[SOLVED] Pagefile with PCIe (NVME) and SATA SSD config

[minig0d]

My Google-foo couldn't turn up a definitive answer so was hoping someone had some suggestions...

Hardware W10 x64 Pro / i7 7700T / 16 GB 2400Mhz SODIMM's / Primary drive (OS and most apps): Samsung 970 Pro (PCIe NVME) 500MB / Secondary drive (rarely used files): Samsung 850 EVO SATA 500MB / Both drives are bitlocker software encrypted

Situation:

• I've recently been using the computer for a different purpose which now involves heavy RAM / pagefile utilization (working in multiple chrome profiles (not tabs but multiple tabs within multiple profiles)) which eats RAM like no tomorrow and photoshop which can be pretty RAM/pagefile intensive.
• Was using the default system managed pagefile config, but given the workflow change and NVME/SATA situation that is likely not what Windows' algorythm is tuning for, I have little faith that the pagefile is being sized and distributed appropriately.
• Apparent performance is fine while system managed but I've noticed some really high page fault counts... mostly from Chrome, and some other high memory use applications in the 50 million+ range in less than 24 hours... which I think are potentially normal based on the type of activity
• Chrome basically allows itself to occupy a certain amount of memory based on "available" memory so the only way to cut down on thrashing is to reduce the size of the pagefile, so I did try reducing it down to 2GB as a test, which did seem to reduce Chrome's memory usage and thrashing a bit until the computer crashed due to lack of memory, so there is definitely a need for a pagefile of some size but 2GB is too low.
• But the main concern is about longevity of the hard drives at this rate and of course not wanting to lose too much performance.

Already checked: Drivers are all up to date, memtest no errors, SFC no errors, no spyware, disabled extra services and un needed stuff, dug through RAMMap and ProcessExplorer and didnt find anything abnormal, etc.

So, any thoughts on?

1. Pagefile size (System size seemed to be about 12-16GB)
2. Pagefile location (should I put it 100% on the SATA ssd or is there still performance to be gained by putting all or some of it on the NVME)
3. How much impact adding more RAM would have? (Given Chrome's behavior I imagine it would swallow up 32GB just as easily so wouldn't help)
4. Pagefile all/partially on a RAM disk to compensate?

 

[SkyNetRising]

So, any thoughts on?

1. Pagefile size (System size seemed to be about 12-16GB)
2. Pagefile location (should I put it 100% on the SATA ssd or is there still performance to be gained by putting all or some of it on the NVME)
3. How much impact adding more RAM would have? (Given Chrome's behavior I imagine it would swallow up 32GB just as easily so wouldn't help)
4. Pagefile all/partially on a RAM disk to compensate?

1. You can monitor pagefile usage with Performance Monitor. It will show percentage of pagefile, that actually is being used. Find out maximum value and set your pagefile to this size.
2. Pagefile location between nvme and sata ssds should not matter much. If it was on hdd, then performance of pagefile related operations would suffer significantly.
3. If you can, then increase ram. This would lower page faults and allow smaller pagefile.
4. No. More problems than worth.

 

[USAFRet]

Pagefile size. Given the 16GB RAM you have, you can almost certainly reduce the size of that from the system managed 12-16GB, down to 1 or 2GB.

I did that years and years ago.

Leave it on the C drive.

 

[minig0d]

Pagefile size. Given the 16GB RAM you have, you can almost certainly reduce the size of that from the system managed 12-16GB, down to 1 or 2GB.

Tried that last night and it crashed over night with no use even... woke up to a black screen with a dialog peeking through saying out of memory but it was pretty much frozen solid...

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Let Windows manage the paging file, then run your system normally for a day (or even two), taking note of the size of the paging file periodically. At the end of this take the largest noted size, add 2GB then set (under custom size) the minimum page file size to this number and the maximum size to 4 or 8GB larger than that and call it a day. Setting the minimum and maximum, sets the page file to a size that is likely not to have to be grown by Windows (a slow process, even on an SSD) and still allows for some growth if/when necessary. NEVER set to 0 or disabled or bad things will happen.

 

[Third-Eye]

Some games will crash if you lower Pagefile size too low. The Division is one game I know will crash if the Pagefile is too low, but I don't remember how low it can go before you have issues. I think somewhere around 10-12GB is the minimum before it crashes.