedwe normally read a value in MHz which, however, will soon be replaced by an indication expressed in MT/s. But what is the difference between MHz and MT/s?
The differences between MHz and MT/s: why the Windows 11 Task Manager changes
In the latest preview version of Windows 11by accessing the section Memory of the Task Manager, you can find a value expressed in MT/s instead of MHz. What does it mean? And which differences are there between one and the other?
The producers of RAM memory they use both values expressed in MHz and MT/s (Megatransfers per second) to describe their modules. Both are indicators of memory speed RAM, but they represent slightly different concepts.
The measurement in MHz (megahertz) suggests the clock frequency of RAM memories, i.e. the number of cycles per second that the memory can execute. For example, if a RAM has a clock frequency of 4800 MHz, that means it can run 4.8 billions of cycles per second.
MT/s indicates the number of data transfers (or operations) that the memory can handle in one second. Each transfer can involve multiple clock cycles. Therefore, the value in MT/s takes into account the actual speed of data transfer, not just clock frequency. If a RAM has a transfer speed of 4800 MT/s, it means that it can perform 4.8 billion data transfers per second.
Windows 11 shows the value in MT/s for RAM memory modules
A RAM module with a clock frequency of 4800 MHz can have a transfer rate of 4800 MT/s if each clock cycle transfers one piece of data. However, since i memory bus can transfer more data per clock cycle, the value in terms of MT/s can be higher, in some cases, than the clock frequency.
This is why Microsoft, in Windows 11, chooses to opt for theMT/s indication: this unit of measurement, in fact, is more specific as it takes into account the number of bits transferred in every clock cycle. We also talked about it in the article on the differences between DDR4 and DDR5 memories.
With the advent of the most recent memorie DDRit becomes possible to increase data transfer while maintaining the frequency in MHz: this is why Windows 11 adapts accordingly.
While waiting for it to be enabled for the entire Windows 11 user base, the new feature is present starting from build 22635.3570 of Windows 11. For now, among other things, the use of the ViVeTool application is required with the following command which will need to be followed by a reboot of the operating system:
vivetool /enable /id:38476224,48380607
Opening image credit: PhantomOcean3.