Steam Web Becoming a Burden on PC RAM? Here're the Five Ways to Ease it Out
Steam has some great features, but not everyone needs them. If all you want out of Steam is a way to view and manage your games, and you don't care for the social features, then consider some of the methods mentioned below.
If you're an avid gamer using Steam, you may have experienced the frustration of your system slowing down due to high RAM usage by the Steam Web Helper process. This can be a common issue for many users, but the good news is that there are several effective ways to address it. In this article, we'll explore five methods to help you stop Steam Web Helper from using all your RAM, allowing you to enjoy a smoother gaming experience.
1. Disable Steam Overlay
One of the primary causes of high RAM usage by the Steam Web Helper process is the Steam overlay feature. The overlay allows you to access the Steam community and other in-game features, but it can also contribute to excessive RAM consumption, especially in games with high system requirements. To address this, you can disable the Steam overlay by following these steps:
1. Open the Steam client and navigate to the "Steam" menu.
2. Select "Settings" and go to the "In-Game" tab.
3. Uncheck the box next to "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game" to disable the overlay feature.
By turning off the Steam overlay, you can reduce the strain on your system's resources, including RAM, and potentially alleviate the high usage caused by the Steam Web Helper process.
2. Clear Steam Web Browser Cache
The Steam Web Helper process is responsible for rendering web content within the Steam client, including the in-game browser. Over time, the browser cache can accumulate, leading to increased RAM usage. To mitigate this, you can clear the Steam web browser cache by taking the following steps:
1. Open the Steam client and navigate to the "Steam" menu.
2. Select "Settings" and go to the "Web Browser" tab.
3. Click on the "Delete Web Browser Cache" button to clear the cache.
By regularly clearing the web browser cache, you can prevent the accumulation of unnecessary data that may contribute to higher RAM usage by the Steam Web Helper process.
3. Limit Concurrent Downloads and Updates
Steam is known for its vast library of games, and it can be tempting to have multiple downloads or updates running simultaneously. However, this can strain your system's resources, including RAM, as the Steam Web Helper process manages these tasks. To reduce its impact on your system, consider limiting the number of concurrent downloads and updates by following these steps:
1. Open the Steam client and navigate to the "Steam" menu.
2. Select "Settings" and go to the "Downloads" tab.
3. In the "Download Restrictions" section, adjust the "Limit bandwidth to" and "Downloads" options to reduce the number of concurrent downloads and the download speed.
By limiting the number of simultaneous downloads and updates, you can alleviate the strain on your system's resources, potentially mitigating the high RAM usage associated with the Steam Web Helper process.
4. Disable Hardware Acceleration in the Steam Client
Enabling hardware acceleration in the Steam client can enhance the rendering of web content, but it can also contribute to higher RAM usage, particularly if your system's hardware is not adequately optimized for it. Disabling hardware acceleration can help reduce the strain on your system's resources, including RAM. Here's how you can disable hardware acceleration in the Steam client:
1. Open the Steam client and navigate to the "Steam" menu.
2. Select "Settings" and go to the "Interface" tab.
3. Uncheck the box next to "Enable hardware video decoding" to disable hardware acceleration.
By turning off hardware acceleration, you can potentially alleviate the high RAM usage caused by the Steam Web Helper process, allowing for a smoother operation of the Steam client.
5. Use Browser Extensions and Ad Blockers
The Steam client's in-game browser, which is handled by the Steam Web Helper process, may be affected by web content such as advertisements and other resource-intensive elements. To minimize the impact of these elements on RAM usage, consider using browser extensions and ad blockers to optimize the browsing experience within the Steam client. Here's how you can do it:
1. Install a reputable ad blocker browser extension for the web browser you use within the Steam client.
2. Configure the ad blocker to block intrusive ads, tracking scripts, and other resource-heavy content.
By using ad blockers and browser extensions to streamline the web content displayed within the Steam client, you can potentially reduce the amount of RAM consumed by the Steam Web Helper process.
High RAM usage by the Steam Web Helper process can be a common issue for many gamers using the Steam client. By implementing the aforementioned methods, including disabling Steam overlay, clearing the web browser cache, limiting concurrent downloads and updates, disabling hardware acceleration, and using browser extensions and ad blockers, you can effectively reduce the strain on your system's resources and prevent Steam Web Helper from using all your RAM.
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