P.C performance question

[jayo 0]

Hey all,

in my continuos quest for more RAM i use the "FreeRam XP" program.It works a treat,freeing up an average of 200mb giving me around 740mb RAM,but no more.I can just about get by with that.

What i have discovered though is if after using the program,i start up Rome:Total War and play,say for 1 turn,save and then exit,i gain an extra 100mb RAM giving me around 840mb RAM (which is fantastic for OFF and the WoX series),my first question in an attempt to understand my 'puter, is why does this happen?

 

My second question is does anyone know if the ENBSeries file discussed here http://forum.combatace.com/topic/43231-yo-check-this-out-great-speed-boost/ works with OFF?

 

cheers,Jayo

[Bandy 3]

jayo,

 

I thought you deserved a proper response to your questions.

 

RAM is so cheap nowadays, why are you struggling along with less than 1 GB??? I know people have budgets, and you may have a legit reason to stay at your current RAM level, but seriously think about upgrading with a few sticks. You will enjoy your sims so much more.

 

If your type of RAM is not available at retail anymore, then ask around locally to friends and/or post the RAM specs and see if somebody is willing to sell cheaply or simply donate old sticks to you. I've upgraded an old computer nicely for my 6-year-old son to play some early computer games like the StarWars Alliance series; he doesn't know the difference...

 

Depending on your system, and since you are struggling with less than 1 GB RAM, then I would not suggest you try the ENB series, though a version of it does work in OFF. I suppose it can't hurt to try.

 

Good luck!

Edited January 12, 2010 by Bandy

[jayo 0]

Sorry Guy . . Proper Toy Store, Wrong Aisle

http://www.overfland....com/sysreq.htm

 

 

....or perhaps the wrong level,even.

 

Bandy i must admit perhaps its time,£399 4yrs ago didnt really buy much,am still curious about my first Q.

[Tamper 9]

No one - and I do mean no one (not even Bill Gates himself) can answer that first question *lol* Just too much about memory usage in PC's...but, seriously, I'll have a whack at it:

 

When computers use memory, the actual amount used varies depending on what's being done at that time. This may or may not have anything directly with what you can *see* that the PC is doing. Once you end a program, the memory used is supposed to be released back to the OS. Sometimes, this doesn't happen, and often it's less than what was taken up by the program originally. So-called 'memory leaks' mean (loosely) that a program is using memory greater than what it's supposed to use, and doesn't ever give back to the system; the system (or an app) is said to 'leak' memory because it will eventually fail from running short (even though it should have enough).

 

Personally - and please don't take this the wrong way, just my opinion - but I think ever since the days of DOS 5, 'memory managers' are a complete waste of money. You cannot rely on what they tell you (in terms of 'free' memory), and the fact that they tell you it's free doesn't necessarily mean it is - or that it's actually available to other programs.

 

Also, using anything to 'manage' memory is just more overhead that comes out of your total system resources. IMHO you're better off letting Windows do what it wants with memory.

 

I know this doesn't answer your question in the purely mathematical sense, but I hope it sheds some light on why nailing down memory usage/availability in Windows is difficult to accurately do.

 

And, as was mentioned already, I'd seriously recommend at least 2G; 4 if the machine will accomodate it.

 

Finally, I use the "ENB series" (if it's the same one I use, and I believe it is)...although I use it for the effects - bloom and so on - not expecting any performance boost, for sure (or ever seeing any, for that matter). If your situation with memory is what drives you to ask, then I can just about assure you it's not going to help with that,

 

HTH

[jayo 0]

Thanks Tamper,good expl.

I also use Alacrity as well as FreeRAMXP,without them all my OFF sliders would be on 1 to stand a chance! However i do accept i need to upgrade asap! Problem is my machine (bless PCWorld,not) is an E-SYSTEM model,from what i gather is not a common model.I say this because the memory upgrade compatibility scan i did last night couldnt find an upgrade match,the only thing it identified is im on a Foxconn motherboard.

Thats a start i guess!

cheers,Jayo

[ConradB 0]

Jayo,

 

If you wish, you can try these tweaks to your system which can help free up memory. But being 4 years old, shouldn't be that big an issue. As far as your memory goes, your best bet would be to pull the side cover and physically inspect what you have, and try to match it. Also you will also see if there are more slots available for more "sticks" of ram.

 

You can also look at these tweaks from Blackviper for your system:

 

http://www.blackviper.com/

 

They can help you to free up memory so there aren't a lot of backround programs running when you are playing OFF.

Edited January 13, 2010 by ConradB

[BirdDogICT 3]

Thanks Tamper,good expl.

I also use Alacrity as well as FreeRAMXP,without them all my OFF sliders would be on 1 to stand a chance! However i do accept i need to upgrade asap! Problem is my machine (bless PCWorld,not) is an E-SYSTEM model,from what i gather is not a common model.I say this because the memory upgrade compatibility scan i did last night couldnt find an upgrade match,the only thing it identified is im on a Foxconn motherboard.

Thats a start i guess!

cheers,Jayo

I used Alacrity and AMD Fusion with OFF, and was able to free up additional resources, but ultimately upgraded to 3GB to get the best performance on my older PC running XP SP3.

 

Foxconn is the largest OEM motherboard manufacturer. I've built a few PCs with their boards, and have found them to be decent quality. You'll find Foxconn boards in many Dell, Compaq & HP machines, as well as many game consoles. Shouldn't be a problem finding memory for an upgrade. Go to http://www.cpuid.com/ and download CPU-Z 1.53 and/or PC Wizard 2010. They can provide more detailed info on your system. Let us know what you find.

Edited January 13, 2010 by BirdDogICT

[jayo 0]

Ok thanks guys for the input here,i will be looking into upping my system (payday cant come soon enough this month!).I was using ATI but switched to nvidia awhile back and have followed the tweaking advice on the OFF site.Will keep you all informed with upgrade.

 

cheers,Jayo