virtual memory

User avatar
Akashio
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2001 6:46 pm
Org Profile

virtual memory

Post by Akashio » Wed Jul 03, 2002 1:06 am

How do I increase my virtual memory? I want to dedicate 12-20 gigs of space on my D drive for virtual memory. Can anyone help me?[/img]

User avatar
jbone
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2002 4:45 am
Status: Single. (Lllladies.)
Location: DC, USA
Contact:
Org Profile

Post by jbone » Wed Jul 03, 2002 1:47 am

Depends on which version of Windows you're using. The Windows manual should tell you how.

User avatar
Akashio
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2001 6:46 pm
Org Profile

98 -_-

Post by Akashio » Wed Jul 03, 2002 2:17 am

I'm using Win98 and I lost the manual a LONG time ago. The help topics didn't help either, they just screwed it up.

User avatar
Sub0
Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2001 4:32 pm
Location: a small cabin on the edge of sanity
Org Profile

Re: 98 -_-

Post by Sub0 » Wed Jul 03, 2002 2:55 am

Akashio wrote:I'm using Win98 and I lost the manual a LONG time ago. The help topics didn't help either, they just screwed it up.
:P 9x is ez it's xp that gives me the 'bird'... in 9x, left click your 'My Computer' icon, select propertys than the settings (I believe it is) tab, than the virtual memory button... than it's pretty self-explanitary from there... settings don't change until you reset the computer.

BTW it's NOT recomended too set your virtual mem higher than you use (since I assume your into vid editing, 5x your ram is more than enough! Otherwise 3x is average) or better yet, get yourself a RAM deffrager from downloads.com.... and look into xp while your at it... it really is ALOT better at this stuff... oh! and you'll see a MAX Virtual RAM setting and Min setting, set them both to the same.

User avatar
jbone
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2002 4:45 am
Status: Single. (Lllladies.)
Location: DC, USA
Contact:
Org Profile

Post by jbone » Wed Jul 03, 2002 12:05 pm

In 98, you shouldn't need to change your virtual memory settings - Windows defaults to having a dynamically-set page file.

User avatar
mofisto
Joined: Tue May 01, 2001 2:50 pm
Location: Waverly, IA
Contact:
Org Profile

Post by mofisto » Wed Jul 03, 2002 12:26 pm

Well, why you would want to use Virtual Memory I don't know, your much better off buying more memory or going dual CPU. Virtual Memory treats the hard drive as memory. The hard drive is on the order of 10 or more times slower then system RAM. If you are using win98, then you can run into a 2gb file size barrier problem which eliminates a swap file of your size. The hardware setups that I would see having a large swap file would be if you have a RAID controller, and you had it set for stripping and you had UDMA 133 or SCSI hard drives, but even at the fastest with the most tweaked out settings you'll never get a hard drive to mimic memorys speed. Virtual memory is not without its benefits though. I belong to the school of though that Windows piss poorly manages the swap file size, and that the countless file resizes it performs are stupid. I usually set the virtual memory to a RAM size setting for the min and max. Depending on the CPU speed, and amount of availible ram as apposed to total. (I assume win98 will eat 64mb, so anything over that is what I use) And then I usually go with 128mb on a good system, 256mb on a medium system, and 512mb on a piece of crap.

If I where you though, with memory prices I would just buy more memory, or upgrade to a RAID controller, new MB or dual CPUs, virtual memory at best is like having a doodle pad next to you computer when you are typing a paper. Helps with notes, but really isn't needed.

User avatar
nailz
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2001 4:32 pm
Location: Phoenix AZ
Contact:
Org Profile

Post by nailz » Wed Jul 03, 2002 1:00 pm

and why would you want to use 12-20 GIGS? thats insane.
Ploink! Magic Cupcake! <a href="http://www.elvenking.net">Elvenking</a>. I'm sorry, I can't hear you over how awesome I am.

User avatar
klinky
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2001 12:23 am
Location: Cookie College...
Contact:
Org Profile

Post by klinky » Wed Jul 03, 2002 8:18 pm

check out this site:

http://www.pureperformance.com/js/showtip.asp?id=65


should tell you how, and what to set it to.


~klinky

User avatar
jbone
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2002 4:45 am
Status: Single. (Lllladies.)
Location: DC, USA
Contact:
Org Profile

Post by jbone » Wed Jul 03, 2002 8:35 pm

mofisto wrote:Well, why you would want to use Virtual Memory I don't know, your much better off buying more memory or going dual CPU. Virtual Memory treats the hard drive as memory. The hard drive is on the order of 10 or more times slower then system RAM. If you are using win98, then you can run into a 2gb file size barrier problem which eliminates a swap file of your size. The hardware setups that I would see having a large swap file would be if you have a RAID controller, and you had it set for stripping and you had UDMA 133 or SCSI hard drives, but even at the fastest with the most tweaked out settings you'll never get a hard drive to mimic memorys speed. Virtual memory is not without its benefits though. I belong to the school of though that Windows piss poorly manages the swap file size, and that the countless file resizes it performs are stupid. I usually set the virtual memory to a RAM size setting for the min and max. Depending on the CPU speed, and amount of availible ram as apposed to total. (I assume win98 will eat 64mb, so anything over that is what I use) And then I usually go with 128mb on a good system, 256mb on a medium system, and 512mb on a piece of crap.

If I where you though, with memory prices I would just buy more memory, or upgrade to a RAID controller, new MB or dual CPUs, virtual memory at best is like having a doodle pad next to you computer when you are typing a paper. Helps with notes, but really isn't needed.

User avatar
jbone
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2002 4:45 am
Status: Single. (Lllladies.)
Location: DC, USA
Contact:
Org Profile

Post by jbone » Wed Jul 03, 2002 8:35 pm

Damn browser choked, let's try this again...
mofisto wrote:Well, why you would want to use Virtual Memory I don't know, your much better off buying more memory or going dual CPU. Virtual Memory treats the hard drive as memory. The hard drive is on the order of 10 or more times slower then system RAM. If you are using win98, then you can run into a 2gb file size barrier problem which eliminates a swap file of your size. The hardware setups that I would see having a large swap file would be if you have a RAID controller, and you had it set for stripping and you had UDMA 133 or SCSI hard drives, but even at the fastest with the most tweaked out settings you'll never get a hard drive to mimic memorys speed. Virtual memory is not without its benefits though. I belong to the school of though that Windows piss poorly manages the swap file size, and that the countless file resizes it performs are stupid. I usually set the virtual memory to a RAM size setting for the min and max. Depending on the CPU speed, and amount of availible ram as apposed to total. (I assume win98 will eat 64mb, so anything over that is what I use) And then I usually go with 128mb on a good system, 256mb on a medium system, and 512mb on a piece of crap.

If I where you though, with memory prices I would just buy more memory, or upgrade to a RAID controller, new MB or dual CPUs, virtual memory at best is like having a doodle pad next to you computer when you are typing a paper. Helps with notes, but really isn't needed.
Wow, Mofisto, that's an awfully hige load of BS for a question with a very simple answer, and behind which you don't even know the motivation. :-D

Upgrading one's system is often not an option - especially for people who aren't sure what exactly is inside the mysterious box, and who are afraid to open it.

Also, upgrading to a dual CPU system has NO bearing WHATSOEVER on memory.

Third, just because virtual memory is slower on a single, stand-alone 7200RPM hard drive doesn't mean it's useless. I do all my editing on my P3-733 with 448MB RAM and 50GB total of non-RAID hard disk space. While I wouldn't say I can edit at the speed of light, and while I do notice when virtual memory is being used, it's not like it has <I>as</I> significant an impact on system performance as you make it out to.

Locked

Return to “Hardware Discussion”