Virtual Memory vs Physical Memory

I am considering changing the amount of virtual memory in our computer.

I am a bit confused as to how this works though.

It is recommended that you set between 1.5 to 3 times the amount of virtual memory vs physical memory.

So we have 32 GB of total RAM, and I'm therefore confused why Windows has currently allocated 2648 MB of virtual memory, and it says that it recommends 4982 MB to be allocated.

If we have 32 GB of RAM, wouldn't we need about 48 GB or 96 GB maximum of virtual memory? Why is there recommendation so small compared to this?

Am I misunderstanding something?

The larger of (3 × RAM) or 4 GB is the maximum recommended page file size. Doesn't mean you need that all of the time.

The minimum recommended size for 64-bit Windows is RAM divided by 8, max 32 GB.

Try disabling page file.

If I recall correctly with WinXP and earlier the written recommendation in Help and Support in the OS was for 2.5 times the physical RAM and later versions it was 1.5 times. Some program installs looked for both a Temp folder and Virtual Memory and wouldn't install if not found.

These are the recommendations for 64-bit versions of Windows 10.

How to determine the appropriate page file size for 64-bit versions of Windows - Windows Client

I just leave it on Auto/System managed size.
The stuff about 1.5x to 3x installed RAM is a decades out of date recommendation.

Any specialist application requiring large amounts will probably say that in the system requirements.

With 32 GB of RAM, I'd leave it as it is if there's no slowdown or other issues.

abactuon said:

Try disabling page file.

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Indeed, I disable it since XP and I never had any issues, except 1 or 2 badly programmed software.
Virtual Memory vs Physical Memory is basically like HDD vs SSD, MS should deprecate it already.
Then again, android started to use disk as RAM lately, so it is not gonna happen any time soon.

The main purpose of pagefile is to replace RAM, like when I had 16GB and DeusEx used 12+GB, the game crashed as the result, because it needed more RAM than PC had. So as long as there is plenty of RAM and no leaking or demanding app, pagefile is useless.

Okay, I still don't understand this. If I have 32 GB Ram, then wouldn't 1.5 x's be a large number, why are you dividing by 8?

It says they recommend 1.5 to 3 times physical RAM, is my physical RAM not 32 GB?

I'm not sure what you mean by "it says." Who says? That's not what the Microsoft recommendation is.

As others have said, I would also leave it at system managed, unless you're trying to solve some issue.

Perhaps we have an XY problem here. What problem are you trying to solve?

same here, i have 32GB Ram and dont understand why my pagefile has to be that big. but windows is windows and i think the developers know better than me so i leave it on auto, but to me almost 16gb is overkill and not needed since hwinfo shows pagefile-usage as 0% lol and my PC almost never uses more than 50% Ram

16 GB doesn't seem all that large to me. Of course, we don't know your system commit charge, or whether you have separate memory dump files enabled. And then you have situations like mine, where my currently allocated page file is smaller than what is recommended, with the system set to system-managed.

With no information on what problem is to be solved here, futzing with the pagefile seems like a solution looking for a problem.

pseymour said:

16 GB doesn't seem all that large to me. Of course, we don't know your system commit charge, or whether you have separate memory dump files enabled. And then you have situations like mine, where my currently allocated page file is smaller than what is recommended, with the system set to system-managed.

With no information on what problem is to be solved here, futzing with the pagefile seems like a solution looking for a problem.

View attachment 89686

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Kind of strange that when you allow Windows to automatically manage the paging file, it allocates 4938MB less that it recommends? (I can math )

yea lol and in my case triple than recommended, this all seems to make no sense, so i let windows decide and dont care abt it. the only thing i did is put it on D: drive so C: drive can live a relaxed life. i (still) dont get the sense of fiddling arround with pagefile

Outside of Windows OS, I have set 3 x empty 500GB SSD’s as my swap/pagefiles for Adobe. Because I can. Sometimes my files and the amount of files are many and massive, sure, I could close one or two… but NO.

I had never thought about moving my OS pagefile. My OS SSD is 1TB so I figure, why?

That's enough.

I am trying to solve a memory error issue.

This was sent to me by a Microsoft tech support person recently:

"As a rule of thumb, paging file should be at least 1.5 times the size of your installed RAM, and a maximum of 3 times your RAM size."

I assume my installed RAM is 32 GB, right? So 4 GB as a recommendation is way below this "rule of thumb".

I don't really follow, maybe I'm confusing exactly my definitions of what exact kind of RAM they are talking about.

It's best to have a system managed paging file on the same drive.



An exception may be Windows on a slow HD and the page file on a fast SSD.

DoctorWho said:

I am trying to solve a memory error issue.

This was sent to me by a Microsoft tech support person recently:

"As a rule of thumb, paging file should be at least 1.5 times the size of your installed RAM, and a maximum of 3 times your RAM size."

I assume my installed RAM is 32 GB, right? So 4 GB as a recommendation is way below this "rule of thumb".

I don't really follow, maybe I'm confusing exactly my definitions of what exact kind of RAM they are talking about.

Click to expand...

You’re missing some advice. Searching this and the Ten forums also, mention most often, you don’t need to touch it. Just because you can, it doesn’t mean you need to.
Tell us what it is are you trying to achieve?

DoctorWho said:

I don't really follow

Click to expand...

Good reason to forget about it. What has happened, what is happening that you feel the need to play with it?

DoctorWho said:

I am trying to solve a memory error issue.

This was sent to me by a Microsoft tech support person recently:

"As a rule of thumb, paging file should be at least 1.5 times the size of your installed RAM, and a maximum of 3 times your RAM size."

I assume my installed RAM is 32 GB, right? So 4 GB as a recommendation is way below this "rule of thumb".

I don't really follow, maybe I'm confusing exactly my definitions of what exact kind of RAM they are talking about.

Click to expand...

For crying out loud, for clarity, virtual RAM is storage space on your hard drive which pretends to be RAM.

You are listening to advice when you do not even understand what virtual RAM is.

You have been told that the rule of thumb is years even decades out of date. It applied in days when pcs had only 1 or 2 GB of RAM.

You have 32 GB and are very unlikely to be using even half of that unless you are using very RAM intensive apps.

Just set it to auto and forget it.

Do not listen to any crap about setting it to 3x or even zero (setting it to zero can cause problems as well).



If you are having memory issues, you probably have a "memory leak" i.e. you have a badly designed app that is not releasing memory when it is no longer required.