Solved RAM utilization?

Alexey2912 · Mar 11, 2023

Hi,

Hope all are fine and, healthy! (covid/long covid free).

I have a question regarding my Dell laptop's memory utilization:

1. It never exceeds max.7.5 GB, despite multiple browser tabs, MS Words docs opened, Youtubes, movies, external devices etc. With none reboot and always on.

2. After a 5-7 days when I sense the lap slightly sluggish, less responsive I perform a reboot, even than the RAM usage in TM has never exceeded 7.5.

3. A year back when I got the laptop, customized to 16 GB of RAM, though the MB can hold 32 GB.

4. In advanced system settings have let Windows manage page file.

5. Recommended 2911, allocated 2432.

To sum up my questions are:

a. Did I waste installing 16 vs. 8 was good enough?

b. To enable usage of more should I turn off page file/virtual memory or system managed/custom set?

c. Is it to do with the Dell's BIOS, that is set to use max 8 GB?

d. Can RAM usage be changed in BIOS settings?

Hoping to hear from the experts.
Best regards!

Ghot · Mar 11, 2023

Alexey2912 said:
Did I waste installing 16 vs. 8 was good enough?

The tasks you're doing aren't using all 16GB.
Find a 100MB picture and convert it from jpg to png.... that will use some RAM. ^^
Run a few instances of the same online game. That will use some RAM.

Try this...

1. Go HERE and after the picture loads, click on it and wait for it to change to full size AND come in focus.
2. Then right click it and choose: Copy Image.
3. Then on your computer, open any image editor and choose: Edit > Paste
4. Then choose: File > Save As... and choose .PNG or .BMP
5. While it's spending 3-4 minutes saving... open Task Manager and check your RAM usage.

Alexey2912 · Mar 11, 2023

Ghot said:
The tasks you're doing aren't using all 16GB.
Find a 100MB picture and convert it from jpg to png.... that will use some RAM. ^^
Run a few instances of the same online game. That will use some RAM.

Thanks, shall try it.

Any ideas than why doe it become less responsive after a dew days...of my usage?

Alexey2912 · Mar 11, 2023

Ghot said:
The tasks you're doing aren't using all 16GB.
Find a 100MB picture and convert it from jpg to png.... that will use some RAM. ^^
Run a few instances of the same online game. That will use some RAM.

Try this...

1. Go HERE and after the picture loads, click on it and wait for it to change to full size AND come in focus.
2. Then right click it and choose: Copy Image.
3. Then on your computer, open any image editor and choose: Edit > Paste
4. Then choose: File > Save As... and choose .PNG or .BMP
5. While it's spending 3-4 minutes saving... open Task Manager and check your RAM usage.

Correct for the 1st time it hit +10/11.

Thanks for clearing up all my confusions, queries.
Lastly, is it normal with my usage mentioned, for the laptop to get sluggish after a few days, needing a reboot?

Regards!

Ghot · Mar 11, 2023

Alexey2912 said:
Any ideas than why doe it become less responsive after a dew days...of my usage?

No.
I have my page file set at a fixed size. Both min. and max. size are 3072MB.
Programs should pull all their leftovers out of RAM when you close the program, but very few do.

Mine does the same thing... slowly fills up until I reboot. It doesn't get less responsive though.
That is probably because I have the page file set the way I do.

The Page File is an area on your SSD or hard drive, that the computer uses when the RAM fills up.
It's a bazillion times slower than the RAM. So keeping the Page File small, and "fixed" means the RAM will get used... more, which is way faster.

Over time, the % of RAM used will still increase, and a reboot will lower it back down, but the responsiveness shouldn't deteriorate.

Alexey2912 · Mar 11, 2023

Ghot said:
No.
I have my page file set at a fixed size. Both min. and max. size are 3072MB.
Programs should pull all their leftovers out of RAM when you close the program, but very few do.

Mine does the same thing... slowly fills up until I reboot. It doesn't get less responsive though.
That is probably because I have the page file set the way I do.

View attachment 54890

The Page File is an area on your SSD or hard drive, that the computer uses when the RAM fills up.
It's a bazillion times slower than the RAM. So keeping the Page File small, and "fixed" means the RAM will get used... more, which is way faster.

Over time, the % of RAM used will increase, and a reboot will lower it back down, but the responsiveness shouldn't deteriorate.

What should I set mine to, both min and max?

Thanks.

Ghot · Mar 11, 2023

Alexey2912 said:
What should I set mine to, both min and max?

Thanks.

Try 3072 for both min. and max.

I just rebooted... my RAM seems to sit at 18% utilization, after reboot.
With Firefox open to four tabs, I'm sitting at 22%.

My RAM will slowly climb up to about 32% before I reboot for some other reason.

Remember though... I don't run any Windows Apps. Pretty much the only things I have running are...

Bitdefender, Firefox and AIDA64 Extreme.

Alexey2912 · Mar 11, 2023

Ghot said:
Try 3072 for both min. and max.

I just rebooted... my RAM seems to sit at 18% utilization, after reboot.

View attachment 54891

Thanks will set @3072 both min and max.
@Ghot , you got a nice screen posting app....may I know which one.

Thanks again and best regards!

BTW: Treating/Curing covid or any disease is far simpler than learning tech. Windows

Finished curing 2 today, 1 Aussie online and the other in my office in 48 hrs...RT-PCR neg.

Ghot · Mar 11, 2023

Alexey2912 said:
Thanks will set @3072 both min and max.
@Ghot , you got a nice screen posting app....may I know which one.

Thanks again and best regards!

BTW: Treating/Curing covid or any disease is far simpler than learning tech. Windows

I don't use an "app". I use Paintshop Pro 7.04 as an image editor.
I also use XnView Classic (minimal) to "handle" all the images on my drives.

Paint Shop Pro 4.12 and 7.04 and 8.1 and 9.01

Due to popularity, powerful features and ease of use, here are: Paint Shop Pro 4.12 and 7.04 and 8.1 and 9.01 These are all free, legal and fully functional. These work flawlessly on all versions of Windows from 7 to 11. Paint Shop Pro 4.12 and if memory serves, 7.04 also work on Windows XP...

www.elevenforum.com

The Best Windows Photo Viewer, Image Resizer and Batch Converter · XnView

XnView is a free software for Windows that allows you to view, resize and edit your photos. It supports more than 500 image formats!

www.xnview.com

I've been using it for years. I'm as fast as an app now.

Alexey2912 · Mar 11, 2023

Ghot said:
I don't use an "app". I use Paintshop Pro 7.04 as an image editor.
I also use XnView Classic (minimal) to "handle" all the images on my drives.

Paint Shop Pro 4.12 and 7.04 and 8.1 and 9.01

Due to popularity, powerful features and ease of use, here are: Paint Shop Pro 4.12 and 7.04 and 8.1 and 9.01 These are all free, legal and fully functional. These work flawlessly on all versions of Windows from 7 to 11. Paint Shop Pro 4.12 and if memory serves, 7.04 also work on Windows XP...

www.elevenforum.com

The Best Windows Photo Viewer, Image Resizer and Batch Converter · XnView

XnView is a free software for Windows that allows you to view, resize and edit your photos. It supports more than 500 image formats!

www.xnview.com

I've been using it for years. I'm as fast as an app now.

Do I need to download Paintshop Pro 7.04 and XnView Classic (minimal)?

Thanks.

Ghot · Mar 11, 2023

Alexey2912 said:
Do I need to download Paintshop Pro 7.04 and XnView Classic (minimal)?

Thanks.

If you want to use them you do. For Paintshop Pro... download the ISO and save it to your desktop.
I included a text file in that topic with the install instructions.
You'll need to install them as well.

Alexey2912 · Mar 11, 2023

Ghot said:
If you want to use them you do.

Thanks again, shall keep you posted after setting the RAM etc.
Have a great weekend!

Ghot · Mar 11, 2023

This is what Paintshop Pro 7.04 looks like...

It looks far more complicated than it is.

With Paintshop Pro 7.04, you can make awesome pictures like these...

cereberus · Mar 11, 2023

Alexey2912 said:
Thanks will set @3072 both min and max.
[

You really cannot just set it like this as it is different to each user.

It really is best to let Windows manage it . If you want a specific size, you have to monitor pagefiling usage over time.

The problem with setting upper and lower limit the same is you will get problems if you need a bigger page file.

The size you need is a function of apps you run.

As for slowing down over time, that is more likely related to accumulation of temporary files.

Regular disk cleanup can help manage this - alternatively set Storage Sense to clean up junk to a schedule.

TBH if you are using only 8 GB RAM and have 16 GB, you are hardly ever pagefiling probably anyway.

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