Windows 7 page file size?

[imipenem]

I ordered the following components for a new build:
Intel Core i7-920
Giga-byte GA-EX58-UD5
12GB of Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1600
PNY Quadro FX 3800
Corsair Extreme Series 32GB - 4 disk RAID0
Areca ARC-1680i RAID Controller
Windows 7 Pro (x64)

I plan to run SolidEdge ST2, GibbsCAM 2009, and VMware7. SolidEdge support techs recommend a page file that is 2x the system RAM. I think that is excessive.

What size of page file do you think I need?

Thanks

 

[theevilsharpie]

Your page file needs to be large enough contain all committed memory in excess of your physical memory. Since you're using SSDs which aren't affected by fragmentation, the optimum setting would be to let Windows 7 manage it, which will allow it to grow and shrink as needed.

 

[tcsenter]

Set minimum to 2.0GB and maximum to 8.0GB. Run your apps for a few days without rebooting, then check the pagefile size (again, without rebooting). Whatever size the pagefile has grown to is all that those apps have required thus far. If it has grown beyond 7GB then you probably want to set it larger. If not, then don't.

 

[imipenem]

Thanks

 

[MStele]

You have plenty of ram so the only reason to have a page file is for compatibility purposes with some software. Personally, I would set it fixed to 1024 or 2048. The old premise have have a page file at 2.5 times physical memory is an outdated premise. In the past, conventional wisdom stated that in the case of a system crash, you needed enough swap to do a full memory dump. While this is still an important thing in some cases, there are no performance benefits to a swap file that large and your just wasting hard drive space. Also, back then it was common to use most if not all of the physical memory, so a large swap file was needed. Unless your doing heavy duty video editing, you wouldn't have memory problems with 6GB, and with 12GB you've got alot of breathing room.

 

[tcsenter]

"I plan to run SolidEdge ST2, GibbsCAM 2009, and VMware7." -- OP