rec.autos.simulators

Hi ya'll...............  can someone help me with setting up my
Swapfile....... i've heard all kinds of ways to do it....... any advice
would be helpful.... i currently have 192megs of memory...... THANKS!!!!!!!

Your swap file should be exactly 420 MB with 192 MB of RAM.

The equation is:

2.5 x RAM

Hope it helps.

Cheers,

Schumi

It's probably best to let Windows Manage it on it's own.  It's quite good at
it.  It will grow, it will even grow quite large if you have a program with
a memory leak.  In that case you may want to try the static method.

I can't seem to fine a MS knowledge base article listing this equation.
Where's the source?

On Sun, 17 Jun 2001 13:25:45 -0700, "Jason \"Schumi\" Murray"

So if I have 512mb of ram than I should set my swap file to 1.28gb?
This is the same logic that says you should set your agp aperature to
1/2 your system ram. Both are logically wrong if you really analyze
why. I'll let you figure out why.

Ermmm..... "It's probably best to let Windows Manage it on it's own.  It's
quite good at it."

That is a bit false. Windows has BRUTAL memory management. In fact, the last
thing you want happening, is Windows dynamically resizing your VM...
particularly during a race, etc. That causes CPU cycles, and HD activity,
etc.

The "optimum" configuration is as follows:

Make a partition on your HD. Make it roughly 10 MB larger than your "2.5 X
RAM" in size. Format that Partition (preferably using FAT32 FS using the
smallest cluster size possible).

Then... assign your virtual memory to that partition. Make sure you set the
minimum/maximum size to exactly the same number (2.5 x RAM). Reboot... and
enjoy.

This is what you have just accomplished:

1) Seperating your Virtual Memory to its own 'dedicated location'.
2) By virtue of (1), and by preseting minimum/maximum size to equal numbers,
you ensure that no "fragmentation" will occur... which is VERY important for
read/write times, and thus the importance is escalated by virtue of the
"read/write frequency of VM).
3) Preset the size of the VM, and allow windows to fill it up as needed,
without any requirements for CPU cycles needed in resizing/"recalculating"
the filesize. Its just a "physical memory dumping ground, but accessible for
later)
4) Ensured that in the "99% likely case of a memory leaks" windows has
enough VM to dump the "rogue memory allocations" to VM, thus freeing up your
physical memory for more "real-time needs", which is what VM is optimumly
designed for in the first place (as well as just providing you with more
should you max out the physical memory).

I can guarantee that there are memory leaks on your window's system. This
gurantee is also exponentially ensured if you are running any
"multi-threaded" applications. MS have a documented bug in all Windows OSs,
that "opening multiple threads will cause a potential for memory leaks". In
fact, we are fighting with the bug as we speak, and their suggested remedy
is ironically a solution that is also documented to cause memory leaks
(running in circles, chasing bugs with bugs is a VERY frustrating thing...
let me tell ya...). The bug however, is remedied by "minimizing" the
application, which then seems to "flush the rogue memory buffers".

Anyways... end of the day... I have been doing this practise for years, and
never get an "out of memory" error. Also, my HD activity is very minimal,
which makes my games/system run smoother and faster as a whole.

Some may have other suggestions, but that is mine :)

Cheers,

Schumi

Hi
Go to:
http://www.speedguide.net/Windows/win_perform.shtml
If you let Windows manage your Virtual memory settings, the System often
resizes the swap file ( the simulated memory on your hard disk ), and can
use up to the entire free space on your Hard disk for caching.............
more...

Link to this and other sites you need is on my site: Todays Legends
http://www.bonghead.org/racing/gplstart/index.html
Stefan Zscharnack

Can you help out those of us who don't have any IDEA about this...?

Eldred
--
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001
Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
F1 hcp. +16.36...Monster +366.59...

Never argue with an idiot.  He brings you down to his level, then beats you
with experience...
Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

Because the more ram you have then the less swap file will be used.
The more video ram you have the less the AGP aperature needed. See how
using 2.5x your system ram for the swap file is illogical now? It all
depends on the game/program anyway, you just need to find a safe
number that your most ram hungry game will run in. That's why I now
let windows manage it, so long as I have plenty of free space on C: I
don't have to be concerened with if my swap file is large enough for
game X. I've ran my system with a dynamic swap file and a permanent
fixed size and I don't see any benefit to having a permanent one. I
know the theory why it is better, but having 256mb of ram I just don't
see a difference. Anyway, if you only had 32mb of ram and you set the
swap file to 2.5x then you would have a swap file of only 80mb. That
is no where near enough for many of todays games. B17-2 requires about
600mb, they are saying the same for WWII Online also. So  the more ram
you have then the smaller the swap file you need. Saying 2.5x your
system ram is just a myth that many people think is correct when in
fact it is illogical. Spock out.

If windows set the swapfile, the swapfile is resizing all the time, in small
parts all ower the disk, that take a loong time.
If you defrag and set the swap file to min & max same number of ram, then
swapfile stays on the same free spot and no need for resizing...If you have
mutch ram no need for 2 1/2 x ram size in swap file.
I am no professor, but I have read a lot .....hope this help,( the amont of
missspelling is lower in my own language) :)
Stefan Zscharnack

"Because the more ram you have then the less swap file will be used."

Without attempting to get into a debate/argument over this, this above
statement is very false.

Virtual Memory is 'generally' most used in 2 occurrences. One is obvious,
the other not so much, and is the reason the above statement is false.

Virtual Memory useage:

1) When you run out of Physical Memory (hence the term "swapping" from back
in the day when RAM was maxxing out at 32MB, etc. on Mobos)

2) Dumping of unused but unexpired Memory Buffers (Dynamically allocated by
Windows).

#2 is the big one, and why 2.5x RAM is a generally well accepted formula.

Those of you running windows2000, open up Task Manager. Then make sure you
have 2 columns (generally not shown by default), and 3 in total.

1) Mem Useage
2) VM Size
3) Mem Delta

Watch those 3 side-by-side. Keep it on top... now start doing some things.
Watch as the Memory Delta spikes, and is then usually sent to "Mem Usage".
Mem Usage is your Physical Memory. Then watch some more, you'll start to see
Mem Usage go up, and then drop down again, and VM Size will slowly creep up
as you do certain things. You have not run out of physical memory, but
rather, Windows is dynamically allocating those 'currently unused' memory
buffers to VM.

The reason that 2.5 comes into play, is that Windows will do such to certain
point, but is careful not to allocate too much, because there will come a
time perhaps that the 'stored memory buffers' may be called upon later...
which is best run from physical memory... so it will bring it back to
physicaly memory, and run it from there (better performance... read once
from disk, and run from physical memory after that.... until it is deemed an
'old memory buffer' by windows. You basically can allocate 2X your RAM
without too much problem, but the extra 0.5 is actually a "safety buffer" to
allow a little bit more flexibility.

You can actually see Layman's Settings inside win2k that will actually help
you manage your VM better.

Anyone seen the "optimize performance for: foreground|background|even"
setting? That is directly setting the "dynamic VM allocation" and telling
Windows under what conditions you plan to run your applications.

Meaning, if you run a lot of progs from the taskbar, or minimized (a server
is a good example of this)... you want to optimize your performance for
"background applications". This ensures that Windows will still keep a
healthy amount of Physical RAM available in Physical Memory for those
applications that are minimized/background. Otherwise, by virtue of Window's
design, you would be swapping from your VM everytime something called on
those apps from outside (ala servers), and that would reduceperformance
quite drastically, and cause unnecessary HDD usage overall.

BUT... if you use that box just for ***, and want to free up as much
memory as possible for the app that is in the foreground (ala games), then
you do the opposite... since you want as much ram as possible while playing
to be dedicated to the game (so you aren't swapping as much).

ALSO... if you are doing things like Office Duties, and are one of those
people like my wife who can have as many as 20 apps open at the same time...
you are best to set the optimization for "even". This will treat all as
equal, and dump to VM regardless of application status, or current window
activity... thus giving more freedom for another app you might open.

Anyways... m***of the story (sorry for being so long winded) is:

Virtual Memory is not JUST for when you run out of Physical Memory... it is
used all the time, and Windows will dump/allocate to that pagefile at
will/requirement. When it dumps, is an OS kernel decision... but it will
dump (it'll dump during boot even... when you theoretically have the most
free RAM available)

Anyways, that's my 2 cents...

Cheers,

Schumi

On Mon, 18 Jun 2001 15:42:14 +0200, "Stefan Zscharnack"

Have you ever measured this? How looong are we talking? 1  nanosecond
difference?

Yes, trial and error (games will crash if the swap file is not large
enough). But, to play it safe the bigger the better. With todays games
I would probably go with 500-600mb if you are going to use a permanent
fixed swap file. It's a good idea to use a defragmenting prog (like
Norton) that allows you to move the swap file to where you want so you
can put it at the beginning of the HD too (faster).Or if you have a
second HD then put the swap file at the beginning of that drive, if
the drive is as fast or faster than your C: drive.

On Mon, 18 Jun 2001 09:47:36 -0700, "Jason \"Schumi\" Murray"

BS. So if I have 32mb of ram then I set my swap file to 80mb? Wake up
dude. You will have games crashing all over the place. Regardless of
if you have 32mb or 256mb you will need a larger swap file than 80mb
for many of todays games. 2.5x ram is a stupid equation for the same
reason 1/2 your ram for AGP aperature is. Maybe you want to tackle
that one too?

On Mon, 18 Jun 2001 09:47:36 -0700, "Jason \"Schumi\" Murray"

Geez, for such a long post you didn't really say anything at all. Now
tell me again why I should use 2.5x my ram?