Why Use Virtual Memory In Modern Systems?

Cyberhwk writes "I have a system with Windows Vista Ultimate (64-bit) installed on it, and it has 4GB of RAM. However when I've been watching system performance, my system seems to divide the work between the physical RAM and the virtual memory, so I have 2GB of data in the virtual memory and another 2GB in the physical memory. Is there a reason why my system should even be using the virtual memory anymore? I would think the computer would run better if it based everything off of RAM instead of virtual memory. Any thoughts on this matter or could you explain why the system is acting this way?"

Comments

The real answer is

[Ethanol-fueled]

Virtual memory and pagefiles still exist so that there will be persistent, recoverable storage of your browsing and search history, illegally downloaded music, and furrie porn should anybody come a-knockin after you hit the power switch.

[/tinfoil hat]

Re:The real answer is

[eldavojohn]

Virtual memory and pagefiles still exist so that there will be persistent, recoverable storage of your browsing and search history, illegally downloaded music, and furrie porn should anybody come a-knockin after you hit the power switch. [/tinfoil hat]

</worrying> You're close but do you know why I only drink rain memory and grain memory, Mandrake? It's because virtual memory and pagefiles are the greatest Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify our precious computerly processes. <love the bomb>

Only 4 GB?

[spaceyhackerlady]

Vista boots in 4 GB? I'm impressed!

:-)

...laura

Re:Only 4 GB?

[sexconker]

The Kessel Run is obviously a surviving salesman problem.

The traveling salesman is selling zombie survival kits at the onset of the zombie apocalypse. He must sell $X worth of kits to afford his choppa ticket, and return to the evac zone. The evac choppa is waiting for him (or does continuous runs), so time is not an issue, and he can make long-winded sales pitches in safe houses.

Distance traveled is an issue, because the horde is everywhere, and the best strategy is to minimize exposure and avoid detection.

Quickness (acceleration, agility) is an issue because it helps you avoid detection, and when detected, you need to escape or hide quickly.

Speed (top speed of your van) is an issue because you often need to make a beeline to the nearest safe house, or to the evac zone once you have met your quota.

A surviving salesman is rated on his total distance traveled. A lower distance is indicative of a better salesman, and a better vehicle. Being able to zoom through the most dangerous areas will shorten your trip (path length) due to the increased demand and reduced supply of zombie survival kits in said areas.

For the Millennium Falcon, the above applies with a few differences. Han Solo and Chewbaca are hiding from the Empire, not the zombie horde. Instead of selling survival kits, they're smuggling contraband. Instead of running to safe houses, they're running off to Mos Eisley or other fringe/pirate friendly planets the Empire doesn't have (complete) control over. The money gained isn't for a choppa ticket, but for the general livelihood of Han and Chewbaca.

Modern Systems?

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you asking about modern systems or Windows?

Would it help if

[Xerolooper]

you could create a RAM Disk and set your page file to use that.
Then all your virtual memory is in RAM.
I'll leave it to someone else to explain why that isn't a good idea.

Re:Would it help if

[Anonymous Coward]

you created a ram disk... to put the paging file on... ouch ouch ouch ouch my brain!

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[Anthony_Cargile]

Either he/she (wait, this is /.) thinks "Virtual Memory" is the same thing as paging, or thinks it is the reason the computer is slow with even those specs, not taking into consideration the operating system...

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[brxndxn]

So do I really only need 640k of physical memory if I have a modern system?

Re:Why use a file system?

[Anonymous Coward]

Modern like the IBM System 38 circa 1980?

Re:The semantics of 'Virtual Memory'

[Anonymous Coward]

You sir, are a morgon!

Finally! A use for my CS degree!

[sdaemon]

I can finally put my CS degree to good use, answering the same questions students would ask the TAs in basic OS and systems-level programming courses! ...except that the other comments have already answered the question. So, in true CS fashion, I will be lazy and refrain from duplicating effort ;)

Laziness is a virtue! (And that's on-topic, because a lazy paging algorithm is a good paging algorithm).

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[alain94040]

Gentle answers is what 6 years in customer support teaches you.

That, or hating everyone ;-)

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[houstonbofh]

Gentle answers is what 6 years in customer support teaches you.

That, or hating everyone ;-)

That kind of attitude really pisses me off! ;-)

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[jon3k]

If you get your technical information from Microsoft dialog windows, I blame YOU for being wrong. You should know better.

Easy way to remember real vs. virtual . . .

[PolygamousRanchKid]

If it's there, and you can see it . . . it's real.

If you can see it, but it's not there . . . it's virtual.

If you can't see it, and it's not there . . . it's gone.

Re:Easy way to remember real vs. virtual . . .

[xtracto]

That reminded me of a joke I read somewhere, sometime (please someone add the reference):

What is the difference between hardware and software?

* Hardware are such things in a computer that you can kick when your 5 hour work vanishes after an error.
* Software are such things that you can just swear at.

Perfect explaniation for mom and dad :)

Re:Easy way to remember real vs. virtual . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

if it's there, but you can't see it ... it's cloaked.

Re:Can't hibernate

[pipatron]

send their flames to /dev/null \Device\Null or NUL depending on OS

It's called NIL: on my Amiga, you insensitive clod!

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[weighn]

That kind of attitude really pisses me off! ;-)

yes, I detest being gently hated by patronising tech support heroes

OT:

[JazzLad]

Perhaps set up a small ramdisk and pf to that?

Re:rephrasing his question charitably...

[Anonymous Coward]

Gee, there's a lot of disk I/O on pagefile.sys. Better cache that in RAM.

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[Digital Vomit]

When I read this story my knee jerk reaction was "please be gentle." And thankfully the first +5 post on this story is informative and helpful and relatively kind.

It's a Christmas miracle!

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[kaizokuace]

I can do all those and more. Where do I fit in society?

Re:Can't hibernate

[Just Some Guy]

I have had good experience with Fast defrag freeware from http://www.amsn.ro/

Ah, the joy of running closed-source system-level software of dubious necessity from a tiny shop in a Warsaw Pact country. Was it recommended by the new Nigerian friend that you're helping transfer money?

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[MaxVT]

Tell the CEO those privileges are intended for his admin assistants only. The CEO is rightfully entitled to "Power User".

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[mombodog]

"two years in law enforcement.. You truly get to meet the scrapings of the gene pool that way "
Hey, they gave you a gun and ammo to narrow the gene pool, what happened?

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[cyphercell]

hmm, maybe all IT people should be allowed to handout pills and carry guns.

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[Anonymous Coward]

"two years in law enforcement.. You truly get to meet the scrapings of the gene pool that way "

Hey, they gave you a gun and ammo to narrow the gene pool, what happened?

That's like trying to empty the Pacific Ocean with a teaspoon.

Re:Can't hibernate

[ryanvm]

Your post pissed me off! I'm buying a new computer.

Don't let Frank hear you say that.

[Hellburner]

It's a FESTIVUS miracle.

You insensitive clod.

Where's my aluminum pole?

Re:You mean physical memory right :-)

[boyko.at.netqos]

So that when things get bad, they can administer themselves morphine to stop the pain, and when things get REALLY bad, they can end their suffering permanently?