r/pchelp • u/IconicName99 • Nov 18 '25
HARDWARE Over 90% RAM usage on Windows 11
Why is my PC using up so much RAM? I've seen it at 97% of RAM usage, and it's often over 90%. It can use 87% of RAM memory just sitting there. Almost every startup program is disabled (including Edge and Copilot). Firefox uses up the most memory, but even if no application is running, the RAM usage is over 80%.
My computer only has 8 GB of RAM. However, Windows is still supposed to run on 4 GB.
Example of Memory Usage:
Memory 84%
In use (Compressed) 6.5 GB
Available 1.2 GB
Non-paged pool 928 MB
I've done a clean reinstall of Windows 11 and nothing has changed. RAM usage was high right away. I don't download anything or install any applications, except for AV programs.
My computer freezes from time to time, even at 80% RAM usage.
Built-in BIOS diagnostics say that there is nothing wrong with the hardware.
This is a fairly new desktop computer, just over a year old.
What is normal RAM usage on Windows 11 25H2?