How to Lower Overall RAM Usage and Free Up RAM on the Spot

Are you running out of RAM? If your computer slows down, freezes, or struggles to multitask, it might be due to high RAM usage. In this guide, we’ll cover how to lower RAM usage on Windows and macOS, free up RAM, and ensure your system runs efficiently.

What is RAM, and Why Does It Matter?

RAM (Random Access Memory) is your computer's short-term memory. It temporarily stores data that active programs need to function quickly. When your RAM is full, your system slows down, and apps may crash.

🔹 Too many browser tabs open? That eats up a lot of RAM.
🔹 Apps running in the background? They consume memory without you realizing it.
🔹 Malware or excessive cache files? These contribute to high RAM usage.

Understanding how to monitor and optimize RAM usage will speed up your computer and improve performance.

How to Check RAM Usage on Windows and Mac

Before you free up RAM, check how much memory is being used.

On Windows 10 & Windows 11

1. Open Task Manager (Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
2. Click the Performance tab.
3. Select Memory to see your current RAM usage and speed.

On macOS (MacBook & iMac)

1. Open Activity Monitor (Press Command + Space and type it in).
2. Go to the Memory tab.
3. Look for Memory Pressure—if it’s red, you need to free up RAM.

💡 Quick Fix: If you are already a Softorino subscriber and use a Windows PC, remember that you have a neat option to control your RAM usage with Memory Optimizer 2. It helps you clear RAM, manage background processes, and optimize performance with just one click!

If you are not a Softorino subscriber, you can download and try it out for free. It works on Windows 7/8/10/11.

By the way, to customize your PC more, you can use some other programs developed by Softorino. They are all available through the Universal License solution:

- Volume Concierge (optimize and schedule your computer’s volume
- Folder Colorizer (label any folder with colors)
- Task ForceQuit Pro (kill any frozen app)

1. Restart Your Computer to Free Up RAM

Restart your device, really? Yes, restarting your computer is the easiest way to reduce RAM usage. This clears temporary files and RAM in the background.

Modern computers can run for months without restarting, especially thanks to advanced sleep and hibernation modes. My laptop could continue for several weeks until I manually restart it and decrease RAM usage.

• Windows: Click the Start Menu > Select Restart.
• Mac: Click the Apple Menu > Choose Restart.

2. Close Unused Apps and Browser Tabs

Every open app and tab uses RAM. If you have multiple browser tabs open for later, they slow down your system. My Chrome tabs can use up to 250 MB of RAM memory per tab, so four tabs like this use up a whole gigabyte of memory.

Modern browsers implement some memory-saving techniques, like putting those tabs on sleep mode of their own. It helps a lot to free up your RAM, but the cache holds a lot of memory that cannot be freed this way alone.

✅ On Windows: Use Task Manager to force-close apps using too much RAM.
✅ On Mac: Open Activity Monitor, find resource-hungry apps and force quit them.

3. Disable Unnecessary Startup Programs

Many apps run in the background when you start your computer, using RAM without your knowledge. Even more software programs also like running on your device startup without your permission. This is a common issue on both Mac and Windows devices. Disabling the launch of these programs on computer startup can lower RAM usage.

On Windows 10 & 11

1. Open Task Manager.
2. Click the Startup tab.
3. Disable apps you don’t need at startup.

On macOS

1. Open System Settings > Users & Groups.
2. Click on Login Items.
3. Remove apps that don’t need to start automatically.

4. Clear Cache and Temporary Files

Your system stores temporary files, which can increase RAM usage and speed. Clearing your cache helps free up RAM.

🔹 On Windows: Open Run (Win + R), type temp, and delete temporary files.
🔹 On Mac: Open Finder, press Command + Shift + G, type ~/Library/Caches, and delete old files.

5. Use Memory Optimizer 2 or a Similar App

Instead of manually closing apps, clearing cache, and monitoring RAM usage, let the Memory Optimizer 2 handle everything. Similar apps can also handle this process for you.

They will perform some of the previous steps we discussed and shut down or put on hold some service executables you can't or don't usually access.

Why Use Memory Optimizer 2?

✅ One-click RAM cleaning – Instantly free up memory.
✅ Auto-clears cache & background apps – No manual work needed.
✅ Boosts system speed – Get efficient RAM usage without restarting.
✅ Works on Windows 7,8,10 & 11.

🎯 Download Memory Optimizer 2 today and enjoy a faster, smoother computer!

6. Disable Browser Extensions & Background Apps

Unused browser extensions and apps run in the background without your knowledge, eating up RAM. You may try to be more involved in managing them and turn them off and on when necessary. I had some add-ons that would run in the background even upon closing my browser.

🔹 Google Chrome & Edge: Go to chrome://extensions and disable the ones you don’t use. You can also find an extensions bar in the top right corner of your browser windows next to the address bar.

7. Increase Virtual Memory (Windows) or Optimize Memory (Mac)

Virtual memory acts as extra RAM by using part of your hard drive or SSD. If you have a lot of free space on your drive you can manually allocate it for substitute use as 'RAM' memory of sorts.

This setting is available only for Windows users, and we recommend ⚠only advanced users proceed with it.

On Windows

1. Open Control Panel > System > Advanced system settings.
2. Go to Performance Settings > Advanced > Virtual Memory.
3. Adjust the page file size to increase virtual memory.

On macOS

Mac handles virtual memory automatically, and you cannot manually interfere in the process.

8. Scan for Malware That Uses a Lot of RAM

Some malware programs secretly run in the background, consuming a significant amount of RAM. It's one of the basic pieces of advice, but sometimes built-in antimalware services are just not enough. Pick any trusted antivirus and run a full check just to be safe and sure.

✅ Use Windows Defender or Mac’s built-in security to scan for malware.
✅ Download a trusted anti-malware app to remove hidden threats.

9. Add More RAM If Needed

If you regularly run out of RAM, upgrading to additional RAM is the best solution.

🔹 Check your device’s RAM capacity before buying new memory.
🔹 For Windows PCs, use the memory panel in your control panel to see compatible RAM types or consult a specialist.
🔹 Mac users should check Apple Support to see if their model allows upgrades.

Final Thoughts: Keep Your Computer Running Smoothly

Follow these steps regularly to decrease your RAM usage and keep your computer clean. Regular diagnostics and maintenance are the best way to keep your computer clean, fast, and efficient.

FAQ