Why is my RAM usage so high when nothing seems to be using it?

Check if your RAM is also being used for caching. It could be that around 40% of it is physically in use, while the rest is just cached or reserved for quick access, so it looks like it's used up when it really isn't.

You mentioned Chrome; sometimes updates or extensions can cause high RAM usage. Make sure you don't have any unnecessary extensions running, and keep an eye on it after updates.

It might be a memory leak issue. Sometimes programs can consume RAM without releasing it properly. You could try using CleanMem to help manage your system's memory more effectively.

I've been dealing with a similar issue for months! Even with minimal software running, Windows sometimes shows high memory usage. It might help to reboot your system regularly, but it sounds like you might have an underlying issue that's hard to track down.

You should install Process Explorer from Microsoft. It provides a more detailed breakdown of what’s really using your RAM and might help identify any hidden culprits.