SCCM WQL Query: Finding Machines with Less Than 1GB RAM

SCCM collection queries use WQL (WMI Query Language) to build dynamic device collections. Finding machines with less than a given amount of RAM is a common one for identifying hardware that needs upgrading before a Windows feature update.

The Query

select SMS_R_System.ResourceID, SMS_R_System.ResourceType, SMS_R_System.Name from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM on SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.TotalPhysicalMemory < 1048576

The TotalPhysicalMemory property in the SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM class is reported in kilobytes, so 1GB is 1048576 (1024 x 1024). Adjust the number for other thresholds — for example 2097152 for 2GB.

Using It

Paste this into the query statement editor when creating (or editing the membership rules of) a device collection in the SCCM console. Because reported memory is sometimes very slightly below the "nominal" figure (some RAM is reserved by the system), a machine advertised as having exactly 1GB may still show up — if you want a stricter cutoff, use a slightly lower value like 1000000.

Why This Query Matters More With Windows 11

Windows 11's official minimum RAM requirement is 4GB, well above the 1GB threshold in this query's default example — if you're specifically hunting for machines that can't run Windows 11 at all rather than just "very low spec" machines, swap the threshold to 4194304 (4GB in KB) instead of 1GB. Combine that with a check against the CPU compatibility list and TPM 2.0 presence for a fuller picture of feature-update readiness, since RAM alone won't catch every machine that fails Windows 11's hardware requirements.

Common Values Reference

1GB  = 1048576
2GB  = 2097152
4GB  = 4194304
8GB  = 8388608
16GB = 16777216

Checking a Single Machine Without SCCM

If you just need to spot-check one machine's reported physical memory before deciding whether to add it to a collection query at all, PowerShell gives the same figure directly without needing SCCM console access:

Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystem | Select-Object TotalPhysicalMemory

Note that PowerShell's TotalPhysicalMemory is reported in bytes rather than kilobytes, so divide by 1024 to compare directly against the WQL query's threshold values above, or by 1073741824 to get a rounded GB figure.

Resources

• WQL
• query
• our SQL & WQL query library
• Browse our Windows Admin Toolkit picks on Amazon