RAM question

[frenkinstein]

hey, so ive recently built a new computer, and while i was installing some stuff i got a popup from windows saying it wanted to change the display to windows classic because my performance was slow. this confused me, because i have 16gb of ram. upon looking at the task manager i see that even though i have nothing running, 2.03 gigs of ram are being used, and almost 14 gigs have been cached. is all of my ram supposed to be cached? and why is 2 gigs being used? any ideas on whats going on?

 

[geekapproved]

What does display have to do with your ram?

What video card do you have?

 

[jaquith]

First, once in a while I get a similar message immediately after I quit playing some games and I ignore it and select 'Don't ask again.' As far as 14GB of RAM being cached that depends on the previous application, I run SQL and once in a while FileMaker Pro that can take 18GB+ and place RAM in 'Shared' which is still available if needed. Otherwise a simple restart should free it up. Also, I run a RAM Disk with 8GB and even 32GB can get sucked up in a snap.

Example 18GB with FMP:

 

[frenkinstein]

if the RAM is cached though, when i try to run other programs will it slow it down or will it just reallocate the memory? i just dont want the ram being used up on nothing

 

[Pinhedd]

hey, so ive recently built a new computer, and while i was installing some stuff i got a popup from windows saying it wanted to change the display to windows classic because my performance was slow. this confused me, because i have 16gb of ram. upon looking at the task manager i see that even though i have nothing running, 2.03 gigs of ram are being used, and almost 14 gigs have been cached. is all of my ram supposed to be cached? and why is 2 gigs being used? any ideas on whats going on?

You can safely ignore that message. It tends to happen with some poorly coded games and other applications.

As for "cached" the answer is yes.

physical memory is very much a "use it or lose it" resource. Windows will use physical memory that is not reserved by the hardware or committed to the kernel or any application to build a generic cache of all things useful. This mostly includes data from the file system so that applications which have been previously opened or are often opened can be opened quicker. Whenever an application needs more memory the kernel will simply drop some of the cached data and give it to the application that requests it. All major operating systems use some form of this.

 

[jaquith]

if the RAM is cached though, when i try to run other programs will it slow it down or will it just reallocate the memory? i just dont want the ram being used up on nothing

...RAM in 'Shared' which is still available if needed.

Yep it will release it. However, if the Application that requested the 'Shared' memory is still running and another Application ideally needs more memory than is 'Free' and starts cutting into the first Applications 'Shared' memory then both Applications can suffer some degree of "slowdown."

In gaming it's important to allow the 'Shared' memory to be at it's maximum for both the GPU(s) 'Graphic's Shared System Memory (2GB~3GB+) depending on the GPU(s) and the Game (including Maps).

 

[geekapproved]

I still don't see what it has to do with display settings.

 

[jaquith]

Display message:

First, once in a while I get a similar message immediately after I quit playing some games and I ignore it and select 'Don't ask again.'

Most of the times that I can recall is when I have a DX10 or DX9 game with my DX11 GPU and it switches to Aero in Windows. Probably a combination of the game and/or driver, and since it's more a nuisance I ignore it.

 

[geekapproved]

Oh, I don't run Aero, I turn that crap off upon Windows install.

 

[jaquith]

Then you'll never get that Windows pop-up.