I'm using a single 16GB Lexar DDR5-5200 stick with a Ryzen 5 8400F, and I'm seeing very high memory usage. After Effects pushes RAM usage to around 95% or more, while a browser with four or five tabs can reach roughly 70%. Is this mainly because I only have 16GB, or could running a single DDR5 stick be causing the problem? I'm considering switching to an AM4 system with 32GB of RAM, but I'm not sure whether that would actually be a better choice.
4 Answers
For basic browsing, 16GB can still work, but it’s becoming the practical minimum on a modern Windows installation. After Effects is one of the applications where 32GB is a much more comfortable starting point, especially if you work with larger projects. Close programs or increase the page file temporarily, but the real fix is more RAM.
A single stick can reduce memory bandwidth because you’re running in single-channel mode, but it isn’t what’s making the usage percentage spike. Add a second matching 16GB stick if possible, ideally as a 2x16GB kit, and enable the proper memory profile in the BIOS. That gives you both more capacity and dual-channel performance.
This is simply a capacity issue, not a DDR4-versus-DDR5 problem. Windows can use several gigabytes before you open anything, and After Effects is demanding. With only 16GB, hitting 90–95% is expected. Upgrading to 32GB on your current platform would make more sense than changing platforms just for the memory.
Before changing to AM4, check the rest of the build carefully. The Ryzen 5 8400F is an entry-level AM5 processor with some limitations compared with other AM5 chips, but moving to an older platform solely to get 32GB may not be worthwhile. A 500GB hard drive will also make the system feel slow, so upgrading to an SSD should be a priority alongside adding RAM.
I’m planning to add a 256GB SSD soon. I’ll compare the cost of a second RAM stick and the SSD before considering a platform change.
That makes sense. I was worried the memory behavior was specific to DDR5, but I’ll look into adding another 16GB stick first.