7 x64 idle memory usage around 1.5Gb, normal?

[bvinicius]

Just curious, my installation uses about 1,5GB of ram with only the microsoft security essentials and ATI catalyst open. If i kill every possible process the use drop to 1,2GB.
Is that normal in the 64 bits version? My another computer, a old sempron with 1GB of ram and using the x86 version, uses 500MB of ram.

 

[HerrKaLeun]

It will use as much as it can and pre-fetches a lot of things it thinks you will use... that makes it faster and takes advantage of more memory. Don't worry, if you open some heavy software it will throw out some things it doesn't need. with other words, it actually takes advantage of the memory as opposed to XP. vista did the same thing, but did it less efficiently and used even more RAM. Out of my 8 GB vista consistently used 8 GB. Now W7 uses 2.5 GB with Word, Firefox and some little things open. It looks wasteful, but actually is more efficient and you paid for the RAM anyway. Not using it doesn't get you any money back

 

[bvinicius]

Thanks, but I think that it is not prefetch. The screenshot, of the resource monitor, below is more detailed.

1599mb in use, 884mb standby (<- that is prefetch or I am wrong?)

With the same programs as you my use is about that too. Not that there is a problem there, it is just strange that my other 5 years computer use a lot less memory with the same programs. Modern hardware drivers using more memory perhaps? Windows 7 in a virtual machine use about only 400mb here .

 

[whs]

Easy formula: Small RAM = small footprint (and slow performance), Large RAM = large footprint (and fast performance). Be glad it uses all your RAM - I assume it is paid for - LOL.

 

[Everlong]

The standby memory is the prefetch/readyboost has cached. The more RAM you have, the more RAM Windows caches with programs that are used often, like what Whs said.

So it does look pretty normal your memory usage.

 

[smarteyeball]

The standby memory is the prefetch/readyboost has cached. The more RAM you have, the more RAM Windows caches with programs that are used often, like what Whs said.

So it does look pretty normal your memory usage.

+ 1

 

[bvinicius]

Ok, thanks for the answers.

Anyone with more that 8GB around here? bigger usage, not including standby memory, or the same thing?

 

[Dzanan]

The standby memory is the prefetch/readyboost has cached. The more RAM you have, the more RAM Windows caches with programs that are used often, like what Whs said.

So it does look pretty normal your memory usage.

bvinicius has 8gb of memory and idle system uses 1.5gb, I on the other hand have 3gb of memory and my system also uses 1.5gb which kind of sometimes bottlenecks my everyday activities on the computer.

According to what you posted, my system should be using much less memory than it does.

I have i7 920 processor
3gb triple channel memory
DFI LANParty DK X58-T3eH6 motherboard

 

[whs]

The standby memory is the prefetch/readyboost has cached. The more RAM you have, the more RAM Windows caches with programs that are used often, like what Whs said.

So it does look pretty normal your memory usage.

bvinicius has 8gb of memory and idle system uses 1.5gb, I on the other hand have 3gb of memory and my system also uses 1.5gb which kind of sometimes bottlenecks my everyday activities on the computer.

According to what you posted, my system should be using much less memory than it does.

I have i7 920 processor
3gb triple channel memory
DFI LANParty DK X58-T3eH6 motherboard

It will depend a lot of what you are running. My 3GB system uses 1.19GB right now - and all I have open is the IE for the forum.

You also have to distinguish between RAM that is being used for running programs and RAM being used for caching. For the first category, see comment above. For the cached, the amount of time and the number of previously run programs plays a role.

Your cache will be pretty empty when you fire up the system. But after running 40 different things, it will be well populated. That's where a big RAM gives an advantage over a small RAM. The system needs not go back to the disk all the time to fetch the program you have previously used. Superfetch will just get it from RAM.

Btw: you are not "being bottlenecked". You still have 1.5GBs to go before you get the first serious paging activity.

 

[MadMaxData]

I have 4GB and mine uses 1.5GB at idle as well. Just to let you know it seems normal.

 

[DaGooN]

this is with 6GB