I think that unused RAM is wasted RAM. I'd rather use the RAM in my system first before I have to go to Swap/Pagefile, after all, I do have 2GB of RAM.
Just for the random fact, I am only using 1KB of swap file
It is wasted if your not using it, but then again even the most complicated of games require under a gig in a nice and speedy system I have found. I have read you can force 2K and XP to use all available ram like with 9x's ConservativeSwapFileUsage=1 but I never tried it. So you may never utalise that much. I'd love to max my board out at 4 gig :P
When I am running Windows, I can run Age of Empires 3 and Half Life 2 (I forgot about AOE3 until I looked at Task Manager), and they fit nicely in about 1-1 1/8GB of RAM.
i have too less ram. I do 3dsmax and video editing. As well as playing games. I run vista with aero which tops it. i really need a 2 gig my 1 gig (512dualchannel * 2 really) is too less.
I'll go along with something like Duff's doctrine (If maybe not the actual calculations): I could have 128MB free, but if I'm going to go doing something like [Insert memory intensive task here], that could end up being woefully insufficient. If, however, I never touch that 128MB, I could definitely seen it being "wasted".
Here's the other thing, thought: If that 128MB is part of a 256 or larger "stick", how am I going to redistribute it to a more worthy machine? If I take it out, I'm suddenly SHORT 128MB. What harm does it do sitting there? Who knows what future use it may be put to? Who knows what the next version of Windows (For example) will be able to make use of for [...]?
-Q
PS. This is hardware, so... moved to Talk > Hardware.
PPS. Topher: Is there any way to force that behavior on Windows?
I'll go along with something like Duff's doctrine (If maybe not the actual calculations): I could have 128MB free, but if I'm going to go doing something like [Insert memory intensive task here], that could end up being woefully insufficient. If, however, I never touch that 128MB, I could definitely seen it being "wasted".
If that's a response to what I had said, I think you misunderstood my main point... If you use it sometimes, it's not wasted, but Bash implied that it's not going to be used at all, so I would assume he means never at all. Having gigabytes of extra ram in the machine isn't going to help you if you'll never used it, I'll agree with that, but I didn't say having a little extra was a bad thing.
I have 256mb, and the system is using 384mb in total, beacuse of the programs and processes that I run (antivirus, chameleon clock, MSN 8.1, and more rich stuff.....) (the other 151mb are paged in the page file of XP )
Well, it depends how much you really to satisfy yourself. I run SWBF2 on around 20 Max and I still own at it.
Also, I voted no, but it depends how much RAM you have and what kind of programs you're running. For example, I'm only putting 1 GB of RAM on my new system, since I won't be multitasking a lot. XP and any BG services usually take up 256 RAM for me. Then I allot 512 - 768 for a game or large program. But if you got 2GB and the hardest thing you're running is Windows Aero, then I wouldn't bother with that much RAM.
I get around 25-30FPS (I locked it at 35) with Flight Sim 2004. Around very populated cities and airports, maybe 15FPS lowest... It's a very graphics-intensive game.
I'm used to it, I've had this computer for 7 years. It's had 2 HD replacements, a new GFX Card and Upgraded to 512 MB RAM. And this thing is all I need for the moment, but my new computer should own. My friends gets up to 150 FPS on Source on a PD 3.0 with onboard and a gig of RAM (or so he says).
On a different note, Starcraft is the greatest game ever made in the history of the world.
Back on topic, yeah I see what you mean. It's a great, no matter the age. Not to be rude to anyone, but I hate it when people's first question about a game is: "What are the graphics like?"
Comments
Ironically, I have wasted RAM since I have 2 GB, but I consider myself exempt since I was given my second 1 GB stick
It depends. If it is swapping and you have at least 512MB of RAM left, I don't see why it won't use it.
-Kirk
...hypocrite.
Here's the other thing, thought: If that 128MB is part of a 256 or larger "stick", how am I going to redistribute it to a more worthy machine? If I take it out, I'm suddenly SHORT 128MB. What harm does it do sitting there? Who knows what future use it may be put to? Who knows what the next version of Windows (For example) will be able to make use of for [...]?
-Q
PS. This is hardware, so... moved to Talk > Hardware.
PPS. Topher: Is there any way to force that behavior on Windows?
If that's a response to what I had said, I think you misunderstood my main point... If you use it sometimes, it's not wasted, but Bash implied that it's not going to be used at all, so I would assume he means never at all. Having gigabytes of extra ram in the machine isn't going to help you if you'll never used it, I'll agree with that, but I didn't say having a little extra was a bad thing.
-Kirk
-Q
Yes because there are many people who buy 2gigs just because, and never use more than 700M.
No because its always good to have a bit of ram free so swap files aren't heavily used.
I have 768M and never use more than 700M.... So for me, even 1gig would leave wasted ram.
-Kirk
-Q
Well, it depends how much you really to satisfy yourself. I run SWBF2 on around 20 Max and I still own at it.
Also, I voted no, but it depends how much RAM you have and what kind of programs you're running. For example, I'm only putting 1 GB of RAM on my new system, since I won't be multitasking a lot. XP and any BG services usually take up 256 RAM for me. Then I allot 512 - 768 for a game or large program. But if you got 2GB and the hardest thing you're running is Windows Aero, then I wouldn't bother with that much RAM.
Sometimes my desktop will go down to that for a bit, and its like watching a slideshow
Nick
-Q
-Q
Back on topic, yeah I see what you mean. It's a great, no matter the age. Not to be rude to anyone, but I hate it when people's first question about a game is: "What are the graphics like?"
Same for Adam Stevens' "Monopoly", the official version was terrible!
-Q