Like any other hardware geek, I also had a quest to know RAM’s significance in modern-day PC and how clearing RAM on a PC would boost its performance. Under the hierarchy of different types of storage, RAM holds the greatest significance out of all. Specifically, RAM is short-span memory to store the data used busily on your PC to have instant access. All the processes running on your system use RAM in the required proportions.
Many a time when you run too many programs simultaneously on your system the performance gets low if you don’t have enough RAM. In such an instance, you will need to clear up your RAM to boost the performance of the PC. Here is a full guide on how to clear RAM on your PC?
Why Is It Important To Clear RAM on Your PC?
The importance of clearing RAM cannot be denied since ram is considered the main source of storage for all running programs. Many factors explain the significance of clearing up the ram. Here are major of them:
1. Slow PC Performance
PC gets slow and you may also experience regular blinking of your hardware resulting in regular lags in computer programs. Sometimes, you might have noticed that your PC runs smoothly when started and starts slowing down in the longer run. This is an indication that you need to check your RAM.
2. Issues In Gaming
If you are a regular gamer and your maximum PC RAM is occupied then you are more likely to face crashes or stuttering during the gameplay. Less RAM during gameplay makes fewer data sets load which in turn makes choppier graphics and drop in frame rate.
3. Corrupt Data Files
Lots of load on RAM makes an adverse effect on your frequently used programs. These files more often become corrupt and cannot be opened until you restart your PC to free up some RAM.
4. Unexpected BSOD(Blue Screen OF Death) Errors
The random restart of a Windows PC with a Blue Screen error is commonly due to an overload of RAM. However, this can’t be concluded mean every time as PC might have other issues too. You can blame your RAM for this if your PC restarts every time at the time of the installation of a new application.
These were some possible issues that you can get rid of by clearing the RAM if they are caused by a lack of RAM.
How To Free RAM on Your System? [Simple Methods]
Clearing your RAM after regular periods is quite necessary as most of the time programs keep running in the background even without your knowledge. And this becomes more important when having just enough amount of RAM. Here are some simple methods that can help you clear up RAM:
1. Reboot Your System
The first and very simple step towards clearing your RAM is restarting your PC. This looks simple and works well since RAM is a volatile memory and requires power to store the data. So restating the PC will definitely clear up RAM space on your device.
2. Stop Apps Running in the Background
Many softwares that we download for single use and then forget to disable. Some of these apps are frequently used while some of them are not. If you are experiencing constant random crashes due to RAM then you can try clearing all apps in the background since they consume a lot of RAM.
Here’s how to stop the apps from running in the background:
- Open the start menu and navigate to the main settings. In settings go to privacy and then background apps.
Also Read: NVME vs PCIe SSDs
3. Monitor Your RAM Usage
You can always check the utilization of the RAM by different programs on your PC. Many programs tend to use a larger portion of RAM making it difficult for PC to run. While experiencing random crashes on PC due to RAM shortage you can stop these apps to get some relief. Follow the steps given below:
- Go to task manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+ESC You can also open it by searching on the start menu.
- Expand the processes tab and click on the memory section. You will see the list of all the applications with their RAM usage in decreasing order.
- To stop any of the applications, select the application and press the send button given at the right bottom of the window.
- Shift to the performance tab to see the chart depicting RAM usage and free memory available with your device.
4. Clear Your Page Files Before Shutdown
Page files are not cleared when you shut down or restart your PC because they are stored on a hard drive. To clear the RAM stored on-page files you need to clear the page files. This can be done by opening the registry editor. Here are the steps:
- Open Registry Editor by typing in the start menu.
- Give permission to the registry editor for making the changes.
- On the left side of the windows select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
- Navigate to the System and then select the current control set.
- Locate the “Control” option and select “Session Manager”.
- Go to memory management and select “CLEARPAGEFILESHUTDOWN”.
- Under the value data box enter “1” and press OK.
That’s it. I hope it helps.