Swap file/Virtual memory size ...

[Nedreplan]

This question came to me as I was seeking improvement for playing Combat Flight Simulator 3.

I came across MicrosoftGamesInsider's Top 10 tuning tips for just CFS3 and they say that increasing the virtual memory to 1024 for initial size and 1024 to maximum size can make noticeable improvements, not only to CFS3 but other games and applications as well.

I wonder...will the effects be better, worse or none at all if I set the initial size larger than 1024, and also the maximum size as well?
I have plenty of space on my hard drive...I use something like 10 % of it.

Thanks for your help :happy:

 

[Perris Calderon]

the main thing to remember is increasing the pagefile can only help...it cannot possibly hurt...so go ahead and try it

I don't think increasing the pagefile higher then the default will help most people, but it absolutely cannot hurt...

in other words, go ahead, give it a shot....it cannot possibly hurt your performance to go with a bigger pagefile then the default.

 

[computerfreak76]

read this article from microsoft this will answer your question
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;197379

 

[sdibias]

Bah, don't listen to M$! A good rule of thumb is about 2 or 2.5x the amount of physical memory you have installed in your computer. I do agree that the swap file should not be located on the boot partition. If possible move the page file to another partition on a different physical disk for optimal performance.

 

[computerfreak76]

i disagree with the 2x or 2.5x i say try 1.5 why waste space if its not necessary?

 

[GhaLeoN]

how does one move the pagefile to another drive?

 

[computerfreak76]

control panel/system/advanced/performance/advanced/virtual memory

just choose which drive for the pagefile then make sure you delete the old pagefile.

it recommended to put your pagefile on the drive that doesnt contain the os and the drive thats faster

i made a partition on my secondary hard drive just for the pagefile.

 

[Perris Calderon]

Originally posted by computerfreak76
i disagree with the 2x or 2.5x i say try 1.5 why waste space if its not necessary?

this is a common point of view.

however, it is never wasting space, if the space is not being used for something else.

putting space to use...that's the ideal situation..leaving it to do nothing, this is a waste.

in any event, the default is usually more then enough for most users

 

[GhaLeoN]

Originally posted by computerfreak76
control panel/system/advanced/performance/advanced/virtual memory

just choose which drive for the pagefile then make sure you delete the old pagefile.

it recommended to put your pagefile on the drive that doesnt contain the os and the drive thats faster

i made a partition on my secondary hard drive just for the pagefile.

I have a problem then...

My WD 120 gig 8meg cache drive has my OS on it, and my page file, while my 20 gig maxtor holds my backup files

would i gain much from moving the page file over to my 20 gig? I think its the slower drive, but drive benchmarks (like in Sisoft Sandra) tell me its not THAT much slower

what to do?

 

[jkipk]

Of course the quick answer is Try It!!!, but yes you will gain from having your pagefile on a separate drive. Think of the read/write head physically travelling across the disk, reading and then writing to the pagefile portion of the 120g. It can't read AND write at the same time!!! With the pagefile on another drive, though, you cut down the time the head has to read, travel, write. It becomes read, send, write - faster. Also the deal with a fixed size of pagefile vs a Windows managed one is supposedly that by fixing the size, Windows doesn't have to stop to calculate the size of the pagefile - also faster. I've seen some debate about this, though. The size of the pagefile after a certain minimum size really doesn't matter, but like I said, it's debatedly faster to fix the size rather than have Windows dynamically set it.

Experiment and Report!!!

kip

ps it is also desirable to put the pagefile at the beginning of the disk (faster access), and to have it on a separate partition if possible (=no defragmentation)

 

[Perris Calderon]

you are one of the few people that no one can give the correct answer, as the speed of your drives is part of this equation.

just try it both ways, and see what suits you best.

 

[GhaLeoN]

thx for the replys

ive switched the pagefile over to the backup drive, it will be interesting to see how my system performs over the next week or so

 

[Perris Calderon]

once you move the pf, or increase the size, defrag it with this free pagefile deffrag program...

once you defrag the pf, it will remain contiogous forever...or untill you change the size or location again.

 

[vishalpai]

I agree that there will be a performance increase IF you put the pagefile on another faster drive. However, if you only have 1 drive then you should put it on the partition closest to the physical centre of the hard drive (i.e. the C:\) so it reduces seek and read times.

Static pagefiles are the best performance-wise opposed to dynamic ones.

I usually use a 1.5 RAM multiplier for my system and it has never crashed but I suppose it all depends on how much physical memory your system has (as the more physical memory you have the less pagefile your going to need).

If you have a LOT (more than 512mb) of RAM then people say its best to have no pagefile and rely on the RAM on its own. Havn't tried it myself though .

Hope this helps,