How to know real memory usage

Offtopic
1

I always struggle to know the real amount of memory use on my computer under Linux.

For example, htop report this:

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image2784×130 55.6 KB

While mission center report this:

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image483×737 25.2 KB

and also this:

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image411×519 13.5 KB

My understanding is that htop only report memory usage for the current user, excluding the amount of memory used by the Kernel? While mission center show the usage of the entire system?

After a boot and a idle of 5 minutes, htop report 1.6GB usage while mission center report 7GB usage (which seem way too high, even Windows is not that high). I already know you should not count cached memory as used memory because any cached memory can be reclaimed at any time. But in mission center, what is the difference between “In use” and “committed”?

What is the most accurate way to know the real usage of the whole system?

2

This command might be usefull @iSpeakVeryWell

free

Edit: also free -w

3

I’ve also used free in the past but it report even more different numbers so I get even more confused! :laughing:

1 Like
4

lol, you bet sir !

The thing is that if it gives realtime memory usage also.

6

I’ve tried btop as well, but I find htop to be more usefull, so I sticked with htop in the end. Btop also report different numbers. Every app I tried reported different memory usage which is what is confusing to me.

I’m starting to think there is no way to know real memory usage. The only thing those apps agreed upon is available memory.

8

Htop and Mission Center “used” are pretty much identical here.

9

This looks like a great tool! I’ll give it a try! Thank you!

10

On a side note @iSpeakVeryWell @1fallen , you can try same commands with either inxi, pinxi & binxi, & wont have the exact same results oddly enough, ( it was always the case on my side)

binxi s based on bash, & pinxi s based on perl, it might also be why !

Edit: Very much alike with some little differences;

   bin pinxi -s
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 29.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia temp: 30 C
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A gpu: nvidia fan: 64%
   bin binxi -s
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 28.8C mobo: N/A gpu: 31C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
   bin inxi -s 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 29.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia temp: 29 C
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A gpu: nvidia fan: 64%
1 Like