How do I get Vista 64 to USE all my RAM?

[JeffAHayes]

I finally made the jump to Vista Ultimate 64 (I waited until I could get it with a free upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate for just $15 more) after recently bulding my first system (a Core i7 with an Intel SSD boot drive, for really fast boots and program execution). As excellent 2 GB DDR3 RAM was dirt cheap, I got 2 3-packs, giving me 12 GB of RAM for when I really NEED extra RAM for memory-intensive operations, such as photo or video editing (although I'm not doing much of that right now).

At any rate, when I run my system, it never uses more than 2 GB of the RAM -- usually caching about another 2 GB and leaving the remaining 8 GB or so "free." I tried running a DVD last night, and the RAM being used didn't budge one bit, even when I ran it in fast-forward, which I would think would add at least a little more requirements. I'd like to be able to get Vista to use more of the RAM when I want it to -- for whatever. In the past there was such a thing as a RAMdisk (I think on Windows -- I KNOW on the Mac -- I've used both). If I could create a RAM disk out of "spare RAM" when it's not needed for other things and, for instance, load an entire video (or program), temporarily into the RAM disk, it seems I'd have even much FASTER and better response.

Or, for instance, I recently did a large backup from one drive to another -- something like 20 GB -- using Microsoft's Synctoy. I'd installed only 6 of the 12 GB in my system prior to that backup, but that was when I decided to install the rest because I figured it would allow the system to load HUGE chunks of files into RAM and make the copying process much faster, yet it didn't, and still ran with less than 2 GB of RAM "active." Also, when I was a Mac user, you could actually click on the "properties equivalent" of a program and allocate more RAM to it. I don't see a Windows equivalent to that, but it would be nice if there were some workaround.

Anyone have any ideas on any of these issues?

Thanks in advance,
Jeff Hayes

 

[skunksmash]

I finally made the jump to Vista Ultimate 64 (I waited until I could get it with a free upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate for just $15 more) after recently bulding my first system (a Core i7 with an Intel SSD boot drive, for really fast boots and program execution). As excellent 2 GB DDR3 RAM was dirt cheap, I got 2 3-packs, giving me 12 GB of RAM for when I really NEED extra RAM for memory-intensive operations, such as photo or video editing (although I'm not doing much of that right now).

At any rate, when I run my system, it never uses more than 2 GB of the RAM -- usually caching about another 2 GB and leaving the remaining 8 GB or so "free." I tried running a DVD last night, and the RAM being used didn't budge one bit, even when I ran it in fast-forward, which I would think would add at least a little more requirements. I'd like to be able to get Vista to use more of the RAM when I want it to -- for whatever. In the past there was such a thing as a RAMdisk (I think on Windows -- I KNOW on the Mac -- I've used both). If I could create a RAM disk out of "spare RAM" when it's not needed for other things and, for instance, load an entire video (or program), temporarily into the RAM disk, it seems I'd have even much FASTER and better response.

Or, for instance, I recently did a large backup from one drive to another -- something like 20 GB -- using Microsoft's Synctoy. I'd installed only 6 of the 12 GB in my system prior to that backup, but that was when I decided to install the rest because I figured it would allow the system to load HUGE chunks of files into RAM and make the copying process much faster, yet it didn't, and still ran with less than 2 GB of RAM "active." Also, when I was a Mac user, you could actually click on the "properties equivalent" of a program and allocate more RAM to it. I don't see a Windows equivalent to that, but it would be nice if there were some workaround.

Anyone have any ideas on any of these issues?

Thanks in advance,
Jeff Hayes

Hi Jeff.....


TBH ive got 8gb & Vista will only ever cache about 4gb & actually only utilize 2gb in real-time....

the only time the system has ever used the full 8gb is while mounting a 7+gb ISO, when mounting virtually it will load straight into on board RAM.....

but as far as im aware (even though Vista loves RAM) it simply wont use anywhere near 12gb by default.., & i dont think there's an option to make a particular app utilize more resources..??

 

[amigo max]

Hello Jeffhayes...
As you have said you installed 12GB of ram and you cant use further than 2 or 3GB, its normal. I have 4GB ram and my maximum use from that is 70 percent of it while i run a game,play songs or while I am opening 5 or 6 windows on the net. I say 6GB of ram is enough for me, whereas 12GB is its double so it cannot be used totally unless we have some real heavy work to do on the PC.

 

[usasma]

I've got 12 gB of RAM and have come to the conclusion that I've wasted my money.
There's just no need for all that RAM because applications just won't take advantage of it.

My system uses 4+ gB of RAM at idle - because I've got so many applications open and running.

The primary reason is that we use mostly 32 bit applications on 64 bit systems. 32 bit apps (in general) just don't know how to take advantage of all that RAM. I expect this to change (in the near future) as more programmers code things for 64 bit systems and large amounts of RAM.

I'm building a new system for my wife, and she's getting half of my RAM since I don't need it.

 

[JeffAHayes]

Hmmmmmmmm, This is amazing... With Core i7 and Vista 64 it's now possible to install as much as 24 GB of RAM on a system, but I now have to ask WHY??? I'm still willing to bet there are ways to use the extra RAM out there nobody's come up with. I swear I think it was possible to create a RAMdisk on the DOS platform at one point way in the past. I've never been a REAL power user, but I've been using since 1985, and at one point was ALMOST a power user of DOS... UNTIL I started to realized I'd just have to become a full-blown GEEK to keep up with the constant version changes -- and then I went "mostly Mac" for about 10 years, and decided to focus only on learning to use whatever software I needed and as much about the OS as I needed to keep myself up and running...

Now I'm back to trying to become more of a "power user." I still don't want to become a "full-blown computer geek," but as I DID just build my first computer, I guess I need to start learning more again, lol.

Is this an official Microsoft-sponsored board? I just KNOW there has to be more out there.
Jeff

 

[Tipher88]

I don't think computers can/will be able to use more than 4GB constantly until EVERYTHING on them is 64 bit. As it is, you may have a 64 bit operating system...but dang near all the programs you are running are 32 bit, for now...

*edit*
Didn't see that Usasma basically posted this already, so I guess this just reiterates what he said.

 

[JeffAHayes]

Yep... I'm REALLY holding off on buying new software (other than stuff that's really inexpensive) for now -- and looking HARD for software that's native 64-bit when I can. If I'm going to be using a 64-bit OS on a cutting-edge system with 12 GB of RAM, it makes absolutely NO sense to buy 32-bit programs.

I still have Vista 32 installed on my Dell Core 2 duo, which was designed to max out at 4 GB (which is where I have it), but, for instance, there is software installed on that computer (which I'm rarely using these days) that I could benefit from on THIS one, but I have no intention of moving it over... I'm in a bit of a holding pattern on most things, such as Photoshop Elements and Microsoft Office, waiting for Windows 7 to go RTM so I can be CERTAIN I'm getting Windows 7 versions and, hopefully, 64-bit versions... I just downloaded Open Office for the interim. It does fine for light work... I'm taking over the editing duties for my garden club's newsletter first of the year, however (possibly the largest garden club in the Carolinas), and we're just going online with it in August. I'll be pretty much tied to using MS Word, so I hope Microsoft Releases the new Office 2010 early, because I never bought 2007 and 2003 is getting a little long in the tooth, lol.
Jeff

 

[usasma]

The 64 bit community is being held back by many things - but the most irritating is the compatibility of Flash w/64 bit browsers. I'd have switched to a 64 bit browser long ago if I could get the web pages to develop like I wanted them to.

We're seeing a dramatic increase in the number of 64 bit Vista systems being sold - so it's just a matter of time until the software writers see the "writing on the wall" and start developing these tools.

But, on the downside, that means we're going to see more issues with Windows "bloat". As more memory becomes common, more software writers will take advantage of that memory, and then more systems will bog down because of the additional demands. The amount of RAM that 64 bit systems can address will tend to slow this down (and you'll see more recommendations to increase RAM as a solution for slowness).

It's a vicious cycle, more power -> more programs to use the extra power -> need even more power...