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View Full Version : How much RAM to disable swap file?


SquireSCA
12-24-2005, 09:25 AM
[Specs in sig]

Obviously this rig is blistering fast. But right now, I am copying 145GB of data from my HD to an external drive over the Firewire port.

While it is not having any issues so far, I am noticing that when an app like Thunderbird(any app really) is minimized, and I go to bring it up to the foreground, it takes a few seconds, like 4 or 5 and you can hear the HD chugging away, telling me that it is having to load it from swap.

Granted, one does not copy such massive amounts of data on a daily basis, but it does indicate that in some cases, 2GB is not enough and your system has to tap the swap file, thus slowing things down.

I am looking on the net to see if people are able to disable the swap file in XP with no ill effects when they have 4GB of RAM installed.

Theoretically, it should work, as I have 2GB of RAM and a swap file set to a static 2GB. So I only have 4GB available now, it is just that 2GB of it is on the HD which would slow certain things down.

If I had all 4GB in fast RAM at 250fsb, the system should speed right up, yes?

And would having 4 sticks lower my abilty to overclock? I am running 250fsb, but the memory is divided down to 208FSB CAS2 1T(SPD settings in BIOS). I would be getting high end stuff and would love to not only get rid of the swap file, but have the 4GB running in dual-channel mode at 250fsb.

Thoughts?

RTB
12-24-2005, 03:33 PM
The swap file will always be used, and it's a bad idea to disable it.

Using 4 sticks will kill your ability to OC.

trakslacker
12-24-2005, 10:55 PM
^ yep. Most programs are designed to make use of the page file(swap file) and NEED to have it there, otherwise they may not work properly. I know for a fact this has been discussed here recently, let me go dig up the thread.

*EDIT* - heres the previous discussion on the topic: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=82147&highlight=page+file