Does Windows Vista allow you to allocate hard drive space to memory

  • Thread starter Thread starter bblatz
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bblatz

Hi,

My question is pretty much in the subject. All I need to know is if
hard drive space can be used as memory as I heard this may be
possible. Thank you

bblatz
 
It's called paging and it's practically there in all versions of Windows.

Paging should be minimized for best performance since a (mechanical) HD is
nowhere as fast as RAM.
 
Paging should be minimized for best performance since a (mechanical) HD is
nowhere as fast as RAM.
Click to expand...

And the way to minimise paging is to install as much RAM as you can afford.

In Vista, you can speed up the paging sub-system by fitting a suitably fast
USB memory stick. Vista will use this as a kind of buffer between RAM and
the paging file. This technology is called 'ReadyBoost'.

However, by far the biggest return is achieved by spending the money on more
RAM - thus reducing the need to page.

ReadyBoost is most relevant on systems which have limits on how much RAM
they will support.

2G of RAM is a really good amount for Vista, and most lab tests show little
advantage in using ReadyBoost. If you are restricted to 1G of RAM (so
paging happens more frequently) then ReadyBoost becomes more relevant.

Steve
 
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