Using a CF and ramdrive to maximize performance

[weEvil]

Though it is possible, having enough RAM to run WITHOUT a pagefile, there are some opinions that one should anyway be present, but of course if there is enough RAM it won't be used, unless some process "goes astray" and starts eating memory, in such a setup it does not really matter where the pagefile is put as it won't be ever (or just in these rare occasions) be used at all.

That's true. But there are limitations to the amount of RAM that can be used. In a 32bit system its 3GB. That's it. I don't think that's enough to remove a pagefile. Unless you're running a lite OS like XP, Linux... etc.

[jcarle]

That's true. But there are limitations to the amount of RAM that can be used. In a 32bit system its 3GB. That's it. I don't think that's enough to remove a pagefile. Unless you're running a lite OS like XP, Linux... etc.

That's incorrect, the limit is in fact 4GB.

[cluberti]

But there are limitations to the amount of RAM that can be used. In a 32bit system its 3GB.

As jcarle stated, you are confusing RAM, or physical memory, with virtual address space (VA), or what the memory manager allows an application to "see". In practice, this VA is a "virtual" 2GB or 3GB (depending on /3GB in boot.ini or the boot config in Vista/2008), and it can be mapped as pages either into physical RAM or the pagefile (or both, if the memory is pagefile-backed).

http://www.brianmadden.com/content/article...it-really-mean-

[weEvil]

http://www.brianmadden.com/content/article...it-really-mean-

From article:

In the 32-bit Windows world, each application has its own “virtual” 4GB memory space. (This means that each application functions as if it has a flat 4GB of memory, and the system's memory manager keeps track of memory mapping, which applications are using which memory, page file management, and so on.)

This 4GB space is evenly divided into two parts, with 2GB dedicated for kernel usage, and 2GB left for application usage. Each application gets its own 2GB, but all applications have to share the same 2GB kernel space.

So this would imply there is no memroy limit at all? If I run 2 memory-hungry apps (like Photoshop and Rhino 3D) then I can effecivelly put 8GB + 2GB(kernel memory) = 10GB memory total?

Or 2GB(Kernel) + 2GB (Photoshop) +2GB (Rhino) = 6GB??

[cluberti]

So this would imply there is no memroy limit at all? If I run 2 memory-hungry apps (like Photoshop and Rhino 3D) then I can effecivelly put 8GB + 2GB(kernel memory) = 10GB memory total?

Or 2GB(Kernel) + 2GB (Photoshop) +2GB (Rhino) = 6GB??

No, you miss the point. It's 2GB for the kernel (again, virtual address space) and 2GB of VA presented to EACH process running on the machine. Each process "sees" the 2GB (or 3GB, with /3GB) of VA that is presented to it by the memory manager, but this is VIRTUAL, it's just a construct. The application commits memory into it's *virtual* address space, oblivious to whether or not that "memory" is physical RAM or the pagefile (or both). The memory manager then decides where to put those pages the application is using - it either maps them to physical RAM, or puts them in the pagefile (or again, both, in pagefile-backed allocation scenarios).

I suggest reading chapter 7 of the Windows Internals 4th edition book if you're still confused. Remember, this is VIRTUAL memory an application sees, and it's not RAM at all. EACH application gets the same 2GB or 3GB of VA, but the actual PHYSICAL RAM that the machine can logically address is 4GB on x86, period (that is 2 to the 32nd power, or 4096).

[Bilou_Gateux]

Although high-priced software and hardware, the ultimate solution for performance:

RamDisk Plus adds multiple disk support, system page file support, and a versatile disk image backup facility.

Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 266X + CF - SATA HDD Adapter +

filter drivers from XPe +

4Gb RAM (only 3,2 Gb viewed by OS). If you have 4 available memory slots, add only 2x 1Gb + 2x 512Gb modules and save money.