{
  "id": 17622342,
  "title": "My PC was using over 80% of its RAM, and these tools helped me figure out why",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/my-pc-was-using-over-80-of-its-ram-and-these-tools-helped-me-figure",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-01T15:00:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "XDA Developers",
    "slug": "xda-developers",
    "url": "https://www.xda-developers.com/windows-tools-monitor-ram/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "My personal computer was using more than 80% of its random access memory (RAM), and I sought tools to identify the cause. Ever since I enabled PowerToys utilities, system resource usage on my screen became evident. It was then I noticed that my PC consistently used over 80% of its 16GB RAM capacity. This was problematic as high RAM usage could lead to freezing and hindered tasks like opening documents or running Docker Desktop. Task Manager, my usual troubleshooting tool, didn't provide detailed insights, so I turned to other Windows tools and a Sysinternals application. After investigating, I found that my browser was the most RAM-intensive process, accounting for 6GB out of the total. However, identifying which browser tabs were causing the highest RAM usage was challenging, as Task Manager didn't explicitly show this. I then used Process Explorer, a SysInternals app that offers more detailed information than Task Manager. It helped me identify Windows Resume, a system feature taking up unnecessary RAM. Disabling it freed up resources. Another tool, Resource Monitor, provided a more detailed view of memory usage, including hardware reserves and various memory states. After trimming unnecessary apps and closing high-memory tabs, I managed to bring my RAM usage down to the 60s, improving my computer's stability. This experience highlighted the importance of using different tools to identify memory hogs, especially when dealing with resource-intensive applications like web browsers.",
  "summary": "These tools helped me rule out other culprits and trim down guilty processes.",
  "key_points": [
    "My PC consistently used over 80% of its 16GB RAM capacity",
    "Task Manager didn't provide detailed insights into RAM usage",
    "Process Explorer helped identify Windows Resume consuming unnecessary RAM"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}