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#16
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Virtual memory low
Can't agree more.
I just fixed a PC for a friend that only had 256MB of memory and Integrated video. To make matters even worse the hard drive was a 5400RPM with a transfer rate of 25MB/s so it was horribly slow. It has a 2.2GHz processor but my old Dell 933MHz with 512MB memory and Video card could outperform it. -- JS http://www.pagestart.com "Mike Hall - MVP" wrote in message ... "Gerry" wrote in message ... Shenan Adding RAM does not help if the CPU capacity is low and the system performance bottleneck. We don't know in this case what the CPU is. -- Gerry ~~~~ FCA Stourport, England Enquire, plan and execute ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shenan Stanley wrote: Azy wrote: My 40 GB HD is about 50% used ( i have 20.5 gb free space) I understand everyone saying that I could use more ram than the 256 I currently have. But knowing that i only have the 256, what chould i set my virtual paging file size to be for all drives? RIGHT now its set to 484 MB. ALso, I checked the box to "Compress drive to save disk space"...what will this do and is it a goo thing to do? It was unchecked before. Thread hijack. Leave it at "System Managed Size" -- purchase more memory and install it. Try to bring your machine to 1GB. http://www.crucial.com/ Use the "Crucial Memory AdvisorT tool" and/or "Crucial System Scanner tool" to figure out what you need/can get. Ignore/disable the compression thing - you don't need to do it (you still have 50% of your drive free) and it might be noticable (decrease in performance) on a system such as yours. -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP Gerry There is a very good chance that the machine has an integrated video card, in which case only 192mb will be available for whatever is going down.. It is almost impossible to find older processors which one could trust, but easy to find and fit extra memory. Pagefile usage will be cut by half, and the whole machine will feel more sprightly.. -- Mike Hall - MVP Windows Experience http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/ |
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#17
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Virtual memory low
Shenan
I was just trying to make the point that adding RAM is not always the best solution. If the CPU is not up to the task then it can be a better decision to replace the computer. At some point the user has to evaluate whether it is better to build on what they have or to start again. Replacing the CPU can be done by replacing the motherboard but my experiemce has been that you can also end up replacing other components like power supply units etc as well. In your response you could be wrongly assuming that "the system is able to run Windows XP". This is a 7 year old computer. The computer was not designed for the programmes of today. Windows XP SP3 is much more demanding than Windows XP SP1. Adding RAM is not the only way to reduce over reliance on the pagefile. Adding RAM to eliminate low Virtual memory messages is not what the exercise should be about. We all agree that 256 mb of RAM is insufficient for most users to have a saisfactory experience when running Windows XP. What I was questioning was whether adding RAM was going to offer the best longer term solution. Mike has mentioned hard drives. If this computer has a slower drive then you could spend money and replace the drive. My position is that where you have a 7 year old computer you have to look at all potentional bottlenecks before spending more money on a computer near the end of it's useful life. -- Gerry ~~~~ FCA Stourport, England Enquire, plan and execute ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gerry wrote: Adding RAM does not help if the CPU capacity is low and the system performance bottleneck. We don't know in this case what the CPU is. If the system is able to run Windows XP now and there is only 256MB now - there is a 99% chance they *would* see an increase in performance if they increase their total amount of memory, reguardless of the CPU power. Yes - they could also increase their overall performance if they increased CPU - but the least expensive, easiest hardware upgrade they could perform that would have the highest likelihood of improving performance is an increase in physical memory - they will get nothing out of what they are trying to do. -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP |
#18
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Virtual memory low
Shenan
It was not Mike that made the point about hard drives. It was JS. Mike mentioned graphics. Their points just emphasise the importance of looking at the whole machine and not just availability of RAM when contemplating a hardware upgrade. -- Gerry ~~~~ FCA Stourport, England Enquire, plan and execute ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shenan Stanley wrote: Azy wrote: My 40 GB HD is about 50% used ( i have 20.5 gb free space) I understand everyone saying that I could use more ram than the 256 I currently have. But knowing that i only have the 256, what chould i set my virtual paging file size to be for all drives? RIGHT now its set to 484 MB. ALso, I checked the box to "Compress drive to save disk space"...what will this do and is it a goo thing to do? It was unchecked before. Shenan Stanley wrote: Thread hijack. Leave it at "System Managed Size" -- purchase more memory and install it. Try to bring your machine to 1GB. http://www.crucial.com/ Use the "Crucial Memory AdvisorT tool" and/or "Crucial System Scanner tool" to figure out what you need/can get. Ignore/disable the compression thing - you don't need to do it (you still have 50% of your drive free) and it might be noticable (decrease in performance) on a system such as yours. Gerry wrote: Adding RAM does not help if the CPU capacity is low and the system performance bottleneck. We don't know in this case what the CPU is. If the system is able to run Windows XP now and there is only 256MB now - there is a 99% chance they *would* see an increase in performance if they increase their total amount of memory, reguardless of the CPU power. Yes - they could also increase their overall performance if they increased CPU - but the least expensive, easiest hardware upgrade they could perform that would have the highest likelihood of improving performance is an increase in physical memory - they will get nothing out of what they are trying to do. -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP |
#19
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Virtual memory low
Mike Hall - MVP wrote:
"Gerry" wrote in message ... Shenan Adding RAM does not help if the CPU capacity is low and the system performance bottleneck. We don't know in this case what the CPU is. -- Gerry ~~~~ FCA Stourport, England Enquire, plan and execute ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shenan Stanley wrote: Azy wrote: My 40 GB HD is about 50% used ( i have 20.5 gb free space) I understand everyone saying that I could use more ram than the 256 I currently have. But knowing that i only have the 256, what chould i set my virtual paging file size to be for all drives? RIGHT now its set to 484 MB. ALso, I checked the box to "Compress drive to save disk space"...what will this do and is it a goo thing to do? It was unchecked before. Thread hijack. Leave it at "System Managed Size" -- purchase more memory and install it. Try to bring your machine to 1GB. http://www.crucial.com/ Use the "Crucial Memory AdvisorT tool" and/or "Crucial System Scanner tool" to figure out what you need/can get. Ignore/disable the compression thing - you don't need to do it (you still have 50% of your drive free) and it might be noticable (decrease in performance) on a system such as yours. -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP Gerry There is a very good chance that the machine has an integrated video card, in which case only 192mb will be available for whatever is going down.. It is almost impossible to find older processors which one could trust, but easy to find and fit extra memory. Pagefile usage will be cut by half, and the whole machine will feel more sprightly.. With that tiny amount of RAM and knowing it's running XP there's almost no way it could be otherwise. I'll bet virtual ram is pretty high; it has to be. |
#20
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Virtual memory low
Mike Hall - MVP wrote:
"Gerry" wrote in message ... Shenan Adding RAM does not help if the CPU capacity is low and the system performance bottleneck. We don't know in this case what the CPU is. -- Gerry ~~~~ FCA Stourport, England Enquire, plan and execute ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shenan Stanley wrote: Azy wrote: My 40 GB HD is about 50% used ( i have 20.5 gb free space) I understand everyone saying that I could use more ram than the 256 I currently have. But knowing that i only have the 256, what chould i set my virtual paging file size to be for all drives? RIGHT now its set to 484 MB. ALso, I checked the box to "Compress drive to save disk space"...what will this do and is it a goo thing to do? It was unchecked before. Thread hijack. Leave it at "System Managed Size" -- purchase more memory and install it. Try to bring your machine to 1GB. http://www.crucial.com/ Use the "Crucial Memory AdvisorT tool" and/or "Crucial System Scanner tool" to figure out what you need/can get. Ignore/disable the compression thing - you don't need to do it (you still have 50% of your drive free) and it might be noticable (decrease in performance) on a system such as yours. -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP Gerry There is a very good chance that the machine has an integrated video card, in which case only 192mb will be available for whatever is going down.. It is almost impossible to find older processors which one could trust, but easy to find and fit extra memory. Pagefile usage will be cut by half, and the whole machine will feel more sprightly.. With that tiny amount of RAM and knowing it's running XP there's almost no way it could be otherwise. I'll bet virtual ram is pretty high; it has to be. |
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