RamDisk Plus question

[LxMxFxD4]

I just upgraded my whole system from quite old hardware, based on the recs of some people on this board. (Thanks guys!). One of the things that was recommended was RamDisk Plus.

Well, I have a quick question... I have 4GB of DDR2 Ram and want to run my pagefile off of pure ram (if possible). I also run windows XP Pro 32bit, so when I boot into XP it naturally only sees 3.25GB of ram.

So my question is - I've created a ramdisk drive of 2GB for my pagefile - will this leave me with only 1.25GB of system ram available, or will it leave me with 2GB?

Also - if I installed another 4GB (its damned cheap) would that help me at all with a page file running from ram (that is, leave me with all 3.25GB of system ram available while the pagefile sits in the other 4GB?) Is running a pagefile off ram a bad idea?

Thanks!

 

[Denithor]

Running Ramdisk Plus will allow you access to the entire chunk of memory you have installed. So you can either set up a 1GB ramdisk and leave 3GB for system or if you bump up to 8GB you can set a 5GB ramdisk and leave the 3GB for the system.

I'm considering doing the second myself just because it's so damn cheap.

If you use photoshop much point your scratch file onto the ramdisk also, that will improve performance significantly.

 

[postmortemIA]

running pagefile off ram is dumb. you will have less available RAM and pagefile will be used more than it was before. it makes serious performance hit when data is not found in RAM, regardless where pagefile is at. when page fault occurs, that memory page will copied to main RAM which means some data will be twice in RAM. be so your performance will be worse.

with 4GB of RAM you don't have to worry about pagefile usage.

 

[LxMxFxD4]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA

with 4GB of RAM you don't have to worry about pagefile usage.

As much as I'd like to believe that, windows XP does some pretty dumb stuff ALOT and still uses the page file. At least as far as I know.

 

[her209]

/facepalm

 

[LxMxFxD4]

Anyone out there answer this yet?

 

[Old Hippie]

So my question is - I've created a ramdisk drive of 2GB for my pagefile - will this leave me with only 1.25GB of system ram available, or will it leave me with 2GB?

I vote 2GB.

I just started playing with RamDisk Plus last week and I'm not impressed. I've had it setup for pagefile and temporary Internet file use and noticed no difference.

This is with XP Pro 32 and 4GBs of RAM.

I'm thinking because I don't use any programs that stress the pagefile, I'm not utilizing the capabilities of a Ram disk to make an improvement.

 

[Nothinman]

I have 4GB of DDR2 Ram and want to run my pagefile off of pure ram (if possible).

Stop that. The pagefile isn't used as much as you think it is and moving it to a RAM disk will only cause more memory pressure resulting in more pagefile usage.

So my question is - I've created a ramdisk drive of 2GB for my pagefile - will this leave me with only 1.25GB of system ram available, or will it leave me with 2GB?

The RAM disk is created by a driver in Windows so it's taken from the memory that Windows can see.

Also - if I installed another 4GB (its damned cheap) would that help me at all with a page file running from ram (that is, leave me with all 3.25GB of system ram available while the pagefile sits in the other 4GB?)

Only if your OS can see all 8G of memory so that it can create the RAM disk from it.

Is running a pagefile off ram a bad idea?

Very. To understand why read the chapters on memory management from Inside Windows or even something like Understanding the Linux kernel since the base ideas are the same.

As much as I'd like to believe that, windows XP does some pretty dumb stuff ALOT and still uses the page file. At least as far as I know.

The last sentence is key. The pagefile is only 1 place where paging happens to/from and only for certain types of pages.

 

[Old Hippie]

Only if your OS can see all 8G of memory so that it can create the RAM disk from it.

We're using the program RamDisk Plus by Superspeed and....

RamDisk Plus 9 has a most unique feature. Our patent pending technology can access memory beyond the limitation imposed by a Windows 32-bit operating system! In other words, RamDisk Plus 9 can use "unmanaged" Windows' memory e.g. above 4GB. It can also use the stubbornly inaccessable memory between 3.2GB and 4GB.

 

[Nothinman]

That would be a reason for me to avoid the product because I can't think of a way that they could manage that without patching the OS and that's never a good thing.

 

[Old Hippie]

It's certified for Windows.

 

[Nothinman]

And that just fills me with confidence...

 

[Old Hippie]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
And that just fills me with confidence...

As I knew it would! LMAO.....

 

[LxMxFxD4]

I was really hoping that someone who actually uses the software would restpond

 

[Denithor]

Send a PM to IDontCare -- he's a current user of Ramdisk Plus 9 and can probably help you with your questions.

 

[postmortemIA]

the sooner you realize you won't gain anything not even 1% speedup, we'll all be better off.

 

[hanspeter]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA
running pagefile off ram is dumb. you will have less available RAM and pagefile will be used more than it was before. it makes serious performance hit when data is not found in RAM, regardless where pagefile is at. when page fault occurs, that memory page will copied to main RAM which means some data will be twice in RAM. be so your performance will be worse.

With one exception...

If he install 8GB on his 32bit XP machine, he will be allowed by Windows to use a maximum of 4GB. If he creates a ramdrive out of the last 4GB and puts the pagefile there (there might be some issues with windows allowing this), you would win some

 

[Nothinman]

If he install 8GB on his 32bit XP machine, he will be allowed by Windows to use a maximum of 4GB. If he creates a ramdrive out of the last 4GB and puts the pagefile there (there might be some issues with windows allowing this), you would win some

Using the RAM disk for something might be a win, but putting the pagefile there wouldn't be one.

 

[hanspeter]

Yes, in this situation it would. Because the ramdrive takes up ram that wouldn't otherwise be used for anything, so you don't take it away from your applications.

 

[Old Hippie]

Originally posted by: LxMxFxD4
I was really hoping that someone who actually uses the software would restpond

All right, How's this......

Yesterday after reading this post I made a 2GB Ramdisk with Ramdisk plus and put my pagefile on it. Everything took a little longer to boot but it completed fine. The Windows properties still said 3.25GB RAM. When I tried to actually use my machine, things went crazy. It seemed like Windows was going crazy looking for the pagefile. Windows Explorer was nonresponsive and my computer kept locking up. It would settle down after awhile but any request to actually do something would bring another lockup.

This is with XP Pro 32bt and 4GB of RAM.

There, I've done your experiment for you.

 

[Nothinman]

Yes, in this situation it would. Because the ramdrive takes up ram that wouldn't otherwise be used for anything, so you don't take it away from your applications.

That's true but it's still most likely a waste unless you've done the research to prove that you're actually using the pagefile a lot.

This is with XP Pro 32bt and 4GB of RAM.

If you created a 2G RAM disk with 4G of physical memory and Windows sitll said you had 3.25G of memory then something went horribly wrong.

 

[Old Hippie]

If you created a 2G RAM disk with 4G of physical memory and Windows sitll said you had 3.25G of memory then something went horribly wrong.

Maybe, maybe not.

Since you don't seem to be aware of the program or how it works, why don't you try it and then we'll be sure?

 

[Nothinman]

Maybe, maybe not.

So you're saying that the RAM disk memory is only used on demand and will be given back to the system when it's not used?

Since you don't seem to be aware of the program or how it works, why don't you try it and then we'll be sure?

A. I know better.
B. I don't have a Windows machine on which to try it.

 

[Old Hippie]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Maybe, maybe not.

So you're saying that the RAM disk memory is only used on demand and will be given back to the system when it's not used?

Since you don't seem to be aware of the program or how it works, why don't you try it and then we'll be sure?

A. I know better.
B. I don't have a Windows machine on which to try it.

Nice. :roll:

 

[Nothinman]

Well it's true. Almost any speed gains from putting a pagefile on a RAM disk will be a placebo affect.