Hi all !
I have a big doubt about how would be the "Optimized Size" of the Page File to my back-up PC system...
Its basic spec is :

Processor = P4 2.8 GHz (FSB=533 Mhz)
Motherboard = Asus P4SDX
RAM Amount = 1.024 MB (04 sticks of 256 MB - DDR 333)
Video Card = Gigabyte Radeon 9600 XT
Main HDD = Maxtor 120 GB - ATA 133 - 7200 rpm - 8Mb Cache
Slave HDD = Seagate 40 GB - ATA 100 - 7200 rpm - 2 MB Cache

Last month, I have added more 512 MB of RAM (02 sticks of 256 MB), but I am not feeling some increase of performance... Let me explain better: when I had only 512 MB, I used to record some logs of performance into Win XP (as CPU Usage and Memory Utilization), mainly when I was playing some heavy games or other hard tasks (as compressing very big files). Normally, my CPU usage was growing up until reach to 100%, and my memory usage was around 90% - 95% (what means that only remained around 40MB - 30 MB of RAM)... So, for me, it was a symptom of few memory (I was guessing that the CPU usage was so high, because there was not sufficient RAM memory amont, and my PC was being forced to use much [very slower] Page Files, instead RAM). In addition, its behaviour was very different from my main PC...

As an observation, my main PC is a P4 3.0 HT (FSB=800 MHz), and its RAM Amount is also of 1.024 MB (but 02 sticks of 512 MB - DDR 400); Video Card is MSI 9800PRO and the Main HDD is a Seagate SATA 150. When I record the logs of performance of this last PC, playing the SAME heavy games and doing the SAME hard jobs, normally the CPU usage do not go above 65%, and the memory utilization reach around 700MB - 800 MB (what, for me, means that this PC is having an OPTIMIZED use of the RAM available)... Although the DDR 400 is faster than DDR 333, and P4 3.0 (800MHz) is faster than P4 2.8 (533 Mhz), this fact would explain a difference so significant ?

Well, when I installed more memory in my back-up PC (more 512 MB), I was expecting that it would go to utilize MORE the RAM that I additioned, and LESS of the "Page File" (in other words, I was thinking that it would have a behaviour of CPU and Memory utilization as my Main PC, but it didn't happened...).
It's strange, because it seems that this PC do "not want" to use more than the SAME 480 MB that it was accustomed to utilize before (even if, now, it has more 512 MB available to use....). I have evidenced this behaviour when I recorded, last weeks, the logs of performance that I said before...

So, I would like to know what (or IF) I can do to induce it to use MORE RAM (in theory, much more faster) and LESS Page File from HDD... I have experimented to reduce the MAX Page File Size to around 30 MB (into Win XP - My Computer, Properties, Advanced), but I had no success; I observed some weird hiccups...

Does anyone can help me? I am not an expert (far from this), but I think that it can have an OPTIMIZED size of the Page File, which would permit to have an OPTIMIZED utilization of the RAM Memory... Am I wrong about this?

Any informattion about this matter would be very appreciated!
Thanks in advance for any help!

Have a look at WinGuides. There are a few registry tweaks that can force the system to use all the available memory before using the swap.

Improve Core System Performance @ WinGuides.com

Thanks for your hint, Didou!
I will try to see it

I know nothing and by that I mean nothing! I just had a friend give me a 1GB 266Mhz DDR PC2100 Reg ECC DIMM CL25 Kingston memory card. I have a 2002 Dell Dimension 8200 PC. It has a Rambus inline memory module, 256, 400M 128X16, 8C, 40 unit in it. Will I be able to ultilize this extra memory in my computer?:knock:

Sorry but you cannot mix Rambus memory & DDR memory.

No. You can't mix DDR and RAMBUS memory. They're not even physically compatible, you'd have to use the Force to make it fit

so...um... did thoes programs do anything? are they worth getting?

Updating ram & troubleshooting

he never suggested getting any programs... he provided a link to registry tweak tutorial (you don't have to get any program)

the link was Improve Core System Performance @ WinGuides.com

I would also suggest changing the value of the "ClearPageFileAtShutdown" to "1" as well. this will keep the page file from being full of unused crap all the time.