Your computer’s memory is like your desk at work: the more cluttered it gets, the harder it is to find what you need. There’s a whole toolbox of additional software that can help you keep your system’s RAM tidy, responsive, and efficient. Below, you find some of the coolest tools you can use to manage and optimize memory like a pro
Process Explorer: The Sherlock Holmes of System Diagnostics
If Windows Task Manager is your magnifying glass, then Process Explorer is your microscope. Developed by Sysinternals (now part of Microsoft), this utility lets you dig deep into what’s running on your computer. Here’s what makes it indispensable:
- Detailed Process Tree View
Ever wondered why your CPU is screaming or your RAM is almost full? Process Explorer shows every running process, who spawned it, and how much memory it’s eating. - Memory Hog Detection
One click and you can sort processes by memory usage. Found a browser tab that’s hoarding gigabytes? Boom, you can deal with it instantly. - DLL Hunting
Track down which processes are sharing libraries (DLLs) and identify bottlenecks at a microscopic level.
Example in Action:
Last year, a power user shared how they fixed a 3-second delay in every mouse click. The culprit? A rogue printer driver causing memory lockups. Process Explorer helped pinpoint the exact issue in minutes.
RAMMap: Forensic Memory Investigator
Think of RAMMap as your memory’s X-ray machine. It does not just show you how much RAM is in use, it tells you what is using it, how it is being used, and why.
- Active vs. Standby Memory
Ever wonder why your 16GB of RAM feels sluggish when you’re only using Chrome? RAMMap reveals how much of your memory is “reserved” for preloaded apps and system caching. - File Data View
See which files are hogging RAM and decide if they deserve to stay there. It’s a real eye-opener for heavy media editors. - Memory Use Categorization
From “Zeroed” memory (free but initialized) to “Modified” memory (used but awaiting flushing), RAMMap gives you the full spectrum.
Example in Action:
A developer debugging a large game found that a chunk of memory was being locked by outdated log files. By analyzing memory allocations with RAMMap, they freed up gigabytes of RAM and boosted loading speeds by 20%.
DTaskManager: Lightweight Memory Management for the Minimalist
Not all heroes wear capes – some wear compact, no-installation-required .exe files. DTaskManager is a third-party alternative to Windows Task Manager that brings a leaner, faster, and more advanced interface to your fingertips.
- Kill Stubborn Processes
Sometimes Task Manager can’t kill a frozen app (we’re looking at you, unresponsive Chrome). DTaskManager steps in with advanced options to terminate anything. - Per-Core Analysis
See how memory usage affects individual cores of your CPU. If your PC feels unevenly “laggy,” this tool can help uncover the cause. - Advanced Suspension
Freeze apps temporarily to free up memory without closing them. Perfect for pausing resource-heavy apps while gaming or video editing.
Example in Action:
A small business owner used DTaskManager to troubleshoot why their old office PC was crashing during video calls. Turns out, an obscure background process was eating up swap memory. Problem solved!
Mz RAM Booster
In addition to basic information about the installed RAM, the Mz RAM Booster offers various options for optimizing RAM consumption and RAM usage. For example, similar to smartphones, background processes can be ended to free up space in the RAM. However, you should make sure that there is no data loss. So save open documents and the like before you let the “Mz RAM Booster” automatically terminate processes.
You can also change settings that affect the Windows kernel. This makes it possible, for example, to give running programs an extra boost. Caution is also advised here: Windows normally distributes the system resources independently. Interfering with this process can contribute to system instability. By automatically encapsulating DLLs and other system settings that are no longer needed, RAM usage is further reduced.
Find more information and the download here.
MemTest86+
Memtest86+ is a memory tester utility for x86 and x86-64 architecture computers. It provides a thorough memory check than that provided by BIOS memory tests.
Memtest86+ can be loaded and run either directly by a PC BIOS (legacy or UEFI) or via an intermediate bootloader that supports the Linux 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit, or EFI handover boot protocol. It should work on any Pentium class or later 32-bit or 64-bit x86 CPU.
Find more information and the download here.
CleanMem
CleanMem is a complimentary tool purportedly aiding in memory management within Windows. In its effort to diminish the RAM consumption by software, CleanMem periodically invokes the Windows memory management API every 15 minutes to reclaim unused RAM. The developer asserts this approach as superior to relying solely on Windows’ autonomous memory management.
Operating discreetly, the program establishes a task in the Windows Task Scheduler. To assess its performance and monitor your system’s memory usage, users can access the bundled CleanMem Mini Monitor tool. This tool positions an icon in the System Tray, enabling users to observe the current memory usage of their system.
Find more information and the download here.
AppCleaner
AppCleaner Freeware eliminates outdated files from your computer, encompassing temporary files, history, cookies, internet logs, and more across over 2000 software programs – surpassing other cleaners in versatility
This process liberates disk space and enhances overall system performance. Give it a try to experience optimized computer performance that’s effortlessly manageable for daily use.
Find more information and the download here.
CCleaner
CCleaner is a free optimization software for Windows 11 and Windows 10, you can clean up the operating system, internet browser, registry and hard drives and thus speed up your PC. The freeware is easy to use, combines tuning and cleaning functions and creates new storage space. To do this, the tool removes junk data, memory images or duplicate files.
By deleting surfing traces, cookies and browser history on Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Microsoft Edge Chromium, Brave Browser and Vivaldi as well as by removing browser plug-ins, the PC cleaner protects your privacy and ensures more storage space. You can also clean the Windows registry database with the integrated registry cleaner.
Find more information and the download here.
Wise Memory Optimizer
Wise Memory Optimizer is free tool designed to enhance your computer’s performance by freeing up RAM memory. Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible to anyone, regardless of their level of technical expertise. The program displays a graphical representation illustrating the current memory usage and available memory. Additionally, it offers an options menu where users can configure the program to operate automatically when memory is low.
To optimize memory, simply click the “optimize” button, and within minutes, the tool will release as much memory as possible by clearing the clipboard and unnecessary cache from background processes.
Find more information and the download here.