I just bought a brand new laptop that's supposed to have 16GB of RAM, but it's only showing 8GB as usable. I'm not very tech-savvy and I'm unsure how to fix this. Is there something I need to adjust in the settings or the BIOS? I'm worried I didn't get what I paid for, and I can't upload pictures to show what I mean.
2 Answers
It sounds like it could be a setup issue. Sometimes, a portion of RAM is allocated for integrated graphics in the BIOS. You could check that. Also, your OS might just be using some of the RAM for caching, which still leaves it available when needed. Don’t worry too much about what the OS reports as 'used'—it's normal for it to keep track that way.
To check what's using up your RAM, open Task Manager by pressing CTRL + Shift + ESC. Check the Performance tab to see how much RAM is being utilized. If it shows 8GB used out of 16GB total, you shouldn’t worry; it’s still available. Just try restarting your laptop to clear any unnecessary background processes.
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