Intel Arc 140v/Ultra 7 258v Desktop Window Manager RAM Usage

[Mackeral]

I have noticed that as soon as I start up my laptop (ASUS Zenbook S14), the ram usage of desktop window manager is around 500mbs, this is constant and fluctuates from around 200-600 mbs at any moment for no reason.

I've tried the OEM manufacturers recommended drivers but that didn't help as well as a clean install of the latest WHQL drivers for my processor.

I do not know if this is a memory leak but is there any known way to fix this issue and what might be causing it.

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

Thank you for posting in the community. I have reviewed the image you sent, and it is unusual to see the Desktop Window Manager using so much RAM on your system. However, I need more information to assist you further. Please answer the following questions:

1. Have you tried any other troubleshooting steps besides updating and installing your laptop manufacturer's driver?
2. Just to confirm, are you currently on version V32.0.101.6043?
3. Have you tried using the latest driver from the Intel website, specifically version 32.0.101.6458?
4. Did you perform a clean installation of the graphics driver?
5. Have you contacted Asus and/or Microsoft regarding this issue?

Additionally, to start, could you please try the following steps:

Open the control panel -> Go to System and Security -> Choose "Power Options" - > Then click the "Choose what the power buttons do" -> After that click the "Change settings that are currently unavailable" -> Uncheck the Turn on fast startup"

Thank you for your cooperation, and I look forward to your reply.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Mackeral]

Hi

Thanks for the response,
I have tried everything that you have mentioned, used both the drivers you mentioned to see if the issue was fixed and did clean installs of both.

I also turned off fast startup but that didnt take any effect in fixing this issue. I have only posted this on the Intel Forum as I have no clue where to post for ASUS

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

I understand. To further investigate this issue, could you please provide your system information using the System Support Utility (SSU)? This tool will generate a text file that compiles all your system information. You can follow the instructions at this link and send the text file here.: Help Guide for the Intel® System Support Utility

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Mackeral]

Hi,

I've followed the instructions from the link and generated the text file. I'll attach it

Thanks for your time

Kind regards

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

Thank you for sharing this file with me. I will investigate this situation further internally.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

Thank you for your patience. I have a few questions to help us investigate the high RAM usage issue further:

1. Could you please share a screenshot of your start-up programs in the Task Manager? Knowing these applications will help us identify potential causes.
2. Does the issue occur when the laptop is not connected to a network, or only when it is connected?

Your responses will greatly assist us in diagnosing the problem.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Mackeral]

Hi, 

Even with/without a network connection the issue still persists.

I also have all task manager startup applicatons disabled but I will also provide the screenshot.

Thanks for your time.

Best regards

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

Thank you for your prompt response. I will look into this further and investigate the issue with the DWM.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

Thank you for patiently waiting. There is a current driver update that we can try to install to see if it reduces the DWM memory usage. To proceed, please download the driver from this link: Intel® Arc™ & Iris® Xe Graphics (32.0.101.6460).

During the installation, if you see the "Clean Installation" checkbox, please check it. If not, select the "Customize Installation" option and then check the "Clean Installation" box.

Let me know the outcome after following these steps.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

I hope you've had a chance to review the information I shared earlier. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please feel free to reach out.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Mackeral]

Hi,

Sorry for the delay in response, I am currently away from home and don't have the ability to download those drivers yet.

I'll be able to do so in a few days and will make sure to get back to you.

Thanks for your patience and apologies for late response

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

Sure, I'll be waiting for your update after you've implemented the recommendations I shared.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Mackeral]

Hi,

I have installed the drivers with a clean installation but the issue still persists, I don't know if this is something unique due to a memory leak or a windows process but I haven't had this issue with any other device as most will stay below 100mbs usage.

The fluctuations also seem to be happening when I move my windows or drag them into the snap layouts at the top of the screen. As another user pointed out, it may be due to those other factors but this issue seems very unique to this device.

Kind regard & Best wishes

[reza007]

It's pretty normal for Desktop Window Manager (DWM) to use a few hundred MB of RAM since it handles all the visual effects and animations. The fluctuation you’re seeing (200-600MB) doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a memory leak—it could just be normal behavior, especially if you have high-resolution displays, transparency effects, or multiple apps running.

That said, you can try a few things to reduce usage:

• Turn off transparency effects (Settings > Personalization > Colors).
• Disable background apps (Settings > Apps > Startup).
• Check Task Manager for any apps using GPU memory heavily.

If the usage keeps growing over time without going down, it could be a memory leak, in which case keeping your drivers updated and checking for Windows updates might help.

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

Thank you for following the recommendation I provided earlier, and thank you, @reza007, for sharing your insights on this issue. I will further investigate this matter and work on providing a better resolution.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

Thank you for your patience. After thoroughly investigating the issue, I've compiled several steps that may help resolve it. Please follow the suggestions below:

• Uninstall the Windows update that was installed when the issue began.
• Install up to three different older graphics drivers from your laptop manufacturer.
• Clean temporary and unnecessary files using the Windows Disk Cleanup tool.
• Run the following commands in Command Prompt:
  • dism /online /cleanup-image /CheckHealth
  • dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
  • sfc /scannow
• Stop using OperaGX temporarily to see if it resolves the issue.
• Switch the power plan to Balanced or Performance and check the Desktop Window Manager (DWM) in Task Manager.
• As a last resort, consider performing a fresh installation of Windows OS.

Let me know the outcome of doing this following troubleshooting.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

I hope you've had a chance to review the information I shared in my previous message. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[mechanic]

I'm having the same problem with core Ultra 7 155H (Dell XPS 14) and core ultra 125H laptop (Lenovo Ideapad Pro). I tried latest drivers 32.0.101.6559 (WHQL Certified), Driver version 32.0.101.6458 seems little better but dwe.exe ram usage still hovers around ~350 MB, touching 500 - 600 MB in both laptops.

Only way to solve this was to install OEM drivers, in my case Lenovo provides driver version 31.0.101.5522 and "desktop windows manager" ram usage stays around ~120-170 MB, (Tested on Lenovo). But the OEM drivers are quite outdated and doesn't have latest fixes/ improvements.

In case of dell they provide driver version 32.0.101.6078 which has the same issue but drive version 31.0.101.5522 doesn't have such issue.

I've attached two files from SSU tool, one with issue and one with not.

EDIT:

I've noticed that when using OEM drivers Adapter RAM is 128 MB but when using Latest drivers Adapter RAM is shown 2 GB, an explanation would be great.

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Mackeral,

As I haven't received a response, I will be closing this inquiry. Should you require further assistance, please submit a new question, as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Thank you, @mechanic, for sharing this with me. It will be a great help to other members facing similar issues. If you continue to experience the same problem, please feel free to start a new thread for further assistance.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician