In the Task Manager in Windows it’s possible to see how much of the RAM on your computer is being utilized. The percentage of the hardware components that is being utilized changes over time based on what programs you have open. In this article, I will explain what happens when RAM is 100%.
Nothing happens when RAM is at 100%. Ideally, RAM should be at 100%. When it is all of the RAM the computer has is being utilized. Typically, this will only occur if a computer is running a resource intensive application such as a game or video rendering software.
How much of the RAM is being utilized also depends on how much RAM a PC has. Below, I will cover:
Let’s dive in!
What Percentage RAM is Too High
PCs come with 4GB to 32GB, and you can also add more RAM to a computer. Provided, your computer has a decent amount of RAM the RAM percentage – also called memory usage – should be at a certain level. When it isn’t it indicates a problem.
Here’s a table that shows how much RAM usage is normal for a computer when idle based on how much RAM it has:
| Amount of RAM on PC | Normal RAM usage when idle |
| 4 GB | 80%+ |
| 8 GB | Less than 50% |
| 16 GB | Less than 30% |
| 32 GB | Around 5% |
To check how much RAM you have on Windows 11, open the start menu and type in ‘about’. It will show ‘About this PC’. Once you click on it a new window will open that will list the hardware components on your computer, and what they are.
Whereas, on older versions of Windows you right click on This PC, or My Computer, and it will show the same information. In general, all computers have some programs open. So, below is a table that shows how much RAM usage is normal based on what programs you have open.
| Open in the background | 8GB | 16GB | 32GB |
| Google Chrome tab | 2% RAM usage | 1% RAM usage | 0.5% RAM usage |
| Application like Skype | 20% RAM usage | 1% RAM usage | 0.5% RAM usage |
| Graphics intensive game | 100% RAM usage | 70% RAM usage | 50% RAM usage |
| Video editing software | 100% RAM usage | 70% RAM usage | 50% RAM usage |
| 10 Google Chrome tabs | 20% RAM usage | 10% RAM usage | 5% RAM usage |
The amount of RAM usage does fluctuate but can also stay flat lined at around the same percent. For example, when gaming it’s common to see the RAM usage at 100% the entire time.
This can also happen to the CPU. I explained in detail if it’s a problem if CPU usage is high in this article about whether high CPU usage is bad.
Why RAM usage is high when nothing is running
If your RAM usage seems higher than the averages shown in these tables then it’s more than likely you have a virus or malware. And you should run an anti-malware and antivirus software on your computer.
The other thing could be an application that you are unaware is running. Take a look at the tab on Task Manager that shows what programs are running and how much memory (RAM) they are using.
Sort by highest to lowest, and look for any unusual program or programs you don’t need open. Especially, if the program is using a decent amount of the RAM.
Often, you can find apps you don’t use are open in the background, and open automatically on startup. This can be disabled. Below is a very good video from EasyTechGeek that covers a range of steps you should do when your RAM usage is unusually high.
Adding additional RAM to your computer will lower the RAM usage. But, the other issue could be that your CPU is slow.
If your CPU is slow, it can’t receive instructions and files from the RAM quick enough, and your RAM is being what is called ‘bottlenecked’.
Where the RAM needs to wait for the CPU. But, all pre-built computers come with an appropriate amount of RAM for the CPU.
So, this is far less likely to be the case. Provided you have 8GB of RAM or more, your CPU is virtually guaranteed to not be too slow for your RAM.
Is it Bad to Use 100% RAM
It is not bad to use 100% of your RAM. When this happens it means you are utilizing all of your RAMs capacity. The normal operating of a computer should see the RAM usage below 100% when idle.
But, when using it, especially programs that have a high demand for resources, such as games, RAM usage is typically at 100% the whole time. RAM is designed to operate at 100% utilization permanently for 3 years or so.
The same is true of CPUs. However, in reality this only occurs when doing something that puts a big demand for resources on your computer.
Is 90% RAM Usage Normal
90% RAM usage is normal when idle. But, only if you have 4GB of RAM or less. If you are doing something on your computer that is resource intensive such as playing a game, or rendering a video, 90%+ RAM usage is normal. And it’s common to see RAM usage permanently at 100%.
If you have more than 4GB of RAM, 90% RAM usage when idle is not normal. It indicates you have too many background applications open. Or, you have a virus or malware that is using up your RAM.
Your RAM usage when gaming should be at 100%, unless you have 32GB of RAM or more. For most users 8GB to 16GB of RAM is perfect, and a computer will be very fast, even when the RAM usage is at 100%.
It’s not an issue at all if your RAM usage is above 90%, and even at 100% permanently. But, it’s not normal when idle, and you should use the steps shown in the video a bit further up in this article to reduce your RAM usage.