What is the normal RAM usage?

Welcome

The percentage depends on 2 factors

How much RAM do you have?
How much is required

I have 6GB, I run about 25%, and have very little running

You have 4, so I say your numbers are within normal limits

hello

check this out its a ram meter

RAMMap

AS richc46 said, it depends and how much you have and whats needed.

Win7s RAM footprint will be a bit different on each machine depending how much you have installed.
If you leave Superfetch untouched and running, after about a week use it will take advantage of, and use even more of, any free RAM you have.

I would not worry in the least about it. Win7 does an excellent job at managing memory, and will make space if more is needed for your current project all on its own.

My machine, with 8GB of RAM, uses 2 - 2.4GB of RAM at idle.
30% of 4GB is Approx 1.3GB (or little less) in use. I would say this is completley normal for idle w/4gigs.

Unused RAM is wasted RAM IMHO. Let it use at much as it wants :)

The best situation is if all the RAM is being used - either for active programs or for caching. You can easily verify that in Resource Monitor > Memory tab. The colored bar will tell you.
You will notice that it changes over time. The more windows you open during the day, the more will be cached and the usage for active programs usually increases too.
Here is a picture of what I consider a good case:

whs said:

The best situation is if all the RAM is being used - either for active programs or for caching. You can easily verify that in Resource Monitor > Memory tab. The colored bar will tell you.
You will notice that it changes over time. The more windows you open during the day, the more will be cached and the usage for active programs usually increases too.
Here is a picture of what I consider a good case:

Question: Why is that good? (I am truly inquiring, not being a nuisance)

(If you feel that replying will make this thread go way too long and off topic, please PM me. -Marvin)

Because even though theres only 1460MB in use in that screen, the rest is still being used ( 0 free space) only its marked as standby.

In Use is just what it says, whats activley being used right at this moment.
Standby is everything you used earlier, or 7 thinks you will use soon loaded into memory. (just not currently active)

So when you call on a program in standby mode,it is already loaded into memory. It instantly changes to In Use status.

So you truly are using 100% of available RAM at all times, although it doesnt look like if you just look at whats currently in use. :)

I hope this was what you were meaning as to why its a good thing.

Wishmaster said:

Because even though theres only 1460MB in use in that screen, the rest is still being used ( 0 free space) only its marked as standby.

In Use is just what it says, whats activley being used right at this moment.
Standby is everything you used earlier, or 7 thinks you will use soon loaded into memory. (just not currently active)

So when you call on a program in standby mode,it is already loaded into memory. It instantly changes to In Use status.

So you truly are using 100% of available RAM at all times, although it doesnt look like if you just look at whats currently in use. :)

I hope this was what you were meaning as to why its a good thing.

So, an application that does not have its memory cached from a previous use, will start a little slower than one(s) that are cached?

Wishmaster gave the right explanation of my logic. Anything that is in RAM is instantly available. If it has to be fetched from disk, it takes a few thousand times longer. Just compare the HDD (or even SSD) access times to RAM access times. And that is not a "little" slower.