How Can I Reduce RAM Usage While Gaming?
Asked by
GamerDude123
I'm having an issue where my motherboard is only recognizing one stick of RAM, and it's causing my PC to use over 90% of my RAM during gaming sessions. I've tried a few different solutions, but nothing has worked so far. Is there any way to lower my RAM usage, especially when playing games?
Answers
So, just to clarify, do you have three 4GB sticks total? Usually, slots 1 & 3 are for dual-channel RAM. If you populate slot 2, you lose dual-channel benefits, but you can use all three sticks. If you're using slot 4, your BIOS may not appreciate the dual-channel setup. While it's okay to mix RAM, it can lead to issues. And remember, 90% RAM usage isn't always bad—it's all about how much is genuinely in use versus cached.
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One quick fix is to close any unnecessary programs before launching your game. You can even end Explorer.exe in the Task Manager to free up more memory for your game. It sounds wild, but it might just do the trick!
CuriousCat99: That's crazy. Just crazy enough to work.
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When you said 'showing one stick of RAM in use', do you mean you only have one stick installed?
GamerDude123: No, I have two sticks, but only one works in slot 3. The second one doesn’t function in slots 1 or 2, and it also fails in slot 4. I thought upgrading my CPU would help, but it hasn’t.
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Could you share a screenshot of your Task Manager sorted by memory usage? Also, how much RAM do you actually have?
GamerDude123: I'm not sure how to share a photo, but right now, with one stick working, I'm showing 4.8GB idle and 11GB available.
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GamerDude123: No, I actually have 2x16GB sticks. Only one works in slot 3, and the other does nothing in slots 1 or 2. I’ve tried all kinds of configurations, but no luck.