Page file idea.....

[Banditman]

In light of Tom's guide to optimizing the page file, I had an idea and want some feedback on it.

Everyone knows by now that the page file sits on the HD and is used when extra ram is needed. Well the problem with that is that the retrieving of the data from the page file is slow. Logic suggests that putting the page file on a USB 2 thumb drive would speed up the data transfer wouldn't it? Has anyone tried this?

[PC_destroyer]

It kinda sounds like ReadyBoost for the pagefile. I'm sure it would work.

[polobunny]

Originally Posted by Banditman

In light of Tom's guide to optimizing the page file, I had an idea and want some feedback on it.

Everyone knows by now that the page file sits on the HD and is used when extra ram is needed. Well the problem with that is that the retrieving of the data from the page file is slow. Logic suggests that putting the page file on a USB 2 thumb drive would speed up the data transfer wouldn't it? Has anyone tried this?

A thumb drive is slower than a HDD, though. ;)
Put it on a virtual drive made on your RAM instead.

[Quakindude]

I'll disagree with Polobunny on putting the Pagefile on the system ram in a virtual drive. Here's why.

The reason for having a pagefile is to reduce the amount of system ram needed for program data. A place to house the overflow of data when your system ram is fully utilized. Why would you further reduce the amount of available system ram to provide a pagefile? The ultimate goal is to have a situation where a pagefile is hardly ever used because you have enough available system ram to run all your programs. Any way you look at it, whether you use a pagefile on your HDD's or in your system ram, you're adding time to data crunching by requiring the OS to look elsewhere for data than quickly addressable system memory.

The Virtual RamDrive was originally developed for Photoshop duties and was normally placed on an older HDD used solely for that purpose. Some folks have gotten rather creative with the RamDrive theory, but use as a pagefile shouldn't be one of them IMHO.

Polobunny is certainly correct in his information about using a USB drive of any type. USB simply doesn't even come close to matching the speed of a HDD. eSATA does of course, but then again, that's a HDD, not a geek stick form factor.