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[Question] Optimal size for pagefile?


skeletorscorpse

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Yes, it depends on the amount of RAM in the system.

And you should always have a pagefile. Many programs won't work properly if you don't have one (for example - Photoshop).

For me, I've got 1GB of RAM, but I still set a 1.5GB pagefile (max=min=1536MB). I've got space to spare on my hard drive (most people do these days), and it doesn't hurt to have a little bit more than you'd normally need.

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I run Photoshop nearly all the time as my website is based primarily on Photoshop. Photoshop CS2 does work without a pagefile as did CS although CS popped up with a message saying that you had no pagefile.

But i'm not so much concerned with my system as its running fine. It's more about other computers which are used primarily for word processing and internet browsing where hard drive space is limited.

Most of these computers only have 256MB RAM.

I have read sites saying to use 1.5x your system RAM but I don't see how that would work. Surely the more RAM you have the smaller the pagefile you need?

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The optimal setting is... surprise surprise... let windows choose aka "System Managed Size".

Since when is a hard value better than what MS has tested (way more than any of us have) in accordance to your ram. BTW, the automatic value is the optimal value, which, as you said, is 1.5 times your system ram.

Edited by travisowens
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The optimal setting is... surprise surprise... let windows choose aka "System Managed Size".

Since when is a hard value better than what MS has tested (way more than any of us have) in accordance to your ram. BTW, the automatic value is the optimal value, which, as you said, is 1.5 times your system ram.

i disagree...i've set my pagefile to whatever i thought it should be, basing my estimate on what the m$ recommended would be...for example, if m$ would say 480 mb, i'd add 32 mb, for a total of 512mb (i like numbers like this)...but that would be for a system with 256mb or less of ram... ;)

my current primary system has 1gb of ram, and an equal size pagefile NOT on drive C:...just for a small gain in performance of the thing...i have seen some programs complain about a non-C: pagefile, so i set a 64mb one on C:...made all those complaints go away, and no noticable hit to performance... :whistle:

IMO, a pagefile doesnt need to be bigger than 1-1.5gb...anything bigger is just a waste of hard disk space...but hey, i dont work for microsoft... :}

by trav's example, a system with 4gb of ram should have a 6gb pagefile...surely, i'm not the only one here who sees that as a tad on the ridiculous side... :huh:

Edited by joll69
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I'd say the minimum is 768Mb and max is 2048Mb.

On my XP Pro machine I've set it to 1024/1024 and it works fine.

Fixed size pagefile is supposedly faster as it does not have to resize it and fragment it in the process.

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I remember when xp first came out, for me anyways 256 megs ram was plenty. ive always since xp, kept my pagefile at static value of 512, even when i upgraded pc and had 512 ram+512 pf.

My latest pc has 1024 ram and again its a static 512 pf. A couple weeks ago i got to wondering 256+512=enough, 512+512=enough, so surely 1024+0pf MUST be enough???

recently ive set pf to 0.

in systemproperties/startupandrecovery/ changed "write debugging info" to NONE.

(that removed the 2mb minimum pf requirement).

running afew benchmarks like 3dmard05 and a couple others, yields no difference between 1024,512,0 pf.

I also have a regentry to keep os files in ram.

Im going to keep running with pf at 0 and see what happens. Now im not suggesting this is better or anything like that, im just testing it out for myself.

we ran photoshop with 256 ram and some pf. so like the other guy said, where does it end?

4gb ram + 6gb pf = stupid.

-my 2cents

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So the general concensus is that 1.5x system RAM is advised then?

not in my experience...pagefile size should be set based on physical ram....no smaller than 256mb (for up to 64mb of physical ram), 384mb (for up to 192mb), 512mb (for up to 384mb phy ram), etc...but for systems that have >512mb phy ram, a pagefile shouldnt need to be bigger than 768mb...for a gig of phy ram, i match it in pagefile...more than a gig, pretty much keep pagefile at a gig...anything more seems like a waste of space... ;)

i've never seen any problems using this config, and system performance is more than acceptable...

i tried running without a pagefile for a couple weeks one time...my system actually went a bit faster, mostly with multitasking (nothing memory-intensive tho, just small stuff)...i went back to a pagefile because so many programs, and even some games, complained about no pagefile...some would run anyway, a few would not... :angry:

i've always wanted to see a mobo that could run 32gb of ram for a single 64-bit cpu...i get the feeling a pagefile would be pointless with that much onboard space.... :wacko:

Edited by joll69
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