PC not Using all RAM? Here's how to Get Full Usage

Ensure that RAM is properly connected and compatible with your PC

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windows 10 not using all ram
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In some instances, PC is not using all RAM. If your system is showing less RAM than installed, then the RAM might not be properly connected to the motherboard. Using integrated graphics will allocate some of your RAM to it, making it unusable. Certain settings can also cause this problem.

Before we start, check your RAM and make sure it’s compatible and properly installed. If modules don’t have the same timing, you might need to replace them. In some cases, rearranging the RAM also helps.

What can I do if my PC is not using all RAM?

1. Use msconfig

  1. Press the Windows key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
    msconfig run window
  2. System Configuration window will now appear. Navigate to the Boot tab and click on Advanced options.
    advanced options button in system configuration window
  3. Check the Maximum memory option and enter the amount you have in MB. 1GB is 1024MB, and since we have 4GB RAM on our PC, thatโ€™s 4096MB. For your PC, be sure to enter the correct amount of RAM in MB. After youโ€™re done, click on OK.
    maximum memory checkbox disabled
  4. Save changes and restart the computer.

2. Turn off Auto RAM Virtualization

  1. 1. Press theย Windowsย key +ย Sย and enterย advanced. Chooseย View advanced system settings from the menu.

    view advanced system settings search results
  2. 2. Whenย System Propertiesย window opens, click theย Settingsย button in theย Performanceย section.

    settings button in performance settings section
  3. 3. Performance Optionsย window will appear. Go to theย Advancedย tab and click onย Change.

    advanced tab in performance option window
  4. 4. In theย Virtual Memoryย window, uncheckย Automatically manage paging file size for all drivesย option. Now select each drive on the list and chooseย No paging fileย option. Clickย OKย to save changes.

    automatically manage paging file for all drives disable

Now that you know how to use all RAM on your PC, keep in mind that sometimes your RAM is not detected, but we have a guide that addresses that issue.

There are several ways to address this issue, but if you didn’t manage to solve it, you can also limit RAM usage on your PC to optimize it. We also have a guide on RAM not running at full speed, so be sure to visit it.

Many users also reported that they don’t have enough memory in Windows 11, and this can be a problem and negatively impact performance.

You may also want to enable Memory Compression for better optimization. The guide is for Windows 11 but works on Windows 10 too.

Did we miss any of the solutions for this problem? If we have, let us know in the comments section below.

More about the topics: Computer Memory, windows 10

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