Windows virtual memory paging system thing!

[HazzyP]

Hi there,

I got 4gb of fast ram and was wondering if I really need my virtual memory settings on like 6gb.

I thought if I got plenty of quick ram then surely disabling / minimising this would improve performance would it not?

Id rather it use my physical ram rather than the hard drive yeah?

 

[Rastalovich]

IF, and I say IF, u want to try it, u can turn all the virtual memory off, or set it to zero.

Windows being windows, i.e. believes that loading prefetched stuff onto a usb device is speedier than having an option to load it to ddr3, has been rumored to require or even assume that the page file is always going to be there and thus does certain tasks relying on it.

However, not knowing what these tasks actually are (probably general maintenance stuff) and not having done it myself - all I could really say is that some people do do it. How smooth the ride is I don't know.

I defrag pcs whilst having no pagefile mind u. I wouldn't suggest it, but it works for me to this point.

 

[Cathode0]

I disabled mine for a while, then one day I decided I would record something for like 1 or 2 hours and all the sudden the system hung up on me and I lost the whole recording. I'm 90% sure it had to do with the paging thing being disabled so I re-enabled it after that. I think if your page-file's starting size is set to 0, then you won't have a page file going unless your system really needs it (knowing windows, this is probably not true though, lol)

Also, check out an app called eboostr. It's pretty sweet, and does store things in ram for quick access. I don't currently use it cause my trail ran out, but I plan on signing up for one of their add campeign partners to get a full copy, and then cancling my add subscription. In theory this will cost me nothing but time and energy (which is why i've been putting it off).

 

[Diablo]

I would only try this stunt if you are running 8GB of RAM. Mine throws a fit everytime I do it with 4GB (Half of mine is dope smoking in the Netherlands in Corsair's repair center). If you do try to turn it off, set it 16mb first, then set it to zero or you will have a 6gb hole in your hard disk.

Superfetch will put the data into physical memory, which unfortunately means that you will start to run out of memory while gaming. (Did on mine anyway) and will then sulk at you every time the memory useage hits 70%. So half way through a very delicate and hard bit of Crysis, windows will minimise it, tell you it wants you to close crysis to free up some memory so it can use it for something else...you have 30% remaining. This may or may not then crash Crysis and you will curse the idiot that put in these warnings.

My advice, reduce it to something like 2GB or so, but don't get rid of it until you get 8GB of ram.

 

[Rastalovich]

Check out the 4 different settings for fetch if u like, u can limit what it caches, but there's also a procedure for removing what it cached previously.

(almost like once something has been cached, it stays cached ?)

 

[nathan]

I have a feeling certain log files stop working if theres no page file set. I'm not 100% sure on this though.

 

[HeliEye]

Ah interesting stuff, I'm hoping with 12GB ram I can kill the paging file.

as long as the paging file doesn't keep expanding til I run out of mem?

Steve