This issue started yesterday without any obvious changes. As soon as Windows finishes starting, memory usage jumps to around 93% even though only my usual startup apps are running. When I launch Overwatch, usage reaches about 99%, causing severe frame drops and very low FPS. Restarting the computer temporarily fixes the problem, but I'm worried it may return. What could be causing this, and how can I identify the hidden memory usage?
4 Answers
It’s worth running a full Windows Security scan, including the Offline scan, in case an unwanted process is consuming memory. If the issue continues and no process explains it, check for driver or system-file problems before considering a clean Windows installation. A clean install should be a last resort, not the first step.
A temporary fix after restarting can point to a program with a memory leak or a background service that gets stuck. Check Task Manager shortly after boot, then again when usage starts climbing. The Resource Monitor can also show which processes and services are committing memory.
Try disabling all nonessential startup programs in Task Manager, reboot, and see whether memory usage stays normal. If it does, re-enable the startup items one at a time until you find the one causing the spike.
Open Task Manager, sort the Processes tab by Memory, and check which program is actually using the most RAM. Also check how much total memory Windows detects. If the top process is only Brave using around 1 GB, look at the Performance tab and the memory details—something else may be consuming RAM in the background or Windows may be dealing with a memory leak.
Brave is usually the biggest app, but it only uses about 1 GB. I restarted the PC and everything went back to normal, although I’m concerned the problem could return.
I haven’t downloaded anything suspicious recently, so malware seems unlikely, but I’ll still run a thorough scan. Since restarting fixed it for now, a memory leak may be more likely.