[timfitz]

can someone explain what the ram memory does inside the computer in laymens terms. People talk about upgrading to a 2gb memory . I'm not clear what it's function is it's not storage space for the user. What does it store? Thanks and have a great thanksgiving......

[JekyllInside]

Imagine an office. Cabinets are used to store files, as a hard drive does. You can take files from your drawer and put it in your desktop to work with it. RAM is the surface of you desktop, more RAM means more space to use more files at the same time. If you have a small desktop, you need to close the current file and store it before to take another and use it, that means time lost instead of having many files open at the same time in the desktop. Upgrading RAM (30 USD/2GB) will let you handle many programs (working on Word, listening Winamp and downloading files) at the same time not feeling the Mini drowsy.

Hope it helps!

JekyllInside
--------------
Mini 9 Black (Webcam, Bluetooh, 8GB SSD) + 2GB Corsair RAM + 16GB SDHC Kingston + Samsung SE-S084B + Dell Bluetooh Mini Mouse

[timfitz]

Your discricption was just what i wanted to know. Short easy to understand and to the point. I thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. Can you answer one more thing? People have been talking about virtual memory and the need to change the default settings upwards from 200mb. Is this something we should do ? How and why.

[JekyllInside]

Virtual Memory. It is what it says. A space on your hard drive what is taken by Windows as more RAM. Well, not exactly but that must work. The "experts" recommends either let your system manage it or set it this way:

Less than 1GB of RAM
- Initial size (MB): 1.5 x the amount of RAM in your system
- Maximum size (MB): 3.0 x the amount of RAM in your system
More than or equal to 1GB of RAM
- Initial size (MB): 1 x the amount of RAM in your system
- Maximum size (MB): 3.0 x the amount of RAM in your system

How? My PC -> Properties -> Advance Options -> Performance -> Configuration -> Advance Options -> Virtual Memory.

Personally I let Windows use it as it want it.

It's a myth that you gain performance improvement by turning off the Paging File. Virtual Memory is always in use, even when the memory required by all running processes does not exceed the amount of RAM installed on the system.

Saludos!

Mini 9 Black (Webcam, Bluetooh, 8GB SSD) + 2GB Corsair RAM + 16GB SDHC Kingston + Samsung SE-S084B + Dell Bluetooh Mini Mouse

[timfitz]

Again right to the point.. I received and installed my 2GB upgrade on Wednesday it seem's to be working great thanks to all the fine folks I have found on the forum. I guess i'll let windows take what it needs as you said.
Thanks again for the help, hope you have a good Holiday. :

[JekyllInside]

Anytime! Let's spread the knowledge!

(I'm in Mexico, so, no holidays for me until Xmas)

Saludos!

Mini 9 Black (Webcam, Bluetooh, 8GB SSD) + 2GB Corsair RAM + 16GB SDHC Kingston + Samsung SE-S084B + Dell Bluetooh Mini Mouse

[jefito]

Originally Posted by JekyllInside

It's a myth that you gain performance improvement by turning off the Paging File. Virtual Memory is always in use, even when the memory required by all running processes does not exceed the amount of RAM installed on the system.

I'd sure like to see a source for this claim. Are you saying that virtual memory is used even when there's no page file to hold it? OK, sure -- obviously the OS needs to manage process memory, and when page file is available, then that memory may be out on disk. But what you say about performance enhancement doesn't make sense to me. I've done some searching, and can find sources that warn vaguely of lessening system performance by disabling the page file, but nothing concrete, no technical rationale, no numbers. Maybe you can enlighten me?

~jeff

[Ran]

Originally Posted by JekyllInside

Imagine an office. Cabinets are used to store files, as a hard drive does. You can take files from your drawer and put it in your desktop to work with it. RAM is the surface of you desktop, more RAM means more space to use more files at the same time. If you have a small desktop, you need to close the current file and store it before to take another and use it, that means time lost instead of having many files open at the same time in the desktop. Upgrading RAM (30 USD/2GB) will let you handle many programs (working on Word, listening Winamp and downloading files) at the same time not feeling the Mini drowsy.

Very nice way of describing it! I think I'm going to borrow it when explaining the difference to friends and family if you don't mind... I already knew, but that is the best way of explaining it I've come across yet.

[JekyllInside]

Originally Posted by Ran

Very nice way of describing it! I think I'm going to borrow it when explaining the difference to friends and family if you don't mind... I already knew, but that is the best way of explaining it I've come across yet.

Please! Fell free to use it! I explain the importance of doing defragmentation this way: Imagine a library, you took a book, but after read it, you put it in the table instead of put it again in the shelf. After some days, if you want to read again a book, you need to "swim" in the pile of books. That is hard and slow. Defragmenting is to order all the books in their shelf.

Saludos!

JekyllInside

Mini 9 Black (Webcam, Bluetooh, 8GB SSD) + 2GB Corsair RAM + 16GB SDHC Kingston + Samsung SE-S084B + Dell Bluetooh Mini Mouse

[JekyllInside]

Originally Posted by jefito

I'd sure like to see a source for this claim. Are you saying that virtual memory is used even when there's no page file to hold it? OK, sure -- obviously the OS needs to manage process memory, and when page file is available, then that memory may be out on disk. But what you say about performance enhancement doesn't make sense to me. I've done some searching, and can find sources that warn vaguely of lessening system performance by disabling the page file, but nothing concrete, no technical rationale, no numbers. Maybe you can enlighten me?

~jeff

Sure,

http://home.comcast.net/~SupportCD/XPMyths.html

Check "Paging File - Disabling". They explain that and another bad tweaks.

Saludos,

JekyllInside

Mini 9 Black (Webcam, Bluetooh, 8GB SSD) + 2GB Corsair RAM + 16GB SDHC Kingston + Samsung SE-S084B + Dell Bluetooh Mini Mouse