Memory

[bigdawgfoxx]

OK, I just bought some more RAM and it is working. However, I have a program that tells me how much free ram I have. When I first bootup my computer and log in, I have 390MB available out of 512 that I have? whats up with that?? Also should I see much difference in speed from 320 to 512MB with the stats I have on Windows XP Pro? Enough speed to use a birthday present on it? Thanx!

Edit:...cuz im not seeing much more speed right now.

[justin_9733]

Originally posted by bigdawgfoxx@9 November 2003 - 18:12
OK, I just bought some more RAM and it is working. However, I have a program that tells me how much free ram I have. When I first bootup my computer and log in, I have 390MB available out of 512 that I have? whats up with that?? Also should I see much difference in speed from 320 to 512MB with the stats I have on Windows XP Pro? Enough speed to use a birthday present on it? Thanx!

Edit:...cuz im not seeing much more speed right now.
I only got 92mb available out of 512mb so it looks like ur doing fine.

[bigdawgfoxx]

Oh. Well with 320MB i had 190MB free usually...so would going to 512mb still speed my system up? Or should I just get more if i only have like 10 MB free? But really the more memory...even if you have some free....it will still go faster right?

[Virtualbody1234]

I don't think that you used up all the 320 mb before so adding more isn't helping.

[clocker]

Well, sorta.

The more you can keep the processing working through your physical memory instead of virtual memory then in theory it will be faster.
Windows loves to use the pagefile though, for some reason.
I have 1GB of RAM and right now 762Mb is free.Still, Windows is using 126Mb of the page file.
More memory may not provide a noticable upswing in speed, but it will allow memory hungry apps (like K-Lite) to run without slowing down or freezing your PC.

[bigdawgfoxx]

So if i still had 190MB free out of 320...Then 512 wont help much? cuz it cost like 60 bux...

[Virtualbody1234]

You want speed from "Intel Celeron at 566Mhz" :blink: :blink:

[bigdawgfoxx]

Well it runs alright. Im just saying ...well answer my last question plz

[MadDog-2000]

You can disable or limit the Page File, which might or might not speed things up because Windows won't be allowed to use the Page file as much again. You could also try a RAM defragmenter, which will clear up some RAM after you closed a few programs. This is very useful for memory intensive programs that often don't clear their mess back up after they are closed.

However, with that CPU and current system hardware you will hardly notice any performance increases. Make sure you have set the best memory timings in the BIOS. If it is a high speed RAM module you should be able to run it as CAS 2! You can also make your system faster if you slightly raise your FSB, that is, if the memory and PCI cards will not cause instability.

[3RA1N1AC]

hey, if you buy the RAM, the system may as well use it, right? i'd rather see the system using up the physical RAM, than going crazy with a huge pagefile. ;)

[bigdawgfoxx]

Alright thanx for all your help...i guess ill be taking the memory back! ;) 320 seems ok to me.

[DVD PIRATE III]

Nevermind all those "ram-defraggers. They use up more memory than they free up..
Try typing this into the run command box..."Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks"....
This frees up and flushes unused .dlls ,processes etc

[bigdawgfoxx]

Ok rundell32 worked...but the other 2 didnt.

Edit: Rundell32 didnt seem to clear nething up either...

[Smurfette]

Originally posted by bigdawgfoxx@10 November 2003 - 01:25
Ok rundell32 worked...but the other 2 didnt.

Edit: Rundell32 didnt seem to clear nething up either...
What he meant was to open the Run dialog, enter the whole thing in together and hit Return. It's just one command.

[bigdawgfoxx]

Ohhh ok, I tried that...still didnt do anything. So should I just take back the new RAM? as i still had 190MB free with 320MB total? cuz I dont see any speed increase? I think thats what I should do. Also how do you limit your page file.

[bigdawgfoxx]

Suggestions?

[clocker]

Go to Control Panel>System>Advanced>Performance>Settings>Advanced>Virtual Memory>Change.

Jeez, don't 'ya just love drilldown menus?

Decide which disk you want the pagefile to be on and then set Custom Size.
Make the upper and lower sizes the same or Windows will screw around changing the size constantly.

Mine is set to 500Mb.

[bigdawgfoxx]

I had mine set to 765....is lower better? and also what does that number mean exactly? thanx for the help clocker!

[Kunal]

Originally posted by bigdawgfoxx@11 November 2003 - 04:10
I had mine set to 765....is lower better? and also what does that number mean exactly?
well your computer is basically using your hard drive as a extra 765mn ram! as you havent got to much ram in your system i reccomend keeping it at its current level

[clocker]

Originally posted by bigdawgfoxx@10 November 2003 - 21:10
I had mine set to 765....is lower better? and also what does that number mean exactly? thanx for the help clocker!
As Kunal said.

There is no "right" size, you just have to play around and see what works for you.
I have 1GB of RAM and have added some registry tweaks which ( in theory) keep Windows from dipping into the pagefile until all of the RAM is depleted.

XP just loves to spread itself all around and I was seeing that even when I had tons of free RAM laying about that Windows was using the pagefile also. Seemed very inefficient ( the pagefile is much slower than your RAM) so I have attempted to fix it.

Hard to tell if it makes any difference really.

[SciManAl]

i let windows take care of my virtual mem, that tops me out at 700 about... with a phisical 1gig ram and a total of 1700 MB ram

[Snee]

With RAM over 512 Mb, I think it's best to match pagefile size to physical mem size.

Read it somewhere.

[SciManAl]

that would be allot... i don;'t knmow that i will ever use that much...

[clocker]

Originally posted by SciManAl@11 November 2003 - 10:24
allot... i don;'t knmow
SciMan,

Your memory is probably fine, but I would install some more coordination maybe... :P

[SciManAl]

hehehe :D i have terrible typing habits...

[Smurfette]

This is my understanding...

The apparent optimum pagefile size is 2.5 times your actual physical RAM, so if you have 390MB of RAM installed, your pagefile should be set to 975MB.
That's not a hard and fast rule, rather the quoted figure that I've seen on virtually every reference page regqarding Windows tweaking for about the past 6 years.

OK, it seems lots of you are wondering why XP uses the pagefile when there's plenty of free memory it could use up first...
Many people have more than one application/program open at any given time and they all take up memory space; M$ decided that it would be more efficient if the programs that had been idle the longest were paged to disk, leaving more physical memory available to active applications - those that are being used. It is this design feature (heh I could've put that in quotes to demean it but I like the idea) that makes NBP thrash the disk first thing in the morning when I've left it running overnight and it's lain idle for a few hours.
This feature doesn't choose which programs to do this to by judging how important they are because it doesn't know, so many background tasks that are idle will get thrown in the pagefile.