What Are System Resources?

Date First Published: 7th February 2024

Topic: Computer Systems

Subtopic: Computer Hardware

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty Level: 5/10

CONTENTS

Uses Of System Resources
Other Definitions

Learn about what system resources are in this article.

System resources are physical or virtual components of a computer system that provide the capabilities and are used to perform tasks efficiently. All internal system components, such as CPU, RAM, and hard drive, and connected devices are system resources, but it most commonly refers to the amount of RAM or memory the computer has available.

To ensure that the computer runs as efficiently as possible, system resources are monitored by the operating system. Since all system resources are limited, the computer can run low on system resources or even completely run out. Limited access to any system resource reduces performance and usually results in errors, like freezes, crashes, and the operating system becoming unresponsive. The quickest way to fix a system resource error is to restart the computer, which will ensure that all the programs and apps opened and those lingering in the background using up system resources are wiped out.

Uses Of System Resources

System resources are used by the operating system and other applications to perform tasks efficiently. For example, as soon as the computer boots up, it loads the operating system into the RAM. Every time a program starts, it will request memory from the operating system and the operating system is allocating system resources to handle the program. This means that it is making room for it among other programs and processes that are running at the same time. Depending on the amount of memory available, the program may open quickly or it may open a bit slower if less memory is available.

For example, if a computer has 8 GB of RAM installed and 6 GB is used by the operating system and other programs, there is only 2 GB of RAM available for other things. If not enough RAM is available, the operating system will swap the main memory into virtual memory. A system using virtual memory has a section of the hard drive or SSD to mimic the RAM. When programs are temporarily loaded from the hard drive, they will load much slower than the RAM and result in reduced performance.

Other Definitions

"System resources" can also refer to what software is installed on a computer. This includes programs, utilities, fonts, updates, and more. If any of these things are deleted, Windows may show an error message explaining that the resource was not found. For example, if a file installed with a certain program is accidentally deleted or corrupted, the program may fail to open.