why does my computer use so much ram

[Destroyer4312]

Physical Memory
Total 1021 MB
Used 413 MB
Free 608 MB
Utilization 40 %

Swap Space
Total 2465 MB
Used 170 MB
Free 2294 MB
Utilization 7 %

Virtual Memory
Total 3486 MB
Used 583 MB
Free 2903 MB
Utilization 17 %
AND this is just at my f'n desktop not doing anything.. im running STEAM ( Counter-Strike ) and Nortan Anti-virus.. anyhelp?

[Destroyer4312]

Physical Memory
Total 1021 MB
Used 413 MB
Free 608 MB
Utilization 40 %

Swap Space
Total 2465 MB
Used 170 MB
Free 2294 MB
Utilization 7 %

Virtual Memory
Total 3486 MB
Used 583 MB
Free 2903 MB
Utilization 17 %
AND this is just at my f'n desktop not doing anything.. im running STEAM ( Counter-Strike ) and Nortan Anti-virus.. anyhelp?

[DrJeckyl723]

depends on the "services" you are running and all the other things running in the background that aren't in your taskbar. give "End it All (http://home.ptd.net/~don5408/toolbox/enditall/)" a try and see if it helps. i use it and i run it right before i go into a game or do any photoshop or 3dsm work just to free up some ram and cpu power.

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[mr.amphibian]

ram.. cos computers need male sheep thats why

without them... their lil skulls sitting on an occult table next to the thousands of ants moving around tunnels and the mouse nested in the centre somewhere, how would hex work?

+++STOP ERROR+++ Error: Out OF Cheese Error +++STOP ERROR+++

_____________________________
if it looks like i am free it is becuse i am running

max... dearest of all my friends!

[BuddhaGamer]

Windows always uses as much RAM as it possibly can. (No, that's not a joke of some kind!) Everything that can be cached is saved in RAM in case it is needed again in the future. If memory is needed for some more useful purpose then these caches are flushed, and the memory is reclaimed. So when you're running a game or something, a lot of the space that appears allocated will either be freed, or it will simply be paged out to the hard drive to make more room available.

But also what DrJeckyl723 said is right: if you have extra background tasks running, that can definitely slow things down by using extra memory and CPU power. But don't be TOO worried about RAM usage, because even if I start up XP with NO extra services and NO startup items (using msconfig) it still uses 170+ MB... But once again, most of that memory will be easily reclaimed by the OS when it's needed.

"Stuff your eyes with wonder... live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories." - Ray Bradbury