![]() ![]() Why do I say that?īecause currently on my iMac I have 5.54 GB used and 5.61 GB cached, and no swap file. The bottom line is that your computer is using memory the whole time it is on.Click to expand.I'm not sure your description is accurate. ![]() It is easier to answer questions about the computer’s performance, like is your computer running slow because you don’t have enough memory, or is your computer wasting your memory on things it shouldn’t be? It’s hard to give an exact answer because every computer is so different. To learn the answer to those questions, you have to look at where your computer uses its memory. Just running the operating system takes up some memory. So when you check your computer’s memory, a portion will always be in use. Memory is measured in Gigabytes (GBs) of RAM. RAM is memory that allows you to open up programs. Memory is used for every process on your computer, including your Operating System or OS. When you talk about relative memory, you are looking at the percentage of memory used.įor example, say your computer is using 50% of its memory. If you have 4 GBs of RAM, that means your computer is using 2 GBs. If your friend has 8 GBs, they would be using 4 GBs. You’re using the same percentage of memory, but that comparison is apples to oranges when your overall memory isn’t exactly the same. When you talk about non-relative memory, you are using specific numbers.įor example, my computer is using 4 GBs of memory. If you only have 4 GBs, this could be a problem. ![]() If you have 8 GBs, it would be less concerning. So let’s pivot the question from how much physical memory should my computer be using, to the more useful, how do you use your RAM more efficiently? What is the Average Memory Usage Percentage? Some computer experts say that unused RAM is wasted RAM. It is convenient to look for an average memory usage percentage, but unfortunately, this isn’t a number that exists. You might be using 30% of 16 GBs of RAM, and your buddy may be using 30% of 32 GBs of RAM on average. It depends on what specs your device has and what you do on it. If your friend is using high-end graphics programs, and you are just writing an email, your average RAM usage will vary widely. Some Macs would be completely fine using 40% of their RAM at idle. Some Windows computers could be working too hard if they were using that much. You may want to see how many programs are running in the background if this is your normal idle. If your system is idling around 25%, that shouldn’t raise any flags at all. Why Does My Computer Use Memory When Idle? When you take into account everything your computer is doing in the background, it would be pretty easy to account for that memory usage. What is your computer using its memory for when you’re not using it? Lots of things.įirst, your computer has to run your operating systems. Different operating systems use memory differently, so a low idle on a Mac could be considered a high idle on Windows.Įvery operating system has a kernel. That is the portion of the operating system that is always in the memory. The kernel can use as little as 1 Megabyte and up to 10 MBs of memory. That means that your system has to be using 1 MB of memory at an absolute bare minimum. Then your computer has to run every interaction it is responsible for, even if you aren’t using them at that moment.ĭrivers allow you to use keyboards, speakers, monitors, and all other pieces of hardware attached to your computer. You don’t have a specific answer for how much physical memory should my computer be using because there are a ton of factors that can affect it. The OS you use, the quality of the components, and what you have running in the background will all change the memory your computer uses at idle.Įach of these factors must be considered when you ask to understand what percentage of memory should your computer be using. How much RAM should be used at idle for Windows? Windows holds some of your memory in reserve right off the top, even if there is no need for it currently. It does this in anticipation of being used. This reserve can be anywhere from 1.8 to 2.4 GBs of RAM. In general, the absolute lowest you are running is nearly a GB of RAM for your operating system. So Windows 10 using 4 GB ram only has 2 to 3 GBs available for other programs with just the OS running. ![]()
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