Really high unexplained memory usage

VulcanXion

Honorable
Aug 31, 2013
3
0
10,510
So I've seen many threads like these. Most of the people are complaining about how 30% of their ram is being used etc. Mine I find is slightly different. On a PC where I used to run Skyrim with 4gb ram mod for me to be using so much ram is strange. Run skyrim with 4gb ram mod never took up more than 60% of my ram(including anything else in the background). Recently I've noticed a spike in ram usage. At first it started at around 40% while playing 1gb ram games and having maybe a youtube video running in the background. Now it has spiked. As I type this, task manager states that I'm using 92% of my ram. I might accept that but even when im not using Chrome my memory usage is really high all of a sudden(80+%). I've never had Norton tell me about high memory usage on this PC. Norton's virus scan revealed no viruses although I don't trust their scan all that much. Should an 8GB kit of ram really be having this much memory usage with just one open tab of chrome? Do I have a virus or is this a case of corrupt ram?
I've come on this site many times(although this is my first question) and I hope like the previous times I can get insight again :)
Here are some pictures let me know if you want anything else:
http://imageshack.us/a/img594/8985/p4ek.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img689/9360/fx5d.png

PS: I have Windows 8 64 bit with an 8GB ram kit
This is my pc: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c03500676&prodSeriesId=5295962
 
Solution
Well in windows 7 for example.
In the search option box.
You type : msconfig

Run the program, and in the window that opens up click on the boot tab.
Bellow it there is an advanced option button. click on it.
A new box will open, there should be a tick box that says maximum memory.
It should be ticked and a maximum amount of memory windows can use for it`s self can be set.

So say you had 8gb, then you would set the maximum amount windows could use to 4096 or 4gb. The page file value would be smaller for windows. and you would have about 3.5gb of free system memory to run other programs.

So it would work out 50% more or less memory usage by windows.
the settings will only take effect on the next restart and loading of the OS.
Awesome.
That just goes to show you how bad windows 8 is.
I have never seen such a high error rate of memory leaks.

See where it says( non paged pool file), that`s why your getting 80% memory usage.

The following memory pools that the system uses to allocate memory:

Nonpaged pool, and paged pool.
Both memory pools are located in the region of the address space that is reserved for the system. Meaning windows 8 OS.

In other words 5.6gb used by windows would be about 80% of the total system memory used. leaving about 2.4gb of free memory for any other programs to use.





 
Well in windows 7 for example.
In the search option box.
You type : msconfig

Run the program, and in the window that opens up click on the boot tab.
Bellow it there is an advanced option button. click on it.
A new box will open, there should be a tick box that says maximum memory.
It should be ticked and a maximum amount of memory windows can use for it`s self can be set.

So say you had 8gb, then you would set the maximum amount windows could use to 4096 or 4gb. The page file value would be smaller for windows. and you would have about 3.5gb of free system memory to run other programs.

So it would work out 50% more or less memory usage by windows.
the settings will only take effect on the next restart and loading of the OS.
 
Solution

Anthony Ng

Honorable
Jan 30, 2014
3
0
10,510


Hi Shaun o

I've been dealing with my win8 set up approaching 80% memory by the end of the day resulting in sluggishness and even momentary freezing of the system (minutes!) I've been trying to stay patient with it since October, 2013, having the Windows 8.1 update and finally fed up.

Your solution is interesting, but I don't quite understand how reducing the max memory free's up for the others. When I goto task manager after the setting, It only shows half the memory available (while knowing I have 8gb). How is the other half of the memory used?

The issue I came across is I opened up my usual chrome/firefox combinations, some word docs, excel, ppt. some Windows 8 apps I usually have open, tried to launch my Hyper V machine (win xp 512meg ram) and I couldn't start it because not enough memory.

Thanks for your time.