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FSX and Paging File


usb777

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Maybe the wrong place to post but recently I have been getting a low memory warning on my FSX computer and as you can see from my signature here it is pretty strong. So I looked up online and found that changing the paging file size would fix it. Looking into it my setting was 8000 something. So be figuring 1024 per one GB (mine being 8 GG) x 1.5, I changed mine to 12193. Seems to have corrected the issue but wanted to know if anyone knows anything on this topic and it's possible affect on if any running FSX.

Mike G.

Intel Core i7-4770K, ASUS MAXIMUS VI HERO Motherboard, , 8GB Memory , EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 6GB Video Card,Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply,Windows 7 64bit, Corsair Hydro Series H55 CPU Cooler

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You're getting a low memory warning because FSX is nearing 4GB of memory usage, not that the OS itself is running out of virtual memory. Your change won't hurt anything, you've just wasted 10GB of HD space.

 

Cheers!

 

Luke

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Thanks, How is it wasting 10 GB of ND? I don't see it being lost anywhere.

Mike G.

Intel Core i7-4770K, ASUS MAXIMUS VI HERO Motherboard, , 8GB Memory , EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 6GB Video Card,Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply,Windows 7 64bit, Corsair Hydro Series H55 CPU Cooler

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Thanks, How is it wasting 10 GB of ND? I don't see it being lost anywhere.

 

As the name implies, the page file is an actual file that lives on your hard drive or SSD (the system drive by default; it is also hidden). When you set a fixed size it will allocate and take up that much space on the drive. The easiest way to see the difference is to check the available drive space before and after setting a fixed size. You can also use programs like Windirstat to see what is using up space on your drive, including the page file. However, as Luke mentions, FSX is a 32 bit application and as such is limited to 4GB of memory.

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I wonder now why I was getting the error as the existing page filing amount was set at 8192 I gather using x 1 not x 1.5

Mike G.

Intel Core i7-4770K, ASUS MAXIMUS VI HERO Motherboard, , 8GB Memory , EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 6GB Video Card,Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply,Windows 7 64bit, Corsair Hydro Series H55 CPU Cooler

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Who needs a paging file these days?

 

Jorgen

 

PS: I know I may be starting a flame war here....

 

Why would you want to needlessly restrict how Windows manages memory? What would be the benefit of disabling it entirely other than saving a bit of hard drive space? If you need the space, then you probably need a larger drive anyways. For those that really want to mess with the page file, the best solution is to actually test and measure how it's used on your system (it isn't necessarily used only when your RAM is full), and set the page file size accordingly, not blindly disable it.

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Respectfully, with 16 GB of RAM, how often would the paging file be accessed? Especially if you keep a good house and actually close applications when you do not use them?

 

For me it is not a question of disk space. It is a question of reducing the number of CPU cycles spent on other things than running my applications.

 

With the default page file settings, the page file is opened when the OS decides it is time for it, it is accessed as necessary and then closed. All of this takes CPU cycles.

 

You can save CPU cycles by opening the page file with one specific size when your computer boots and have it stay open for the whole session. This is done by setting the minimum and maximum page files sizes to the same size.

 

And then you can skip the page file altogether by setting the minimum and maximum sizes to zero....

 

Jorgen

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When you haves applications like MSFS that will happily use 16GB of RAM, and sometimes more, it isn't unheard of to fill up your RAM these days. Having a page file means Windows can move inactive data (including operating system tasks not needed at that point in time) out of RAM to make just that much more room for the sim. And with modern multi core processors and SSDs, I doubt the number of CPU cycles involved in managing the page file is going to make a noticeable difference.

 

The official performance support article for MSFS also talks about setting the page file to a fixed size, not disabling it.

 

https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016142680-How-to-improve-the-performance

 

For those that want to set a fixed size, give the article below a read.

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/determine-appropriate-page-file-size

https://fossbytes.com/windows-page-file-disable-pc-lots-ram/

 

Do you have any evidence to back up the idea you're saving appreciable CPU cycles?

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I remember from my mainframe days how much even a small amount of additional RAM on OS/MVS360 would improve remote-user response time because of the reduced paging.

 

And the image of MSFS2020 crossing the 16 GB barrier repeatedly would produce furious paging,

 

As RAM has gotten cheap these days then if you have a RAM issue then throw RAM at it.

 

Jorgen

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Having a page file means Windows can move inactive data (including operating system tasks not needed at that point in time) out of RAM to make just that much more room for the sim.

 

It's important to note that not everything gets swapped out to the page file. Code and memory mapped files do not, since they are already backed on disk (with the original image). Again, once you get over a certain amount of RAM, increasing the size of the page file won't do much either way. When you start swapping seriously your system will slow to a crawl. I set a 5GB page file with 32GB and have ignored it ever since.

 

Cheers!

 

Luke

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I remember from my mainframe days how much even a small amount of additional RAM on OS/MVS360 would improve remote-user response time because of the reduced paging.

 

Bit of a different situation and not really relevant to a modern personal desktop system though, is it? Especially if your page file is on an SSD.

 

As RAM has gotten cheap these days then if you have a RAM issue then throw RAM at it.

 

Sure, the ideal solution is more physical RAM, however, why would you want to completely disable what is essentially cheap insurance for running out in the mean time? I have yet to see any downside to keeping the page file. Set the page file to a fixed size, sure, but I think trying to outsmart the Windows memory manager by disabling it completely is a poor idea. If anything, someone who doesn't really understand what they're doing will follow this advice, forget about the setting and then wonder why they get a memory related error a month or two down the road, and blame the program or Windows.

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It's important to note that not everything gets swapped out to the page file. Code and memory mapped files do not, since they are already backed on disk (with the original image). Again, once you get over a certain amount of RAM, increasing the size of the page file won't do much either way. When you start swapping seriously your system will slow to a crawl. I set a 5GB page file with 32GB and have ignored it ever since.

 

Yep, how memory is managed is a bit more complicated than many people think. Increasing the page file certainly isn't going to solve a serious shortage of RAM, no, but going the other way and removing it entirely is more likely to cause someone trouble than just leaving it alone.

 

After my last Windows install I just left it as system managed, even with 32GB of RAM. And so far it has just sat around 5-6GB without any intervention on my part.

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What Luke says here:

 

"When you start swapping seriously your system will slow to a crawl."

 

is absolutely correct. It is the constant "open file" and "close file" that takes up the time and CPU cycles.

 

Jorgen

 

`Let Windows (10) handle it`. What makes anyone think they know better?

 

What does FSX say about it?

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What Luke says here:

 

"When you start swapping seriously your system will slow to a crawl."

 

is absolutely correct. It is the constant "open file" and "close file" that takes up the time and CPU cycles.

 

Jorgen

 

If it's such a big performance hit there should be evidence that disabling the page file on current systems makes a noticeable difference. So far I have not seen any.

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Hi,

Might be worth having a look at this page, if you scroll down about 3/4 of the way,

you will find a very good description of the page file and how best to set up, this is

just a short extract of the article.

 

I have used Nick Needham's guides in all my FS installs, and for me they just work:)

 

"I am going to add a lot of information below about the Windows Page File because

there are far too many myths and far too many nonsense instructions on the internet

about this subject. If you set the page file as I defined in STEP #9 above you can skip

this next section and move on to SPECIAL SECTION FOR SSD WINDOWS DRIVES, or,

you can review the information I posted below if you would like to educate yourself on

the subject.

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE WINDOWS PAGE FILE:

 

With respect to a game system or any typical single user computer with mechanical

hard drives, the ONLY DRIVE a page file should be located on is the Windows drive.

It is a MYTH and COMPLETELY FALSE that moving the Windows page file OR turning

the page file OFF will make Windows run better.

 

Please do NOT FALL INTO THE: 'I Must Tune the Page File" trap!

 

Let me make something perfectly clear.. PAGE FILE TUNING is for disk space conservation,

nothing else. Setting it TOO LOW with low system memory and high application demand on

system memory is not good. If you run out of system memory, install more memory don't

make a larger page file!

 

PLEASE NOTE THIS IMPORTANT FACT: there is NO SUCH THING AS A PAGE FILE THAT IS TOO BIG

and that a large page file makes Windows run poor. The only downfall is, it takes up drive space,

that is all!. A system can have an entire 1TB drive dedicated to a Windows page file (which of course

is ridiculous) and it will NOT SLOW NOR MAKE WINDOWS FASTER regardless of the demand.

 

Running FSX with all addons and Windows does NOT require any more than 6GB-8GB of physical

memory. IF you are short of memory your system needs MORE MEMORY and not a page file move.

Purchase more memory and do not move the page file, AND, make sure the version of Windows

in use SUPPORTS the amount of memory you need! "

 

https://www.simforums.com/forums/the-fsx-computer-system-the-bible-by-nickn_topic46211.html

 

Cheers

i7-4770K 4.60 GHz (Hyperthreading off) Liquid Cooling 16GB G-Skill DDR3 GeForce GTX1050Ti 4GB 500GB WD Blue 3D SSD SATA III x4 Creative Sound Z Sound Card 5.1Ch 24BitAvermedia video capture card CH Yoke and Rudder NZXT Fan Controller Windows10 64 Prof FS9 - FSX -FSX-SE Track Hat
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