Should I configure my page file differently if I have lots of RAM?

In this excerpt from
Answercast #31, I look at how your computer uses RAM and if it is necessary
to configure a RAM drive if you have lots of memory.

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RAM based logical drive

Unfortunately, setting up what we used to call a “RAM drive” is kinda counter-productive if you’ve got that much RAM and all you’re gonna do is move your page file.

Remember that a page file is meant for use when the system runs out of RAM. By moving the page file into a virtual disk that resides in RAM, you’re actually reducing the amount of available RAM for applications. So, you’re increasing the likelihood that the page file would be used.

Yes, you did speed it up by having it in RAM – but if it wasn’t in RAM, the system could have used all of that memory for the applications… instead of this virtual disk drive.

Turn the page file off

My recommendation in general is:

• If 16 GB is enough memory for your system to do whatever it needs to do without pushing a page file,

• Turn the page file off.

I actually did that for a long time on my desktop system here. I have 8 GB of RAM in this machine and I simply turned the page file off. 8 GB was, for the longest time, more than enough to do everything that I wanted to do.

Turn it back on if you need it

Now, eventually, of course, your needs grow to exceed the capacity of what you have in front of you. Sure enough, that happened to me as well.

In my particular case, I would run more than one virtual machine for example (and virtual machines tend to be kind of RAM hungry). So, as a result, I ended up adding a page file again.

I did so because the system needed more RAM. 8 GB wasn’t enough. That means something needed to spill out of there. Unfortunately, my current motherboard is old enough that 8 GB is the maximum amount of RAM I can put in there.

Do you need a RAM disk?

So, no, don’t use a virtual hard disk, a RAM disk; it just doesn’t make any sense. If you really have that much RAM left over (if you’re not using most of it) then, by all means, consider turning off the page file completely.

When you get to a point where you find that you’re literally running out of memory, then it’s time to turn the page file back on.

Page file location

• Ideally, if you have second hard drive, put it on a hard drive that isn’t the system drive.

• If it’s the system drive that’s fine.

Just remember what matters is the amount of RAM you’re using:

• Which is almost always a function of the number of programs you’re trying to run simultaneously,

• and the kind of memory that they use.

Just make sure that your RAM usage is consistent with the amount of RAM that you have. Use a page file or not; depending on your situation.