How does page file affect games and should i configure it ? (2024)

FAQs

Does paging file help in gaming? ›

If your games are small and don't use much RAM to then it won't make much difference. But for games like Hogwarts Legacy and Jedi Survivor that have big RAM utilization it will make a huge impact because Windows will not allow full use of that system memory without a page file present.

Page files enable the system to remove infrequently accessed modified pages from physical memory to let the system use physical memory more efficiently for more frequently accessed pages.

Never turn off paging files. It may seem file for a while, but eventually you will get "error, not enough memory" or your programs will freeze and crash, or windows will lock up. Just LEAVE IT BE, if anything choose your drives, and make sure not to use your boot drive. Leave it be.

When paging file size is smaller than RAM size, new allocations of managed memory are granted, which leads to more garbage collection and higher CPU usage.

A system managed Page File will be adequate is most use cases, unless you are experiencing problems. The Page File should be approximately 1.5 - 2 times the size of your total system memory (RAM). A computer with 4GB of RAM will need a Page File a minimum of 6GB (6144 MB) and a maximum of 8GB (8192MB).

You actually don't need one, but some games and software will crash, if a program will not find the pagefile. So, create a small one, it will be unused for 99% time and needed only for compability issues. You should take advantage of pagefile since you have so much memory stick.

Some people will recommend disabling the page file to speed up your computer. The thinking goes like this: the page file is slower than RAM, and if you have enough RAM, Windows will use the page file when it should be using RAM, slowing down your computer.

In addition to applications crashing anytime you run up against the memory limit, you'll also come across a lot of applications that simply won't run properly if the pagefile is disabled. For instance, you really won't want to run a virtual machine on a box with no pagefile, and some defrag utilities will also fail.

The paging file is typically 1.25 GB on 8 GB systems, 2.5 GB on 16 GB systems and 5 GB on 32 GB systems.

Disadvantages of Paging

Since the pages are of fixed size, there is a possibility for internal fragmentation. Page table overhead arises in systems that require large memory. Complex page replacement. An additional layer of memory access is created by paging.

What is the best virtual memory setting for gaming? ›

Note: Microsoft recommends that virtual memory be set at no less than 1.5 times and no more than 3 times the amount of RAM on the computer. For power PC owners (most UE/UC users), there is likely at least 2 GB of RAM, so the virtual memory can be set up to 6,144 MB (6 GB).

If your pagefile is too small, you may get a memory. dmp file, but Debugging Tools for Windows won't be able to read it. Even if you don't intend to examine the dump yourself, you still might want to give it to someone else!

It's used when a system is low on physical memory (RAM). Pagefile. sys can be removed, but it's best to let Windows manage it for you. When programs on the computer use a lot of RAM — perhaps even trying to use more than the machine actually has — some of its contents are written to the paging file.

Yes, if you need the machine to keep running when you have a long running process with a memory leak or any other way for user and operating system code to exceed that 32G mark. And yes, if you can't safely turn it off (if the operating system crashes if the file isn't there).

You never want to use it in gaming. It's slow and doesn't really help. It lets you run things you couldn't whithout enough RAM, but you won't enjoy it at all, as it's slow and in games swapping causes bad slowdowns. Virtual memory is virtually useless for gaming.

The page file serves as a crucial buffer for when your physical RAM fills up. Without it, Windows will crash rather than chug along when stretched thin in terms of memory, putting your data at risk. That's why you should not delete it.