How to Free Up RAM in Your Gaming PC

Are the programs in your computer shutting down, and you notice that it’s getting harder to complete any tasks? Then perhaps, you are using almost all of the available space in your RAM. This will lead to your system frequently crashing. Remember that your RAM is an essential component to run the programs, apps, and files in your hard drive storage. Without enough memory on your RAM, your system won’t be able to process these files. This is why you need to make sure that your RAM always has enough space to run your advanced programs. With that in mind, we are listing down six effective ways on how you can free up RAM space in your gaming PC:

6 Ways to Free Up RAM in Your Gaming PC

1. Check Task Manager to clean up any processes.
2. Disable any Startup Programs you aren’t using.
3. Stop running any background Apps.
4. Make sure to clear the Page File when shutting down.
5. Reduce your PC’s visual effects.
6. Install a RAM/Memory cleaner.

1 – Check Task Manager to clean up any processes.

If your gaming PC is starting to slow down, you need to check its RAM usage. Monitor your computer’s memory and track down its usage by going to the Task Manager. This is where you will see all the programs currently running and using the space in your RAM.

To check your PC memory, follow these steps:

Step 1 – Hold CTRL+ALT+DEL keys to open the Windows Task Manager.

Step 2 – Select the Processes Tab.

Step 3 – Select the Memory column to see how much space each running program is taking up on your RAM.

If you find any programs taking up space on your computer that you don’t need or use, then close these programs.

2 – Disable any Startup Programs you aren’t using.

If you have used your gaming PC for more than 3 years, you probably have downloaded software and programs you no longer use. So after checking the Task Manager, the next thing you need to do is disable any startup programs.

Startup programs are those apps that activate once your gaming PC boots up. When these apps run, each one of them takes up a portion of your RAM in the program. After a while, all of these programs can add up and slow down your PC, so check them from time to time and disable any programs or apps that you no longer need.

Follow these steps to do so:

• Step 1 – Go to Task Manager and select the Startup tab.
• Step 2 – Click the Startup Impact to organize the list of programs from high to low usage.
• Step 3 – Right-click to disable any programs that you don’t use anymore.

3 – Stop running any background Apps.

Aside from startup programs, background apps can also take up your RAM. These are the programs that automatically run in the background. These programs can quickly exhaust your gaming PC’s memory, battery, and data bandwidth, so stop any programs that you don’t need from running in the background.

To do stop any background apps, follow these steps:

• Step 1 – Go to computer settings by clicking the Gear Icon in your Startup Menu.
• Step 2 – Click on the Private category, and scroll down the panel on the left side to find Background Apps.
• Step 3 – Turn off or disable any apps that you don’t need or use.

Most applications that are set to run in the background display notifications and update their software automatically. So by turning these apps off, you will save plenty of RAM storage.

4 – Make sure to clear the Page File when shutting down.

Every time you restart your gaming PC, page files don’t get cleared because these files are stored on the hard drive, unlike your RAM. But when the RAM gets stored on-page files, it does not get cleared or reset with the rest of the files when you shut down your unit.

Clearing the page files on your hard drive will help clear any RAM it has stored. This will help a lot in keeping your gaming PC running efficiently. You can set your unit to rid these page files by following these steps automatically:

• Step 1 – Type Registry Editor in the search bar next to the Startup button.
• Step 2 – Click Yes to allow the Registry Editor to make any changes on your gaming PC. Find and select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
• Step 3 – Scroll to select SYSTEM and then CurrentControlSet. Then find and select Control.
• Step 4 – Scroll until you find the Session Manager and select it.
• Step 5 – Choose Memory Management, and select ClearPageFileAtShutdown.
• Step 6 – Input 1 under the value data and click OK.

5 – Reduce your PC’s visual effects.

Another easy way to free up space in your RAM is by reducing the visual effects on your PC. You can start by turning off any animations for the apps and icons that store unnecessary effects.

To make changes to your gaming PC’s visual effects, here are the steps to follow:

Step 1 – Open your File Explorer.

Step 2 – Click This PC and select properties.

Step 3 – Click Advanced system settings.

Step 4 – Choose the settings under the Performance category. Change it to Adjust for best performance.

This setting will disable all the animated features on your computer. Although it may limit your computer’s aesthetics, it will create more storage for your RAM. And suppose you want to add some visual effects. In that case, you can always customize the setting to your preferences in the same tab.

6 – Install a RAM/Memory cleaner.

Once you have done the tips above, you will want to keep your RAM clean to keep its performance. This is why we recommend that you download and install a Memory/RAM Cleaner App. This app is designed to have unique features that will remove apps or extensions that you haven’t used for a long time. It also allows you to manage the startup programs on your PC to optimize the memory allocation of your RAM easily.

Last but not least, remember to stop file hoarding. Delete any files and programs that you aren’t using. You might not know how much space you can free up once you start to declutter your PC. Also, always keep your drivers updated and scan your PC for any malware and viruses.