Can someone explain like I am your grandma Why is my disk and memory usage so high I dont really use my laptop regularly

I find that whenever I do use my laptop, both the disk and memory usage indicators show very high values. I’m not a frequent user, so it puzzles me why this would be the case. Could someone kindly explain this in simple terms

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Im surprised this laptop can even handle Windows 11 with only 4GB of RAM

Ash said:
Im surprised this laptop can even handle Windows 11 with only 4GB of RAM

It’s likely using 100% page filing

Talon said:

Ash said:
Im surprised this laptop can even handle Windows 11 with only 4GB of RAM

It’s likely using 100% page filing

That would also explain why the disk usage is so high

@Kiran
This isn’t about the page file though. If your disk usage is constantly at 100%, it might be due to a low-quality SSD failing, which I experienced with my first budget SSD

Davi said:
@Kiran
This isn’t about the page file though. If your disk usage is constantly at 100%, it might be due to a low-quality SSD failing, which I experienced with my first budget SSD

It’s actually a SHDD, which is part SSD and mostly HDD

Adding another 4GB of RAM could solve your problem by reducing the need to use the disk for memory

Davi said:
@Kiran
This isn’t about the page file though. If your disk usage is constantly at 100%, it might be due to a low-quality SSD failing, which I experienced with my first budget SSD

It seems like a small Optane drive meant to cache for a larger 1TB HD

Ash said:
Im surprised this laptop can even handle Windows 11 with only 4GB of RAM

You would need only 512 MB to run older systems like Windows 10 just to get it started

What are you even running on this PC that requires Steam

Sam said:
What are you even running on this PC that requires Steam

Trying to play Cyberpunk at maximum settings

Sam said:
What are you even running on this PC that requires Steam

Or maybe getting ready for GTA 6

Sam said:
What are you even running on this PC that requires Steam

I managed to finish Terraria on my dad’s old 2010 laptop

Sam said:
What are you even running on this PC that requires Steam

There are plenty of less demanding games that run well on older systems available on Steam

Your computer’s specs are equivalent to those from 25 years ago. You don’t have enough RAM, so Windows is using your disk as a substitute, which is a very slow process especially since you chose the cheapest and slowest type of disk. Even though it says SSD, you might actually have a hybrid drive, which would explain why it’s labeled SSD but performs poorly

@Page
16GB might be overkill for basic tasks. 8GB should be sufficient for things like word processing

Nori said:
@Page
16GB might be overkill for basic tasks. 8GB should be sufficient for things like word processing

From my experience, even basic tasks can be challenging with only 8GB if you’re multitasking. I recommend at least 16GB, but 8GB might work if you’re only running a few applications at a time

Nori said:
@Page
16GB might be overkill for basic tasks. 8GB should be sufficient for things like word processing

The trend is moving towards 16GB as standard even for entry-level laptops, similar to how Apple discontinued their 8GB models

@Stevie
Apple’s decision was based more on the demands of new AI features than general performance needs. Here’s an article for reference: [link]

Parker said:
@Stevie
Apple’s decision was based more on the demands of new AI features than general performance needs. Here’s an article for reference: [link]

Those new AI features were included in the latest OS update