I recently built a new PC, and I've noticed that my memory usage spikes to around 25% just when I have Chrome open. I'm using two sticks of DDR5-6000 RAM installed in the B slots of my motherboard. The BIOS is set to auto detect RAM speed, and it shows 4800 MHz. Should I change this to enforce the 6000 MHz speed? I'm aware that Chrome can be a memory-hog, but using 8GB just for basic browsing seems excessive. Could this be due to a plugin issue or something else?
4 Answers
Yeah, if you’re seeing 25% usage, that likely means you have 32GB total. Windows uses RAM for background processes and caching to make everything feel smooth. Even with games, multiple tabs, and streaming running, I usually hit about 50-60% usage. So, 32GB is quite adequate. Just make sure to turn on EXPO/XMP in the BIOS to get the correct RAM speed.
You definitely want to enable XMP or EXPO in your BIOS and set it to 6000 MT/s. Your memory usage sounds pretty normal to me. Most applications, including Windows, use RAM efficiently, so it’s not all coming from Chrome. If you have 32GB, you're in a great spot for multitasking!
What you’re experiencing seems pretty typical. Chrome does load a lot into RAM because it tries to pre-load pages based on your browsing patterns to speed things up. This performance optimization is part of why your system feels snappy. And remember, it’s fine for the OS to use some of that unused RAM to improve overall performance. What would you plan to do with that extra RAM anyway?
Honestly, a lot of this comes down to how Windows manages memory. It intentionally uses more RAM to optimize performance. Chrome does have a lot of extensions that can take up memory, so if you're running plenty of those, it can add up. Keep an eye on them and consider removing any you don’t use often!
I didn't know about EXPO/XMP before—I’ll definitely check my BIOS settings!