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This is our archive forum. It contains posts from 1999 to 2003. If you prefer, you may participate in our current COMBATSIM.COM Forum
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Author
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Topic: OT: Techie question - Windows 98SE and RAM
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Stanley99
Member
Member # 169
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posted 10-30-2000 12:06 PM
  
Hmmm, just got me more RAM today, from 64 to 192, now I was told that Windows would need a special utility or something to make more use of the 64 MB above 128 MB than .. just looking at it?True? False? A rumor? Can someone "enlighten" me? 
Stan ------------------
'Tis but a scratch. Your arm's off!!! No it isn't.
Look, you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left. Yes I have. Look! Just a flesh wound.
Posts: 3692 | From: Vienna, 3rd rock left | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged
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MajorLee
Member
Member # 386
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posted 10-30-2000 03:47 PM
Windows 98 does not need any "special utility" to use more than 128mb of ram. (Seems that Windows3.1 might have, or even the original '95 version... not exactly sure....)
You might try this though, right click on "My computer", then the Performance Tab, then on the File System button. Set up the computer as a "network server", and "ok" your way out of there. Restart, and away you go. That setting does make a difference in the way that windows will cache the memory available, and if you have more than 64mb ram, then set your system as a "network" server. ------------------
"Can he ever be young again, or was his youth used up in the cockpit of his beloved Thunderbolt?" Major Lee [This message has been edited by MajorLee (edited 10-30-2000).]
Posts: 1374 | From: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged
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Stanley99
Member
Member # 169
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posted 10-30-2000 04:52 PM
Thanks Major, and thanks BigHead, I was reading some posts of that mentioned topic, but wasn't sure about it.Will try the "network" thingmie!
Stan ------------------
'Tis but a scratch. Your arm's off!!! No it isn't.
Look, you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left. Yes I have. Look! Just a flesh wound.
Posts: 3692 | From: Vienna, 3rd rock left | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged
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Stanley99
Member
Member # 169
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posted 10-31-2000 04:15 PM
Hmmm okay, so I shall set the swap file to roughly about 500MB then? Will do that, up until now I let Windows manage it, maybe not that good idea  Thanks for the hints, guys, learned something. And about Windows, as long as the games use the additional RAM, I'm fine!
Stan ------------------
'Tis but a scratch. Your arm's off!!! No it isn't.
Look, you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left. Yes I have. Look! Just a flesh wound.
Posts: 3692 | From: Vienna, 3rd rock left | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged
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STB
Member
Member # 1620
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posted 11-01-2000 02:36 AM
Hi guys,Solution from forum pal Mudshark.
He picked it up in an other forum. Using the msconfig utility, go to the system.ini tab, scroll down to the 386 enh folder, add the line: ConservativeSwapFileUsage=1 This forces windows to use your physical ram before swapping to your harddrive, since the machine acces' ram faster than it access' your harddrive, you should see a performance boost. He tried this several weeks ago and got a great boost. Regards STB ------------------
- "The duty of the fighter pilot is to patrol his
area of the sky, and shoot down any enemy
fighters in that area. Anything else is rubbish."
Baron Manfred von Richthofen, 1917
Posts: 84 | From: Rotterdam, The Netherlands | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged
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DBond
Member
Member # 37
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posted 11-01-2000 08:02 AM
Originally posted in the armor forum 9/27/00There is also a tweak you can do to force Windows to use all physical memory before doing any swapping to the much slower hard disk. You will need to edit your system.ini.
To do so, go to start>run and type in msconfig. Click on the System.ini tab. Under the heading 386Enh add the following line: ConservativeSwapFileUsage=1 I have seen some others claim this does not work. However, I have yet to see a reason as to why. Using Cacheman (which shows virtual memory usage, among other things), I find my 256 MB (physical), 255 MB (virtual) system uses about 40 MB of swap even if physical RAM is not close to full. This is true even if the machine were just booted. No apps run yet. 200 MB free physical, and yet there is still some swapfile usage. I always thought that the swap was only accessed if physical memory was all being used. Well, on my machine that's not true. And I imagine it's the same for anyone using Win98. Anyway, after applying the tweak mentioned above, Cacheman shows that there is zero swap file usage from boot-up. I don't think I've run a program since then that has come close to swapping out to disk. So, it certainly appears to work as advertised. Until someone can explain to me why it doesn't, I'll continue to use it. As for whether to let Windows handle it or set a fixed swap... I can't say for certain whether there is any speed to be gained doing either way. It seems alot of people recommend the Windows Way including the tag line "Windows does a better job of it". Really? The fact of the matter is that allowing Windows to handle your swap causes the swap file to be continually re-sized as needed. This of course, will lead to excessive fragmentation. Resulting in lower disk performance, as the reads must be done over more disk space. It's quite possible that in two fully de-fragmented drives, there may be no difference in performance regardless of virtual memory method. But unless you de-frag every day or two, it seems to me for that reason alone a permanent swap is the way to go. ------------------ DBond
Contributing Editor
Frugal's World of Simulations http://www.frugalsworld.com "Do not ask how strong the enemy is, but where he is to be found." Motto of the Russian Fighter Pilot
Posts: 814 | From: Mays Landing, N.J.,USA | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged
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Stanley99
Member
Member # 169
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posted 11-01-2000 03:56 PM
Thanks again guys. I have the System-monitor running in the background now, and will check if, how, and when the swap file is in use. As the Major recommended, I have set my system to act as if it's a "Network Server", and will fix the swap file to let's say 200MB, and will see.Honestly, about editing the system.ini, I am a bit too cautious to do that, can't explain.
Thanks anyway!
Stan ------------------
'Tis but a scratch. Your arm's off!!! No it isn't.
Look, you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left. Yes I have. Look! Just a flesh wound.
Posts: 3692 | From: Vienna, 3rd rock left | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged
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MajorLee
Member
Member # 386
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posted 11-02-2000 09:04 AM
The people who say that 256MB RAM does nothing for their system, are usually running high speed (800mhz+)CPU's and 64MB (or DDR) video cards, along with pc133 RAM. Pc133 RAM runs one third faster than PC100 RAM, meaning it can do the work of, oh say, 170 MB of PC100 RAM. Add to that the 64MB video card, and they rapidly cross 200MB of RAM available for their system. No wonder then that another 128MB RAM doesn't help them. Add to that, most of these speed conscious builders are also using a 7200rpm HD, instead of a 5400rpm HD, which gives their swap file usage a speed increase of 50%. (The HD runs 50% faster, allowing a faster acces time.)
For those of us with older or mundane systems, more RAM gets our programs off the HD and into physical RAM, where it can be accessed much faster. So what if you spend $90 for another 128MB of RAM; how much does a new system cost?------------------
"Can he ever be young again, or was his youth used up in the cockpit of his beloved Thunderbolt?" Major Lee
Posts: 1374 | From: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged
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Vic
Member
Member # 1132
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posted 11-02-2000 09:44 AM
Ogdens:Your best bet would be to at least double your RAM. Then try the tweaks.
By going from 64 to 128, you'll notice huge difference in load times etc. At least I know I did. BTW, I've heard of upping Virtual memory by 2x's your physical RAM, but never 2.5 ------------------
Trouble's having someone knocking on your six and the only thing left in your bag of tricks is lint.
Posts: 545 | From: Hopatcong NJ | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged
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