Optimal memory consumption
Optimal memory consumption
You were using a 16GB RAM setup and noticed only about 88% utilization. This suggests you were likely hitting the page file space, which is normal when RAM falls short of available memory. The 32GB model reached around 58% usage, which is significantly more than before, indicating better performance. The 100% reading might mean your system was nearing the limit, but not quite at full capacity. The performance monitor didn’t show page file activity because you weren’t actively using more than 88% of your RAM, so the system didn’t trigger that alert.
Software and apps tend to allocate more than necessary, taking advantage of available memory headroom. If they perceive room, they’ll claim it. 16GB remains sufficient for current games and everyday applications. Unless you handle intensive tasks like rendering, 32GB becomes unnecessary, especially with DDR4 and lower speeds.
uh... its normal getting "into page files" ... the thing where it starts being not normal is when it happens constantly. my page file often gets used like ~2% even if there's a ton free ram anyways... i haven't figured out which program does that yet, but it kinda has to be a program doing that i feel... but either way I see no issues, and most of the time its 0% anyway. thing is how much ram you need depends on what you're doing, generally 16gb is fine. the more ram you have the more windows will use, its by design. dont like it? get another os, but its really *unnecessary* to worry about it too much, especially if you dont encounter issues. and if you do, chances are its not because of ram anyhow. for average user 16gb is enough, heck id argue 8gb is, but thats for a low end system that generally wont need a lot of ram for everyday usage. edit: here's a funny thing how ram allocation works on windows... also note that you can't just go by how windows calls things, cached may not always refer to the same thing for example. So here's an example of "ram usage" or rather of windows ram allocation: hmm.. cached, 9.5 (ok) (somewhat "idle" usage) Ok, but what's the important thing you should check to understand ram allocation is "standby memory": Spoiler YouTube! lotsa youtube videos, yay! but sure takes a lot of memory, huh (it does indeed) resource monitor, memory, check the "standby": 276mb "free" sure not a lot, eh... except the standby memory is more a virtual thing than actually used, which you can see in taskmanager that it's not actually using that much... "available" 9.7, hmm, hm, ok. yeah, lots a stuff, still not much "free", oh noes! yay, more memory stuffs! few hours later, no youtube: 6gig "free"! Note: during all that time "page file" was actually at 0 (according to hwinfo64) ... because it doesn't even have much to do with memory allocation or usage and rather is something certain programs and apps use for "reasons" and yes, it will also be used when you're actually out of memory so the system doesn't crash in a "emergency situation " but simply page file being used does *not* mean you're out of memory... Tldr, as long you don't experience issues (freezing, stuttering, crashing...) your memory usage is probably fine and its best to let windows do "its thing", which is shuffling around memory *all the time* = )
The storage is quite small and tends to get full quickly. Before upgrading to 64GB, I often saw Chrome prompting me to choose around 34GB, which caused visible slowdowns and paging.
It seems there were a lot of open YouTube videos, mostly Chrome running, with most of the memory being idle. Even when the page file was active, usage stayed low—around 2%. Network delays on YouTube are more noticeable than the actual lag. Probably another factor is causing the slowdown, or you're using a lot of memory due to poorly optimized apps. Having more than 65 videos open is unusual, so it might be worth checking your installed RAM and the state of the page file.
I once had 32GB storage. The issue appeared when I launched a game on top of the existing 32+ usage. It never happened with 64GB even though my usage increased, like having 186 tabs open plus Firefox, Lightroom, Photoshop, and a work profile. Right now I’m using 42.3GB with all these apps running. I notice performance drops when there’s a 1/10 second delay, which bothers me.
I believe the message is trying to explain a technical point about system resources. More RAM is needed when running many applications, especially if you keep tabs open. It’s not about a random issue but about how your computer handles memory. Regarding the game question, closing or exiting a game when finished is normal behavior—people usually move on to the next activity.
I need to admit, even with my internet speed of around 300kb/s, I rarely open that many tabs. Running Chrome, Edge, and Firefox together seems odd... why? Using a second user profile? That’s unclear—why? If someone else in your home occasionally uses your PC, they should be logged out after use. If the idea is to always keep everything running, eventually even 128GB won’t suffice. How long will it take—10 to 15 minutes or seconds? That doesn’t align with your specs. But I agree with @Dedayog; the issue seems more about keyboard and chair comfort. It’s okay if that’s what works for you, but it gets bothersome when others face the same limits. It becomes concerning when you apply the same rules to everyone, especially when certain statements only hold true under specific conditions. That’s why a fair reviewer would suggest “16GB of RAM is sufficient for most tasks,” rather than insisting on 128GB just to keep everything open.