Task manager not showing complete memory usage?

mdhillyer · 07 Feb 2016

Hi, I have 4GB of DDR3 ram on my laptop. When I go into the task manager to check how much ram is being used, it says only 795MB and yet it also says that 94% is being used.

This is always the case, of course with varying numbers. The memory usage shown does not coordinate with the percentage, but the computer performance certainly correlates with the percentage.

When I check in cpu-z, it does confirm that the 4GB are all installed. What is going on here?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Updated with pics:

Task manager not showing complete memory usage?-task-manager.png

Task manager not showing complete memory usage?-task-manager2.png

Update #2:
Ah, I missed the performance tab which does indeed show all of the correct total amount of ram being used. Now how do I find all of the individual processes and services using those resources?

Task manager not showing complete memory usage?-task-manager3.png

dalchina · 07 Feb 2016

Hi, you might find this free tool (1 of a large free range from MS) of interest.

Task manager not showing complete memory usage?-snap-2016-02-07-09.24.54.jpg

and this article
windows - How do I find whats memory? (not SuperFetch) - Super User

mdhillyer · 07 Feb 2016

Thanks a lot. Both that program and the thread seem to be just what I'm looking for.

Edit: So is it normal for windows 10 to run with such high memory usage even when only a few programs are running? It seems that I max out my ram too easily and this definitely negatively affects performance.

I ran RamMap and these are the results:

Task manager not showing complete memory usage?-rammap.png

Is it normal for mapped file to take up nearly double of what is used by private processes?

TairikuOkami · 07 Feb 2016

mdhillyer said:

Edit: So is it normal for windows 10 to run with such high memory usage even when only a few programs are running? It seems that I max out my ram too easily and this definitely negatively affects performance.

RAM is mainly used by superfetch, unless you have problems with an insufficient RAM, no need to worry about it. I have it disabled, because it caused me problems and I do not like pre-caching RAM for what OS thinks is the best.

dalchina · 07 Feb 2016

This may help to explain things a bit..
Where has all my Physical RAM gone? | Ask the Performance Team Blog

dalchina · 07 Feb 2016

TairikuOkami said:

RAM is mainly used by superfetch, unless you have problems with an insufficient RAM, no need to worry about it. I have it disabled, because it caused me problems and I do not like pre-caching RAM for what OS thinks is the best.

Just thinking, how meaningful or useful is superfetch when using (very) fast SSD and RAM?

TairikuOkami · 07 Feb 2016

dalchina said:

Just thinking, how meaningful or useful is superfetch when using (very) fast SSD and RAM?

Good point, the whole concept is about starting OS/apps faster, not to run them faster, maybe good for office.
In order for OS/apps to run faster, they need more RAM, which is taken by supefetch, it is kind of complicated.

Superfetch will free RAM when requested, but not when needed. It depends on software, but basically lets say, that the software needs 1GB to run, it will look at free RAM before requesting it and assume, that there is not enough, so it will fail to run or people will receive the message about an insufficient RAM. I sure hope, that SSD will kill superfetch eventually.

LMiller7 · 07 Feb 2016

The problem here has nothing to do with Superfetch.
Memory used for superfetch is on the standby list which is available to all processes for any purpose. As so little memory is available you can be sure that memory for superfetch is essentially zero.

Superfetch is very much misunderstood and much nonsense has been written about it.

eLPuSHeR · 07 Feb 2016

If you only have ssd disable Superfetch; otherwise your performance (specially for traditional mechanical hard disks) will plummet.
I hated Superfetch with passion but I can assure you the version that comes with w10 is pretty stable (at last).

TairikuOkami · 07 Feb 2016

LMiller7 said:

The problem here has nothing to do with Superfetch.

I can not think of anything else, which could take so much RAM except that.

I have even pagefile disabled and have 700MB usage, normally it would be 2GB.