Pagefile custom setting with 2GB of ram

[nealh]

I have heard setting the pagefile 1.5x of ram for initial/max is better for overall system performance

ie for 1GB=1536 initial/1536 max
2GB=3000initial/max

vs allow system to manage

what are your thoughts

 

[jjones]

I don't use a page file. I have 2 gigs of ram and eliminated the page file and disabled the paging executive. I have read conflicting reports on this subject but it works for me; however, I don't know if there is any real advantage to doing that. Photoshop is supposed to use the page file but I use Corel which creates its own similar and entirely separate page file anyway.

I think the idea behind setting a min and max page file to the same size is related to file fragmentation and from what I understand, it's not a bad idea to make the min and max sizes the same. But at 2 gigs of ram, I don't think that you need a 1.5x page file. I think more along the lines of 500 meg would be appropriate. I'm sure there are others here who have more insight on this.

 

[nweaver]

if you do not have a page file as big as your ram, you cannot get a crash dump. Setting min/max to the same is PURELY for fragementation (and I do this).

The general consensus on this subject is there is no general consensus. You will hear most folks say leave it system managed, and a few holdouts like me who still do the static min/max thing.

 

[nealh]

btw the min/max number I came up with is what is recommended by winxp when it manages the pagefile...says min 1536/max 3000+..so I just set the same

hmm..maybe I should tinker

does letting winxp control over any real advantage

 

[bsobel]

With that much memory your not really using the paging file anyhow (at least, most users with 2gig arent), thats why I'd recommend leaving it system controlled. My home rig is a dual xeon with 2 gigs, I leave it system controlled.

Bill

 

[fightcancer]

From McPudd here.

Leave a small pagefile (~50MB) on C:
Create a partition (1st is best) on another HDD and size it a bit larger than what you decide as page file max.
This is the best link I've seen related to this:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

See also:
How can I optimize the Windows 2000/XP/2003 virtual memory (Pagefile)?
http://www.petri.co.il/pagefile_optimization.htm
Virtual Memory Optimization Guide http://www.rojakpot.com/default.aspx?location=3&var1=143&var2=0

 

[nealh]

Originally posted by: bsobel
With that much memory your not really using the paging file anyhow (at least, most users with 2gig arent), thats why I'd recommend leaving it system controlled. My home rig is a dual xeon with 2 gigs, I leave it system controlled.

Bill

ok..sounds like good advice(what when gaming?)
I guess I am so ignorant here..does the pagefile act like "ram"....

what happens if you disable it ?

 

[nealh]

Originally posted by: fightcancer
From McPudd here.

Leave a small pagefile (~50MB) on C:
Create a partition (1st is best) on another HDD and size it a bit larger than what you decide as page file max.
This is the best link I've seen related to this:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

See also:
How can I optimize the Windows 2000/XP/2003 virtual memory (Pagefile)?
http://www.petri.co.il/pagefile_optimization.htm
Virtual Memory Optimization Guide http://www.rojakpot.com/default.aspx?location=3&var1=143&var2=0

thanks

 

[bsobel]

I guess I am so ignorgant here..does the pagefile act like "ram"....

If a very basic sense, it's an overflow area when you are using more virtual memory than you have physical memory. So, if you are running programs and they combine are using 3 gig of memory, in your case only 2 will fit physically into ram. So the additional 1 gig is stored in the paging file. The system 'swap' out parts as needed so when you acces part of the 1 gig on disk, the least used part in ram is put on disk and the disk part is put into ram.

My point was, with 2 gigs of memory, you're probably not running into many cases where your actually swapping as such, it doesn't matter too much what you do with the page file I don't recommend turning it off as there are still some system apis and error reporting processes that need some page file available to work properly (although they arent common).

Bill

 

[nealh]

you guys are a wealth of info thank you:thumbsup: