Listen to this articleComputers running slower than usual, programs crashing, or struggling to complete simple tasks indicate your computer is running low on RAM or memory.
How do you get back on top of your game? Here are some pointers.
What is the Meaning of RAM?
Random-Access Memory (RAM) is computers’ short-term memory for their active processes. That’s why computers can quickly access RAM. It is stored in a memory chip on the motherboard, which acts as your device’s main hub.
Thanks to RAM, you can efficiently multitask on your computer. You can actively use multiple apps simultaneously. If you have more RAM, you can complete more tasks at once.
Therefore, when your computer is lagging, it might be because some apps or programs are taking up more space than what can be handled by your RAM. For instance, if you are playing a resource-intensive game or running photo or video editing software. These processes need more RAM to operate.
Since nobody likes to work on a slow computer, you must make it a point to free up RAM.
Freeing up RAM on Macs and Windows PCs
1. macOS
If you want to learn how to reduce memory usage on your Mac, here are some tried and tested methods.
- Regularly Scan the Activity Monitor to Stop Heavy Power Users
The Activity Monitor will help you to monitor RAM usage. It will show you all the apps and programs using your system’s memory. If you find a process or program draining your RAM, remove it.
- Clean Your Desktop
A cluttered desktop is a nightmare. If you want to reduce memory usage, you must keep your desktop clean. Since macOS views every item on the desktop as an active window, your RAM has to work overtime if the desktop is filled with apps you don’t use.
You can fix this problem by neatly organizing all the apps and files into folders.
- Declutter Finder
Whenever you open a Finder window, your computer is allocating RAM to display the window. Instead of opening several Finder windows simultaneously, you can change the settings to make sure the new folders open as tabs.
You can conserve RAM by merging the windows. Click anywhere on your desktop, and when the Finder dropdown appears on the screen, click it. Then, click the Window option from the dropdown menu and choose the Merge All Windows option.
- Upgrade Your RAM
If you need to increase RAM, the best solution is to physically install more. This is the best option if you constantly run low on memory or want to play games and run apps demanding more RAM.
2. Windows
These are some steps to free up RAM on Windows.
- Using Task Manager to Monitor RAM Usage
You can locate RAM depletion by monitoring the Task Manager on Windows. The Task Manager is similar to Mac’s Activity Monitor. The tool shows the processes and programs that are hogging RAM and causing your computer to slow down.
Check the sources of your RAM usage and remove or quit programs that are irrelevant.
- Stop Background Apps
Apps and programs running behind the scenes may be responsible for RAM shortage. Also, they may deplete your bandwidth, battery, and memory. Therefore, you must identify which apps are important to run in the background and quit those that are unnecessary.
- Uninstall the Programs You don’t Need
You might have software installed on your computer that you no longer need. So identify the apps that are using the most RAM and remove them. Your computer will thank you for it.
Besides these, there are Some Methods that Work on Both Mac and Windows to Free up RAM. Those are Mentioned Below:
- Restart your device if you want to clear RAM. RAM is short-term data that exists when apps or programs are currently running. Therefore, restarting your system will stop those processes and free up RAM.
- Cache files are dependent on RAM. Since it uses short-term memory to reload pages that you have visited recently, clearing them will reduce the pressure on RAM. So clear all the cache files and see if your computer’s performance improves.
- Use a different web browser because some are designed to manage and allocate RAM usage more effectively than others. For example, if you are a Mac user using Google Chrome, consider switching to Safari. Chrome is known to hog RAM and other computing resources. On the other hand, Safari judiciously uses computing resources so you can work in peace.
- Update your software regularly, as these upgrades come with improvements to keep your computer working smoothly for a long time.
The Bottom Line
Keep the tips and tricks mentioned above in mind if you want your computer to run faster. By freeing up RAM, you can peacefully multitask without a glitch.
