[lurker_hlb3]

Originally Posted by R48

That's interesting. I never knew about this. Taking a look at my page file settings I have "custom size" Initial size 1536 MB and maximum size 3072 MB. I thought I had it on system managed because I don't recall changing it. Perhaps using system managed will help.

Thanks for the suggestions!

R48

The following is from "Black Vipers" Tweaks, I highly recommend it

Adjust the Page File to a respectable level. This is valid for Windows XP Home and Pro.

Can you get rid of the page file? Yes and no. If you have a boat load of memory (greater than 512 MB, but I recommend 2 GB) you may be able to function just fine. Some games REQUIRE a certain amount of swap space to be created to even run, no matter how much RAM is available. Also, under certain conditions, my sound card goes crazy (or does not function) in some games with no swap file (oddly enough, Age of Empires 2). If you decide to test your luck with no swap space or page file, you are on your own. Please do not E-Mail me with your war stories about no swap. Every system is different. I usually do not have one "unless something requires it that I am running that day."

Where do you find it?

With the default Category Control Panel:

1. Head to Start
2. Select Control Panel
3. Select Performance and Maintenance
4. Select System
5. Select Advanced Tab
6. Under Performance, select the Settings button
7. Select Advanced Tab
8. Under Virtual Memory, select the Change button
9. Adjust as needed, or select "No paging File," then select the Set button
10. Select the Ok button to apply the settings
11. You must reboot for the changes to take effect

With the Classic Control Panel:

1. Head to Start
2. Select Control Panel
3. Select System
4. Select Advanced Tab
5. Under Performance, select the Settings button
6. Select Advanced Tab
7. Under Virtual Memory, select the Change button
8. Adjust as needed, or select "No paging File," then select the Set button
9. Select the Ok button to apply the settings
10. You must reboot for the changes to take effect

Screen shots of the process are also available.

If anything, create (preferably on a separate partition), a swap space of constant size. For example, select Custom Size and place 1000 in "Initial" and 1000 in "Maximum" Size boxes, then click Set Button. This will reduce the amount of work needed to dynamically resize the page file, usually when you need it most.

Some deffinitions need to be explained:

Physical RAM ~ The amount of Memory installed on a system. Physical RAM is "way" faster than a "swap file" or "swap space."

Swap File ~ The file that is located on your hard drive that "acts" like Physical RAM but is way slower.

Virtual Memory ~ The name used for the sum of Physical RAM and the Swap File. In other words: Physical RAM + Swap File = Virtual Memory. You cannot "disable" Virtual Memory even if you disable the Swap File. Meaning, 2 GB RAM + 0 MB Swap File = 2 GB Virtual Memory.

From Fastest to Slowest, these are the configuration you can try:

* No swap file at all. Some software may fail. You also need "much" memory to do this. Greater than 512 MB, but I recommend 2 GB.
* A static swap file on a separate hard drive (and preferably, controller) from Windows and frequently accessed data.
* A dynamic swap file on a separate hard drive (and preferably, controller) from Windows and frequently accessed data.
* A static swap file on a separate partition, but on the same physical hard drive as Windows.
* A dynamic swap file on a separate partition, but on the same physical hard drive as Windows.
* The Default: A dynamic swap file on the same partition and physical hard drive (usually C as Windows.

Many factors affect performance of the I/O and Hard Drive system. Namely, "where" on the drive the particular swap partition is located, as well as fragmentation of the swap file itself.
Benchmark using Unreal Tournament 2003 "Benchmark.exe" and various swap configs:
System = P4 1.8 w/768 MB PC-133 Memory and a GF3
No Swap File System Managed Static (1150MB)
No Swap File System Managed Static (1150 MB)
Benchmark using Unreal Tournament 2003 "Benchmark.exe" and various swap configs:
System = P4 3.06 w/512 MB PC-1066 Memory and a ATI 9700 Pro
No Swap File No Swap File
No Swap File Static (1150 MB)

As you can see, graphics card benchmarks are "not affected" by the status of a page file in these configurations. Only you can decide if it is worth it to you during game play and on your system.

If you have not already, reboot now.