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What Percentage of RAM Usage is Normal?

What percentage of RAM usage is normal?

The normal percentage of RAM usage whileyour computer is idle is 15-30%.

 

Here is a list of RAM usage by different tasks:

 

Task RAM Usage
Chrome (10 tabs open) 952 MB
Chrome (20 tabs open) 1.8 GB
Chrome (60 tabs open) 3.7 GB
Zoom 8 GB
Photoshop (500MB documents or smaller) 16 GB
Photoshop (500MB-1GB) 32 GB
Photoshop (> 1GB) 64 GB
PUBG 8 GB

 

Why does RAM usage keep increasing?

The reason RAM usage keeps increasing is because of a memory leak. It happens when the system is running for too long. As a result, your system’s software fails to manage the available RAM.

 

This step could also happen if too many apps are running simultaneously. Other possible causes for this problem are:

 

  • Viruses and malware
  • Startup programs
  • Defective program design
  • Registry hack
  • Insufficient disk space

 

Too many apps are running simultaneously

Background apps or other applications may put extra pressure on your RAM usage. It will help if you disable background apps.

 

Viruses and malware

If any viruses invade your system, it starts showing performance issues. You should install an antivirus program to detect any viruses.

 

Insufficient disk space

You may be using apps that may require greater RAM. If you don’t have insufficient disk space, you may notice your RAM usage steadily.

 

average RAM usage percentage

 

How much  RAM usage is too much?

There cannot be a definite answer to this. Your computer’s motherboard allows a certain RAM limit, which may lead to problems in the system’s functionality if you exceed it.

 

Even though the older versions of computers are very strict about meeting the RAM limit, new and the latest models are a bit lenient because they may support more RAM.

 

Most motherboards can support up to 64GB RAM; however, the latest versions of the motherboard can support up to 100GB of RAM. While most computer experts believe that excessive RAM is not a big issue, some think that since excessive RAM means more RAM sticks, it makes RAM a little unstable.

 

When it comes to usage, 8GB of RAM is sufficient. However, according to gamers, 16GM RAM is sufficient for heavy games. These levels of RAM will help keep the important tasks running.

 

What should my RAM usage be while gaming?

Your RAM usage while gaming depends on the kind of game that you are playing.Gamers who stream games are of the opinion that 16GM of RAM is sufficient for playing games.

 

So, what should you do if you encounter the High Disk & Memory Usage issue?To resolve the problem, you can try the following steps:

 

Run CHKDSK [Method 1]

  1. Press the Windows + R 
  2. It will open the Run dialog.
  3. In the Run dialog box, type cmd
  4. Now press the Ctrl + Shift + Enterkeys to open Command Prompt in elevated or admin
  5. Type the command chkdsk/x/f/r.
  6. Press Enter.
  7. You will receive a message that will ask you to restart the computer.
  8. Press Y.
  9. Reboot the computer.
  10. This step will help CHKDSK to identify and fix the errors.

 

Other fixes include:

  • Running virus scan.
  • Disabling Windows Search Indexer.
  • Disabling hibernation.
  • Playing the game in Clean Boot state.
  • Disabling Superfetch Service.

 

How much RAM does Windows 11 usually use while idle?

When a computer is idle, Windows 11 uses about 5GB of RAM.

 

There are multiple reasons for high RAM usage; some of them include:

  • Insufficient virtual memory
  • Too many unnecessary apps are running
  • Virus or malware in the computer
  • Too many startup programs running

 

To fix the issue of high RAM usage, you can try closing the unnecessary apps. You can also run a third-party antivirus application to check for viruses. If the app detects any, you can take the relevant steps or follow on-screen instructions to get rid of the malware.

 

To find out what is the current RAM usage, you can follow these steps:

  1. Press the Windows +X keys.
  2. This step will open the WinX menu.
  3. Choose Task Manager.
  4. Tap on More details.
  5. Go to the Processes section.
  6. Scroll down to the Memory column.
  7. This column will show the memory usage percentage.

 

If you want to reduce your RAM usage, you can try these steps:

 

Disable Unnecessary Apps [Method 1]

  1. Right-click Start.
  2. Choose Task Manager
  3. Select More details.
  4. Go to the Startup section.
  5. Look for the app or service you want to disable and select Disable.

 

Defragment the Hard Drive [Method 2]

  1. Go to the search icon from the taskbar.
  2. Type Defragment and Optimize Drives.
  3. Select Defragment and Optimize Drives.
  4. Choose the drive that you want to defragment.
  5. Click the Optimize button.
  6. Restart the computer.

 

Disable SysMain Service [Method 3]

  1. Press the Windows + R keys.
  2. This step will open Run.
  3. Type services.msc 
  4. Press Enter.
  5. In the right panel, look for the SysMain service.
  6. Double-click it.
  7. This step will open its Properties interface.
  8. Select Disabled.
  9. Choose Stop.
  10. Click Apply.
  11. Click OK.

 

Modify the Registry Key [Method 4]

  1. Press the Windows + R keys.
  2. Type regedit
  3. Press Enter.
  4. This step will open Registry Editor.
  5. Go to:
  6. Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management
  7. In the right panel, search for ClearPageFileAtShutDown
  8. Double-click it.
  9. Enter 1 for its value data.
  10. Click OK.
  11. Restart the computer.

 

How much RAM does Windows 10 usually use while idle?

Windows 10 uses around 15-30% of RAM when idle. It also has the reserved memory of 0.8-2.4GB.

 

However, if the operating system is using more than 30%, it needs to get fixed. Some users have also encountered the problem where RAM usage is 90%. To resolve the issue, you may follow these steps:

 

Close Background Apps [Method 1]

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Click on Backgrounds app.
  3. On the right pane, select apps and toggle their switch to Off.
  4. Open Task Manager.
  5. Check whether RAM has been freed up.

 

Mac users should go to Utility.

  • Select Activity Monitor
  • Select Check and close background apps

 

Disable Startup Programs [Method 2]

  1. Open the Windows taskbar.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Close Apps.
  4. Select Startup Tab.
  5. Mac Users will follow these steps:
  6. Access Dock.
  7. Right-click on the app and move your mouse over different options.
  8. Uncheck Open at Login.
  9. Disable it.

 

Scan for Viruses [Method 3]

  1. Run an antivirus app.
  2. Scan for viruses.
  3. Follow on-screen instructions if any malware is detected.
  4. Restart the computer when the process is completed.

 

Why 50% memory usage on idle Windows?

Memory usage depends on how many background apps are running. However, it is not common for Windows to exceed 30% of memory usage.

 

If the issue persists, you should try the following fixes:

 

Update Windows [Method 1]

  1. Press the Windows + I
  2. Choose Updates & Security.
  3. Select Check for updates.
  4. Windows will bring a list of available updates.
  5. Download and Install the updates.
  6. Restart the computer to install pending updates.
  7. The issue will now be resolved.

 

Disable Unnecessary Apps [Method 2]

  1. Right-click Start.
  2. Choose Task Manager
  3. Select More details.
  4. Go to the Startup section.
  5. Look for the app or service you want to disable and select Disable.

 

Scan for Viruses [Method 3]

  1. Go to Windows search.
  2. Search for Windows Security.
  3. Select the search result.
  4. Choose the Virus & threat protection option.
  5. On the right panel, go to the Quick scan button.
  6. Scan for viruses and malware.
  7. Select Full scan if you didn’t find anything.
  8. Restart the computer and see if the problem persists.

 

Is 90 percent RAM usage bad?

If your system is using 90% of RAM usage, it means that the system needs more RAM for its smooth running. If you use 8GB RAM, you should upgrade it to 16GB for optimal performance.

 

Also, for temporary relief, you can consider disabling apps. This step can be resolved in the following manner:

 

Close Background Apps [Method 1]

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Click on the Backgrounds app.
  3. On the right pane, select apps and toggle their switch to Off.
  4. Open Task Manager.
  5. Check whether RAM has been freed up.

 

Mac users should go to Utility.

  • Select Activity Monitor.
  • Select Check and close background apps.

 

Why is RAM usage always at 80%?

The reason why your RAM usage is always at 80% is because of the pending Windows update.

 

You should install the updates by following these steps:

 

Update Windows [Method 1]

  1. Press the Windows + I
  2. Choose Updates & Security.
  3. Select Check for updates.
  4. Windows will bring a list of available updates.
  5. Download and Install the updates.
  6. Restart the computer to install pending updates.
  7. This step will resolve the issue.

 

Why is RAM usage always at 90%?

The reason why your RAM usage is 90% is because of unnecessary apps running in the background.

 

To resolve the issue, disable the background apps.

 

Disable Unnecessary Apps [Method 1]

  1. Right-click Start.
  2. Choose Task Manager
  3. Select More details.
  4. Go to the Startup section.
  5. Look for the app or service you want to disable and select Disable.

 

Why is RAM usage always at 100%?

The reason why RAM usage is at 100% is because of malware in the system.

 

Follow these steps to fix it:

 

Scan for Viruses [Method 1]

  1. Go to Windows search.
  2. Search for Windows Security.
  3. Select the search result.
  4. Choose the Virus & threat protection option.
  5. On the right panel, go to the Quick scan button.
  6. Scan for viruses and malware.
  7. Select Full scan if you didn’t find anything.
  8. Restart the computer and see if the problem persists.

Ernie Lo

Ernie Lo is a qualified web designer and web developer. He works as an IT support technician and website manager at Benleigh Vending, and he also fixes vending machines.

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