I want to completely optimize Win 10 CPU and memory usage

[Mark_A96]

I just did a clean install not too long ago.

I recall that on Win 7 after I'd do a clean install there would only be less than a gig of RAM being taken up and pretty much no CPU usage at all. That's what I want to achieve with WIndows 10.

Here's what it looks like in standby with a few apps open generally: https://puu.sh/xRJeA/50fef766d2.png.
CPU usually spikes to the 40s with nothing intensive open.
And the RAM is way too high for no reason. 6.7GB availabe out of 16GB.

Specs:
GeForce GTX 1050 4 GB GDDR5
Intel Core i7 7th Gen 7700HQ (2.80 GHz)
16 GB Memory 1 TB HDD

 

[dudmont]

Keep in mind, cpu usage will be a good bit higher, no matter what you do. Win 10s natural usage.
Do you have a pagefile?
Are you using a Samsung SSD(with magician active?), or another SSD that has a caching program?

 

[Mark_A96]

Don't know what pagefile is.

 

[geofelt]

Windows 10 gets much of it's profit from monitoring and reporting on what you do.
It is low priority, but still there.
You probably want to turn off many of the default privacy settings.
Here is one guide to that:
https://www.pcworld.com/article/2971725/windows/how-to-reclaim-your-privacy-in-windows-10-piece-by-piece.html

Pagefile is where windows swaps code that will not fit in ram.
The use should be minimal.

 

[dudmont]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is the straight poop regarding your subject. Even with very minimal programs installed and taking as much control as you can of Win10, it's going to be a much bigger resource hog than Win7.
I consider Win7 to be almost as good an OS as XP, which I think was best Windows OS ever, they're not going to get any better, only worse in all sorts of ways. We're stuck with trade offs.
Many versions of Linux out there, might be a better option. x86 compatibility is a problem though.

 

[USAFRet]

Actually, Win 10 is much more RAM aware than previous. When you need more RAM resources, the system gives up what it is using so that you can.

What specific applications is it showing that is using that RAM?