Windows is sucking up memory

[vigneaux]

I can´t find the leak...

I built my PC a few weeks ago.. a AMD FX 8150 with 8GB in ram (Corsair Dominator) and GTX580 in 2way SLI.

After tweaking I got my system to run at 1.48GB after boot, which im fine with.. but yesterday I added another 8GB of RAM making a total of 16GB..

For some reson.. after having the same startup services and programs.. the system is using 3-4GB after boot...

Why is this happening? does the OS enable more services beacause its aware of the extra memory?

do I need to 'p0ost some kind of logs?

any input is appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

 

[vigneaux]

btw.. I upgraded with Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB

 

[Max Collodi]

The first place I would look would be the "Sidebar." Some apps installed there can leak memory badly. Try restarting "sidebar.exe" and see if that lowers the used memory much.

 

[vigneaux]

Thank you for your reply Max...

I don't have sidebar.exe running in my proccesses... I'll try to post detailed info soon...

btw... I runned MalwareBytes Anti-Spyware and there where no infections...

 

[sonexpc]

Download processor explorer and see what program use most of memory

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653

and the system use 3-4GB is fine....

 

[vigneaux]

I appreciate the help sonexpc.... though I have to disagree with you... I find unusual that my system would eat up 1.5GB extra o memory just because I expanded my memory....

I'll check you progam and see in something comes up...

 

[vigneaux]

I managed to get the system running at 1,88GB after boot.... this is a decent startup, but still 400MB more than before.. I wonder if adressing the new 8GB use memory by itself...it sound weird just saying it outloud....

My previous PC was a Opteron 165 Dual Core with 3GB of DDR 400 memory and it used appx (after tweaking) 0,9GB after boot...

I puzzled about the fact that while bigger the machine bigger the resource consumption even though processes and services stayed the same from one config to another...

does any of this make sense to anyone?

 

[sonexpc]

does your page file size increase

 

[vigneaux]

I have no page file.. it's disabled... hmmm... that got me thinking...

 

[vigneaux]

maybe because there is no dump to pagefile bits and pieces get stuffed in ram... does that sound resonable to you?... but then again.. the hole concept of the pagefile is for computer with limited ram so no swapping should be done while having resources right?

 

[sonexpc]

I think that 's why you first get 3-4GB Memory.... if this count with the page file that will be reasonable.... I would say for 4GB you still need page file ...but 16GB I think you can work without it....but you should see your memory usage should going up fast.

 

[CaedenV]

disabling page file will put more information into system memory. Win7/8 64bit will eat ~1.5GB in a 16GB system as it will put more stuff in active memory (you have the space, why not use it?). Using system memory WILL NOT slow down your computer (unless you run out of it... which you won't on 16GB unless you are doing HD video editing or huge amounts of 3D work and rendering).
Look at your resource monitor; you will notice that windows is eating 1.5-2GB, but then it is filling an extra 5-7GB with stuff in 'standby' doing nothing but hanging out in case you want to open a commonly used program or file. Just remember that memory usage is not the best standard of efficient memory usage. the more stuff in active memory the faster things will run, if it is not in ram then it will have to be retrieved from the HDD which takes time.

Bottom line: You have memory, Windows is using it, there is no problem here.

 

[vigneaux]

Best answer selected by vigneaux.

 

[nikorr]

This topic has been closed by Nikorr