Windows 8.1 x64 Update 1 - is it OK to run it without any pagefile with 16Gb of RAM?

Discussion in 'Windows 8' started by MonarchX, Apr 29, 2014.

  1. MonarchX

    MonarchX MDL Expert

    May 5, 2007
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    My PC is highly optimized for performance and games. I formatted my SSD and installed a fresh Windows 8.1 Pro x64 with Update 1 integrated. I have no bloatware, no memory hogging software that runs in the background, and very low DPC latency. I also disable/set to manual several 3rd party services, like Adobe Update and Google Update to keep my system from doing anything intensive in the background while I game. I run a 3770K @ 4.6Ghz, P8Z77-V Pro with 2104 BIOS, 16Gb 2200Mhz (4x 4Gb) RAM, GTX 780 Ti, 256Gb Samsung 830 SSD.

    Is it OK to disable my pagefile? I don't have enough space or resources to get another SSD/HDD right now and it just happens that I can't spare more than 512Mb of SSD space for a pagefile. Is that too little? Would it be better just to disable it? I've read that Windows 8.1 utilizes ALL of available RAM, which I hope it means there is plenty of RAM it can use instead of using a pagefile. At the same time, some say that disabling pagefile is not a good idea because some programs may still want to use it and Windows 8.1 may also want to use it. It even says so in MS site "We recommend that you don't disable or delete the paging file.". It also says that its supposed to use a pagefile equal to the total amount of RAM or even 3 times that amount! WTF? Are they nuts? That is a lot of space to waste on a pagefile...
     
  2. bchat

    bchat MDL Smart Azz

    Nov 7, 2008
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    I have 16 GB RAM in my machine and I disable page file on all drives - all of which are SSDs - go for it - :)
     
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  3. SpeedDream

    SpeedDream MDL Addicted

    Feb 20, 2012
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    yep pagefile should go to regular hard drives if windows is ona SSD, disable it
     
  4. Mr.X

    Mr.X MDL Guru

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    I always heard despite you have a lot of RAM pagefile is still needed for some applications to work properly, hence I'm confused now.o_O
     
  5. SpeedDream

    SpeedDream MDL Addicted

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    big ones like photoshop or professional video need the pagefile, Autocad or maya too, nothing else AFAIK
     
  6. Mr.X

    Mr.X MDL Guru

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    Exactlly, then what it's supposed to do in the mentioned environment by OP? Pagefile or not?
     
  7. bchat

    bchat MDL Smart Azz

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    Pretty much agree with this - since I don't use any of those programs, pagefile disabled.
    Once again the individual's use of his/her machine determines the best settings for the machine.
     
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  8. s1ave77

    s1ave77 Has left at his own request

    Aug 15, 2012
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    What should be the benefit of disabling the page file, some system processes rely on it :g:?
     
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  9. coleoptere2007

    coleoptere2007 MDL Guru

    Apr 8, 2008
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    A BSOD :D:p
     
  10. Mr.X

    Mr.X MDL Guru

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    I guess less read/writes on SSD hence extend lifespan of the disk.o_O
     
  11. s1ave77

    s1ave77 Has left at his own request

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    That would need some TB written to do this. After several hours the pc is running my pagefile shows exactly 0% now :g:.
     
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  12. Mr.X

    Mr.X MDL Guru

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    Well in this case when I had enough money to buy one I will never touch that pagefile thing... just in case.:)
     
  13. s1ave77

    s1ave77 Has left at his own request

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    Mine is set to static 2048 MB and i never faced any problem while playing :g:.
     
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  14. bchat

    bchat MDL Smart Azz

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    Part of the reason is to save space, along with disabling the hibernate feature. When I 1st got involved with SSDs, it was suggested by the mfg to do so, also suspect it helped performance. I think I do it now just out of habit.
     
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  15. s1ave77

    s1ave77 Has left at his own request

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    Have a 60 GB system partition on my SSD with Win 8.1 Update 1 and lots of programs and still 37 GB spare space. Still leaves the question of any advantages by disabling the page file. In my tests there were absolutely no speed improvements by doing this only instabilities :g:.
     
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  16. bchat

    bchat MDL Smart Azz

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    I guess I should have stressed the "when I first got involved" timeline more - my bad. I have gone through about 30 SSDs, beginning with a 64 GB Partiot and then a herd of OCZ drives. Today's drives are much more advanced.

    I have 7 SSDs in my desktop, all pretty much out of the box into the machine.
     
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  17. Aemsa

    Aemsa MDL Member

    Feb 17, 2014
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    Dont disable it, just make a smaller fixed one, like 8GB min/max
     
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  18. endbase

    endbase MDL Guru

    Aug 12, 2012
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    Why use a pagefile it's purpose is to kick in as your memory is full so it is only sitting there doing nothing with 16 gb ram memory !!

    Second is that pagefile is slow memory because it is alocated on a disk so don't bother :p\

    Greetz base
     
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  19. s1ave77

    s1ave77 Has left at his own request

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    Hmm, in case of a BSOD no dump will be created if there is no page file. Severeal other processes rely on page file likewise.

    At least a question of personal preferences :cool2:.
     
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  20. coleoptere2007

    coleoptere2007 MDL Guru

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    Then everybody's happy :closed: :cool: