Yes, it is called “non-volunteer computing”. Your windows 11 was probably doing some Excel calculations for an instance of Office 360 running in Timbuktu
Most laptops have super easy RAM upgrades, just open it up and install a new kit, assuming the ram isn’t soldered. What’s your laptop model?
Windows is smart enough to allocate ram where it needs, but windows 11 is a giant ram hog for no reason. You will get performance drops, stutters, and other issues if you run out of RAM.
I’ve got the Acer Aspire A515-56. I don’t open demanding apps more than running discord, youtube (edge), some pdf program and other simple apps. U think if i install windows 10 it would improve? at this point idc about the more aesthetic lol.
i’ll definitely buy a 16 ram these days
I think it looks fine. It does seem Windows 11 seems to use most of your ram when even doing light tasks, but if you do something more demanding like start a Zoom call and open PDFs for the meeting, it reallocates the ram with the new needs.
Microsoft’s official stance is that unused RAM is wasted RAM… I guess.
That is just about every kernels stance on ram. Why have it to not use it?
A better indication of “not enough memory” is not used RAM but used swap/page file.
Right. I don’t understand why people are frustrated by high RAM utilization by the system. It would be one thing if it was a program that’s really just a poorly optimized rats nest of code. It’s the OS preloading and caching things to be a more responsive system. It’s not even like the high baseline utilization affects usability or speed of the device negatively anyway. When more memory is required by an app, the system frees up what it was reserving and gives it up. There’s no hiccup.
Like you said, the only indication that you are actually running out of memory is if you have page/swap utilization. Microsoft is also right, unused RAM is wasted RAM. Having RAM and being upset that the system is actually taking advantage of it is like being upset that you bought a shelf and now it’s got lots of things on it. You bought the fucking shelf to put things on it LOL. The purpose of RAM is to be occupied. I don’t understand the obsession with free memory I’ve seen recently online. Like people get upset when their CPU or GPU isn’t being fully utilized, and yet when their memory does the same thing it’s a problem… despite it only being done that way to benefit of the user.
I’ll tell you how to understand it. You’re drastically overestimating the general public’s understanding of computers and technology. Most people don’t even understand what RAM stands for let alone that daft punk didn’t even invent it.