Missing memory ?

Hi guys, i'm new here so hello to everybody,

I have been tweaking my memory settings to gain better graphics performance and one of these tweaks includes increasing my MAX/MIN File Cache in System.ini under [VCache] - I've increased it to 1/4 of my total ram which is 512mb PC133 on a 100FSB MoBo, the figure is =131072 for both (128 x 1024).

Now I have 'Rampage' installed which, without the above tweak and Min/MaxFileCache defaulted to =8192, reports my remaining memory on boot as approx. 442mb - However with the above tweak this drops down to 328mb, is this normal? Am I actually losing memory with this tweak ??

Any ideas?

Win98se
P3 850
512mb SDRAM 168pin
MS6156 MoBo 440bx
Virtual Memory set to = 1024 on drive C

Mick

 

By putting in a MIN size you are taking away memory, try just putting in the MAX size. That way it will use up to that size. Although it is said to let Windows handle the Vcache when under 512mb, whatever works better for you.
Put in this line under [386Enh]:
ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1
Forces Windows to use all the memory before using the swapfile, increasing performance.
You might be interested in this one, http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/667/
Go to this link and download Windows Registry Guide 2002 free.
http://www.winguides.com/software/category.php/7/

 

Thanks Mark - I have the swap file tweak already but i'll try your links

Mick

 

RAMPAGE installed???

I hope you aren't actually running it?

Well, unless you installed it to create available (and hence wasted) memory, or to take some of your inuse memory and move it to the swapfile in order to exercise your swapfile!

(just a little sarcasm)

Get rid of it. It serves no useful purpose.

As for vcache, Mark has pretty well explained it. But, using MIN, dedicates that amount of memory to the cache, whether you use it or not.
Placing a MAX means Windows will have to flush something out of the cache, if it ever bumps into the MAX.

Try running with neither Min nor Max. (unless you are a gamer. In which case, supposedly, having a MIN set makes some run more smoothly).

 

The above is false and is one of the most misunderstood 'tweaks' and would have been called ConservativeSwapfileUse if true.

From Microsoft: "Windows 98 added a new feature, PageFile_Call_Async_Manager, that allows the Memory manager to asynchronously write out page file (swap file) buffers during periods of time when VFAT file system activity is not busy ".

There is then, from a users point of view, an element of uncertainty so some games 'play' better with a value of 1 ie skip the async manager. Win95 had no option other than synchronous writing.

According to my own research experimenting with a reduced availability of RAM, cut to 64Mb via the Advanced button on the General tab of the System Configuration Utility, I found that a ConservativeSwapfileUsage of 1 was detrimental when using an app which required enormous amounts of memory but nothing like as much as expected. Back to my normal 384Mb I saw no difference at all. Most of the time my 'Swapfile in use' is zero so I use a setting of 1 simply because I don't need asynchronous writing so why involve the page file async manager?

 

With regard to the WinGuides tweak. From their site:

However, forcing DLL files to be unloaded after they are no longer required is equally an ineffecient use of memory on high memory systems or, more to the point, where there is usually an availability of physical Ram. If a particular app is used more than once during a Windows session then it is beneficial to have an associated DLL already loaded. They are not cached persistently anyway;being timed out.

Unloading them a matter of course is analogous to wiping the disk cache by a, so called, memory manager which lives to increase unused physical Ram thus defeating the object of the disc cache which may have resident code capable of being executed there.

If you are developing DLLs then low/high memory is not part of the judgement.

 

Thanks guys,

Sorry I havent got back sooner but got involved in my other post regarding FE's - rampage is dumped as we speak (metaphorically).

I'll also disable Min and Max settings and see how it goes.

Mick