AI Is Driving Up RAM Prices. Can Uninstalling Apps Save Your PC?

Windows 11’s Copilot may soon answer the question every owner of a sluggish laptop eventually asks: what’s slowing this thing down? Microsoft is testing an opt-in feature called PC Insights that reads your CPU, RAM, and storage usage, then explains what it finds in plain language.

Now the catch.

When Windows Latest tested the current Copilot app in July, it used close to 1 GB of RAM on a 32 GB PC, partly because the app ships with its own private copy of Microsoft Edge. PC Gamer pointed out the obvious irony: the tool meant to find what’s slowing your PC down can itself be one of the bigger memory users on it.

Does that matter? On a 32 GB machine, barely. On an 8 GB laptop, it’s a different story. The same footprint would take roughly an eighth of your memory before you’ve opened a single browser tab.

RAM got expensive. Bloat didn’t get cheaper.

The usual fix for a slow PC is more memory, and that fix costs a lot more than it used to. According to HotHardware’s report on Lenovo’s outlook, mainstream PC memory and storage costs rose 40% to 70% during 2025 alone, and PC DRAM contract prices more than doubled quarter over quarter in Q1 2026, a record. Lenovo expects prices to stay elevated through 2030, because memory makers keep shifting capacity toward the chips AI data centers want. It’s one of the less obvious ways AI’s knock-on effects show up in prices ordinary people pay.

So AI is pushing up the price of RAM, and some AI features eat into the RAM you already have. That leaves one cheap upgrade: taking memory back.

Removal tools can help here. IObit, for example, says IObit Uninstaller 16 can now strip out Microsoft Edge, OneDrive, and Copilot, along with other pre-installed extras. Treat that as a vendor claim, and read the removal list carefully before you confirm anything.

One important warning about Edge: many Windows apps quietly depend on Edge’s WebView2 component to display their interfaces, including the Copilot app itself. Removing Edge can break other software in ways that aren’t obvious right away. Unless you know exactly what relies on it, leave Edge and the WebView2 runtime alone, and look for savings elsewhere.

Will uninstalling anything actually help?

Sometimes. Background apps draw on RAM and CPU, and trimming the ones that launch at startup can shorten boot time. Free space matters too. Windows uses the system drive for temporary files and virtual memory, so a nearly full drive can pinch.

If your drive has plenty of room and the unused apps just sit there doing nothing, expect little change. And no uninstaller will rescue a PC held back by an aging SSD or simply too little RAM. That’s a hardware problem. It’s a similar story to the AI tools piling up in many workplaces: clearing out what you don’t use helps, but only up to a point.

What to demand from an uninstaller

Five features separate a real uninstaller from a fancier copy of the Windows Settings page:

• A deep scan for leftover files and Registry entries
• Force uninstall for broken programs
• Backups or restore points, so you can undo a bad call
• Batch uninstall, for clearing several apps in one pass
• Install monitoring that logs what a setup file changed

The red flags are easier to spot. Be wary of any tool that greets you with alarmist scan results designed to push you toward a paid upgrade. Avoid aggressive Registry cleaning that touches entries it has no reason to touch. And read every setup screen, since some installers pre-tick extra apps or browser extensions.

Five uninstallers, compared

“Free” below means the free edition.

Features are based on vendor documentation and published reviews at the time of writing. Free and paid editions change, so check before you download.

IObit Uninstaller 16 Free

For most readers, this is the best all-round uninstaller for Windows on this list. It covers desktop programs, Microsoft Store apps, and browser extensions in one place. Software Relocation moves large programs to another drive without breaking them, and Install Monitor records what a setup file changes so you can undo it later. When you uninstall, the dialog lets you create a restore point and clear leftovers automatically.

There’s also a one-click Software Health scan that flags outdated software, leftovers, and intrusive notifications, with a Fix All button. Review what it lists before you click, rather than fixing everything blindly.

IObit says the tool can remove more than 4,000 stubborn programs. That’s the company’s figure, not an independent count.

The downside: the free edition keeps nudging you toward Pro.

Revo Uninstaller Free

Revo suits tinkerers. It runs a program’s own uninstaller first, then hunts for leftovers, with a choice of Safe, Moderate, or Advanced scan depth. Hunter Mode lets you drag a crosshair onto a window or tray icon to remove the app behind it. Batch removal and install tracking sit behind Pro.

Geek Uninstaller

Geek Uninstaller is a single portable .exe, handy on a USB stick. It starts fast, shows each program’s size and install date, scans for leftovers after removal, and offers Force Removal for broken software, plus Store app support. The free edition skips batch removal and has no restore option, so double-check before you force-remove anything.

Bulk Crap Uninstaller

This is the one for when twenty apps need to go at once. It’s free and open source, removes programs in a single batch, and can run uninstallers quietly in the background. It finds Steam games, Store apps, and portable programs too, and it sets a restore point and Registry backup before it starts. It isn’t pretty, and it doesn’t track installs.

HiBit Uninstaller

HiBit has the longest feature list of the five. Batch removal, install monitoring, force removal, a browser extension manager, and a portable build all come free, along with a startup manager, junk cleaner, and file shredder. It also includes a Registry cleaner, one of the red flags above, so leave that particular tool alone and use the rest. Beginners may find the sheer number of options overwhelming.

A safe first run

Here’s a careful way to try IObit Uninstaller for the first time:

1. Download IObit Uninstaller 16 Free from the official site. If setup offers a custom install option, take it and decline any extras.
2. Find the programs you want gone in the list, and click Uninstall.
3. In the pop-up, tick the options to create a restore point and automatically remove residual files before you confirm.
4. When removal finishes, run Software Health, and check each flagged item before fixing it.

Don’t recognize a program? Search its name before you click anything. And again, think twice before removing Edge.

Back up first, read every removal list, and keep your RAM money in your pocket until your PC proves it really needs more.

Quick answers

Q. Does uninstalling programs make a PC faster?

Sometimes. Removing apps that run in the background or launch at startup can free RAM and speed up boot times. Unused apps that never run make little difference unless your drive is nearly full.

Q. Why are RAM prices so high in 2026?

Memory makers are shifting production toward the chips AI data centers need. PC DRAM contract prices more than doubled in Q1 2026, and Lenovo expects elevated prices through 2030.

Q. Is it safe to uninstall Microsoft Edge?

It’s risky. Many Windows apps rely on Edge’s WebView2 component, so removing Edge can break other software. Leave it installed unless you know what depends on it.

Q. Do I need a paid uninstaller?

Not necessarily. Bulk Crap Uninstaller and HiBit Uninstaller are free with no upsells, and IObit’s free edition covers most everyday needs.

 Related: 7 Best LLM Observability Tools in 2027: Which One Should You Choose?