How do I know what memory (BIOS) settings to use? (help rond36)

[mrmiagi]

My computer is working, but I don't think its getting full use of its 256 mb of memory (I keep getting virtual memory errors...I wouldn't think it would have to use VM on Quake3 alone...). What settings should it be at in the BIOS.

Soyo Dragon Ultra, 256 mb Samsung pc2700 RAM (DDR333), P4 1.80a

I've got the memory setting on 3:5 in the BIOS, is that what it should be? Also, I've got the options of standard/faster/turbo for system settings in the BIOS. Should I have it on Turbo?

Many thanx

[This message has been edited by mrmiagi (edited 05-22-2002).]

[rond36]

3:5 is what the memory setting should be for PC2700(167MHz X 2 =334MHz). Standard or faster is good for the system settings turbo may cause instability using CAS 2.5 DDR. The virtual memory is on the hard drive. It is a dynamic file that is used to swap data from RAM that hasn't been used for awhile or is too large to fit into RAM. The memory settings in BIOS can't fix this problem it is caused by too many programs running,Windows mis-managing the swap file, or not enough RAM installed. Maybe I can remove some RAM from my system and see if I get the same errors. What flavor of Windows are you running?

------------------
How to Use Fdisk and Format to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q255867)
How to multi-boot Windows XP (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/gettingstarted/multiboot.asp)
Microsoft Expert Zone Multi-booting made easy (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/columns/russel/september10.asp)
MSKB How to multi-boot Windows XP (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q306559)

[This message has been edited by rond36 (edited 05-22-2002).]

[Sylvander]

Hello mrmiagi

If your C: drive is almost full there will be little room left for "Win386.swp" [your swap-file].

Could you put your swap-file in a different partition or even another physical drive? It's a goog idea to make it a fixed size and relieve windows of the effort of constantly calculating the needed size.
I've had a 120MB fixed size file for many months now and never have any trouble with it. You might need say 500MB to 625MB. I believe the maximum should be 2.5 times your RAM.

[mrmiagi]

Sorry for the late response, I've been gone a while.

Thanks rond36, but I don't expect you to take your comp apart for me bro http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif. (unless you reeeeaaaly want to)

I tried putting the VM only on a separate 5 gig drive I have. But, its kinda old and only 5400 rpm, so it actually cause windows to act more slowly.

I'm thinking that this memory problem might have something to do with the IRC script I'm running (Excursion 7.1a).

Anyway, recently its even worse as I get little messages telling me every so often that Windows memory is low, and needs to increase the VM size. The only things I have open in the taskbar is: Excursion, SmartGuardian, (some LAN icon), (my linksys wireless network icon), AdSubtract (disables popups), Norton Auto-Protect, Windows messenger, and some Intellipoint control icon.

Maybe I just need to get some more memory. rond36, do you know if I can add another stick of 256 mb Samsung DDR333 (I mean the mobo supports it right?)?

Thanks.

[Balrog]

Hey you have loads of RAM, i wouldnt go getting anymore (unless u love long waits when booting up or shutting down).

Im no expert but im sure someone here can help u, they helped me...

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Benjamin Kelly
kellydesign@hotmail.com

[rond36]

I still don't know what OS you are running. I removed 512MB of RAM now running with 256MB. I have 12 applications and 41 processes running. some of the apps are Windows Media Player playing an MP3, Paint Shop Pro, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access, MS Outlook, MS Publisher... VM usage is at 214MB processor usage 2-5% Until I start Smart Guardian than the CPU shoots up to 100% until I close it than it goes back down to 2-5%. I suggest turning off Smart Guardian and see if that helps.

------------------
How to Use Fdisk and Format to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q255867)
How to multi-boot Windows XP (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/gettingstarted/multiboot.asp)
Microsoft Expert Zone Multi-booting made easy (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/columns/russel/september10.asp)
MSKB How to multi-boot Windows XP (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q306559)

[rond36]

Originally posted by Balrog:
Hey you have loads of RAM, i wouldnt go getting anymore (unless u love long waits when booting up or shutting down).

Im no expert but im sure someone here can help u, they helped me...



I performed a little test this morning. As I was reinstalling my RAM I recorded the cold boot, reboot, and shutdown times and came to the conclusion that the amount of RAM installed has very little effect on boot up and shut down times on my machine, and his machine is very simular to mine(same motherboard my CPU 2.0A his 1.8A P4 both have Samsung PC2700 DDR333).

Cold boot (power button press to Win XP fully loaded)
256MB-1 min 15.22 sec
512MB-1 min 15.32 sec
768MB-1 min 15.48 sec

Warm boot (restart button click to Win XP fully reloaded
256MB-1 min 29.23 sec
512MB-1 min 30.47 sec
768MB-1 min 32.36 sec

Shutdown (shutdown button click to power off)
256MB-0 min 29.43 sec
512MB-0 min 30.21 sec
768MB-0 min 32.38 sec

Note: Ontrack System Suite loads about 20sec after everything else and had to wait for it to load. If I turned it off boot times would be much faster.



------------------
How to Use Fdisk and Format to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q255867)
How to multi-boot Windows XP (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/gettingstarted/multiboot.asp)
Microsoft Expert Zone Multi-booting made easy (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/columns/russel/september10.asp)
MSKB How to multi-boot Windows XP (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q306559)

[mrmiagi]

Sorry,

I'm using XP Pro. And yeah, I noticed that SmartGuardian skyrockets the cpu usage up to 100%...when I turn it off its at (obviously depending on the progs i'm runnin) 2-8%. But, I'm not sure that would help with the memory problem would it?