What happens if your computer runs out of RAM?
Do you know how much RAM does your computer need? When a computer runs out of memory (RAM), several things can happen depending on the operating system and the available resources. Here's an outline of the most common outcomes:
1. System Starts Using Swap or Paging:
- Most modern operating systems use a technique called swap memory (on Linux) or paging (on Windows). This means the OS temporarily moves data from RAM to a portion of the storage (often called a swap file or page file) to free up RAM for other processes.
- Since storage (especially HDDs and non-SSD drives) is much slower than RAM, this will significantly slow down the system.
2. Applications Slow Down or Freeze:
If memory runs out and the system relies heavily on swap, applications may experience significant lag or freeze temporarily as they struggle to retrieve data quickly from the slower swap storage.
3. Operating System Freezes or Crashes:
In extreme cases, especially if there's no swap space configured or if the swap space is also full, the operating system may freeze, become unresponsive, or crash.
4. Applications Close Unexpectedly (Memory Management):
- Operating systems often have mechanisms to close the least essential or inactive programs to free up memory. You might notice programs or browser tabs closing unexpectedly.
- On some mobile devices and low-memory systems, you’ll often see background apps getting killed automatically.
5. Out-of-Memory (OOM) Errors:
Certain operating systems, especially Linux, have an Out-of-Memory (OOM) Killer. This is a function that selectively terminates processes to free up memory and keep essential system functions running. Typically, the OOM Killer targets processes that consume a lot of memory.
6. Data Loss in Unsaved Applications:
If applications or the system crash due to lack of memory, any unsaved data may be lost. For instance, if you're editing a document and the program crashes due to memory shortage, unsaved changes could be lost.
7. System Alerts or Notifications:
Some operating systems provide alerts when memory is low, prompting you to close some applications or take other steps to free up memory.
8. Performance Degradation and System Instability:
Running out of memory often leads to a dramatic performance drop, making even simple actions, like opening a file or switching applications, take a long time.
How to fix?
Check available RAM your computer have, to make sure if it is run out of RAM. If so, adding more RAM, optimizing running applications, and ensuring adequate swap or paging space can help avoid these issues.
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