Windows explorer using high amounts of memory

After I updated to windows 8.1 (from 8), windows explorer is taking up way more memory than it use to. Windows explorer would only use around 37 MB but now it uses almost 300 MB and it shows through poor computer performance. I have tried ending the process and restarting it but sometimes it works and other times it doesn't.

How much total RAM do you have ? If 4GB or more, that much memory used should not have any impact on performance. FF is taking much more than that.

I have 16gb RAM, and explorer.exe is using less than 26mb and jumps to 50mb if I open 10 windows.
so with nothing open, 300mb is way too much in my opinion, independently on performance impact.

I don't get that much, 100MB when there's a lot of icons in high res, I think that 300 might be a bit too much too.

286 MB does seem high but there are legitimate reasons why this could be so. In any event I cannot conceive of this having any impact on performance. That is less that 2% of the total memory. A screenshot of the Performance tab showing memory would be far more useful in determining if there is a memory problem.