Is your Windows 10 PC running slow? Clearing out old RAM can give it a much needed speed boost. Here are 5 effective methods to clear RAM on Windows 10 PC.
1. Restart Your Computer
The simplest way to clear RAM is by restarting your PC. This will wipe the RAM completely clean and end any unnecessary background processes that could be slowing things down. Make restarting regularly a habit, at least once per week, to prevent performance issues.
To restart:
- Click the Start menu and select the Power button.
- Click Restart.
Restarting flushes out old RAM contents and gives you a fresh start.
2. Check and Close RAM Hogging Apps
Sometimes a particular app ends up using too much RAM over time. You can easily check which apps and processes are consuming the most memory.
To see RAM usage:
- Open Task Manager by right-clicking the taskbar and selecting it.
- Go to the Processes tab.
- Click the Memory column header to sort by RAM usage.
Look for unfamiliar processes or apps you don’t use often near the top. Right-click them and select End Task to free up that RAM.
3. Disable Unneeded Startup Apps
Apps set to launch at startup occupy RAM even if you don’t actively use them. Cut down on startup apps to reduce background RAM usage.
To edit startup apps:
- Open the Startup tab in Task Manager.
- Click the Startup Impact heading to sort by most to least impact.
- Right-click apps you don’t need and select Disable.
This prevents unnecessary apps from launching and using RAM each time you start your PC.
4. Turn Off Visual Effects
Windows 10’s visual effects like animations use up some RAM. You can turn them off to prioritize performance over appearance.
To adjust visual effects:
- Search for “Performance” in the Start menu and select “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows”.
- Select “Adjust for best performance” to disable all effects.
Or customize and turn off only certain effects. This frees up RAM with minimal visual changes.
5. Add More RAM
Adding more physical RAM is the best way to truly increase available memory and prevent future slowdowns.
To upgrade RAM:
- Use a tool like Crucial’s Scanner to find compatible RAM for your PC.
- Carefully install the RAM by opening up your PC and inserting into the motherboard.
While adding RAM requires an upfront cost, it provides long-term performance benefits and smoother multitasking.
Clearing out old RAM provides a quick performance boost for Windows 10. But adding more RAM delivers the best results for consistently speedy performance even when running multiple apps. Try out these suggestions to revitalize a sluggish Windows 10 PC.