Click 'File Explorer' on the taskbar or via the 'Start' button.To reduce visual effects on your computer: If you're having trouble freeing up RAM and aren't too keen on making your computing experience as aesthetically pleasing as possible, consider changing these effects for better performance. However, these effects and animations can consume a lot of RAM. If you've already restarted your computer and tried other browsers, try clearing the cache to free up RAM.Īs computer technology advances, so do the visual effects your computer is capable of. While this helps you browse the web faster, it can consume a lot of memory, leaving you with little memory to do other important tasks. Its cache is highly dependent on RAM as it uses short-term storage to reload recently visited pages. If you're heavily reliant on a browser and you've noticed that it's slow, it might be time to remarket to a smarter browser. Some browsers are better designed to allocate and manage RAM usage than others. Some processes may be running in the background without your knowledge, and restarting is a safe way to tell those processes to stop and give your RAM a rest.

Since RAM is short-term data that only exists for currently running programs, restarting your device will clear your RAM. As with most other issues your devices encounter, a good first troubleshooting step to reduce RAM usage is to simply restart your computer. If you're wondering how to clear RAM, the answer is probably simpler than you think.

Regardless of whether you're using Windows or Mac, there are some steps you should try before taking drastic measures to free up your computer's memory. How to Reduce RAM on Windows and PC: First Steps Read on for tips on how to free up RAM on Windows and Mac computers. If your computer is slow, it could be because your programs are taking up more memory than your RAM can handle.įreeing up RAM is an essential part of computer maintenance, because using your computer can be incredibly frustrating when it's running low. The more RAM you have, the more tasks your computer can run at the same time. RAM is the ultimate multitasker, allowing you to be active in one program while loading another. It's stored in a memory chip on your computer's motherboard, which acts as your device's main memory hub. Because of this, your computer can access RAM incredibly fast. RAM stands for Random Access Memory and is essentially the short-term memory that a computer uses for its momentary active processes.

How to free up ram mac