also @ TechSpot: Apple wins 3G patent case against Motorola in Germany
Welcome to the TechSpot OpenBoards. Please read the FAQ if you have any questions. Sign up or Login to participate.

Go Back   TechSpot OpenBoards > Software > Software Apps

Download Now:

using RAM freeing programs recommended

Page 1 of 2 1 2
Thread Tools Search this Thread
  #1  
Old 01-04-2007
Newcomer, in training
 
Member since: Jan 2007, 1 posts
using RAM freeing programs recommended

I was wandering if it's recommended to use RAM freeing programs regularly, such as OptimizeMemory 3.5, MemOptimizer included in TuneUp utilities 2007, and FreeRAM XP Pro v1.52.

if it is, which one is the best?


p.s. sorry if i made some mistakes, english isn't my first language
  #2  
Old 01-04-2007
Nodsu's Avatar
TechSpot Evangelist
 
Location: Estonia
Member since: Feb 2002, 9,431 posts
System specs
Those programs are pretty much useless and actually do more harm than good.

I don't want to get technical.. Just google for "memory optimizers hoax"
  #3  
Old 01-04-2007
Tedster's Avatar
Techspot old timer.....
 
Location: Petersburg, VA
Member since: Feb 2005, 10,005 posts
System specs
gotta disagree with you nodsu. Been using Freeram xp pro now for quite some time. Works great. In fact, it's help unstick some software.

Last edited by Tedster; 01-04-2007 at 07:02 PM..
  #4  
Old 01-04-2007
tipstir's Avatar
TechSpot Ambassador
 
Location: Florida, USA
Member since: Jan 2006, 3,356 posts
System specs
Me too nodsu, I've been using RAM Optimizer for a very long time (couple of years), it works better on systems with 1GB or more of RAM. Heck I even use it at work.
  #5  
Old 01-05-2007
Nodsu's Avatar
TechSpot Evangelist
 
Location: Estonia
Member since: Feb 2002, 9,431 posts
System specs
And how exactly does it "work"? Do you actually notice any speed difference or do you just gawk at the arbitrary numbers it spits out?

Maybe run a couple of benchmarks?
  #6  
Old 01-05-2007
Jesse_hz's Avatar
TechSpot Booster
 
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Member since: Jan 2006, 638 posts
System specs
I have to agree with Nodsu on this one, I've tried these "RAM optimizing" and "RAM freeing" programs and I haven't noticed the least bit of speed improvement on any of my systems.
  #7  
Old 01-07-2007
Ritwik7's Avatar
TechSpot Evangelist
 
Location: Calcutta, India
Member since: Jan 2007, 2,195 posts
System specs
Honestly speaking RAM freeing programs will only be useful on systems wid 256MB memory or less coz dats wen the software works 2 free ur RAM of unnecessary stuff wen important programs require RAM...
  #8  
Old 01-08-2007
Tedster's Avatar
Techspot old timer.....
 
Location: Petersburg, VA
Member since: Feb 2005, 10,005 posts
System specs
they're not used to increase speed. They're used to free programs that leak memory - or bog it up by poor coding.
  #9  
Old 01-08-2007
TechSpot Evangelist
 
Location: Four Corners, US
Member since: Dec 2006, 10,620 posts
I find they are no good for normal operation, but Freeram helps a great deal when unknown things are not right.
  #10  
Old 01-08-2007
Mictlantecuhtli's Avatar
TechSpot Special Forces
 
Location: Finland
Member since: Feb 2002, 4,886 posts
System specs
Can you elaborate a bit?

In my opinion, free RAM is wasted RAM.


MemTotal: 3089972 kB
MemFree: 22912 kB
Buffers: 50492 kB
Cached: 2351944 kB
  #11  
Old 01-08-2007
Nodsu's Avatar
TechSpot Evangelist
 
Location: Estonia
Member since: Feb 2002, 9,431 posts
System specs
Anyone saying that those memory optimizers "work" somehow, doesn't know how programs or operating systems work..

If a program has claimed some RAM, another program cannot just take it away. You'd have to manipulate some intimate in-kernel resources for that. And if you accidentally take away a piece of memory that is actually needed, the OS or the "leaky" program will crash.

Now, what those optimizers do, is that they force some of the physical RAM to be written to the swapfile. This is something that would happen in any case. All you gain is a pretty progress bar instead of just waiting for some other program to load while some memory is being freed up.

You also get slow response and mad swapping whenever one of those paged-out programs suddenly want their memory back. If the "optimizer" also decided to flush system cache, you lose the contents of that cache, meaning that the next time you want that cached data, you wait for your disk again.

As Mictlantecuhtli said, free RAM is wasted RAM. If something is there, then it is there for a reason (like a running program or cache). And if something there is not needed, the OS itself will write it out to swap in no time.
  #12  
Old 01-08-2007
tomrice32's Avatar
TechSpot Member
 
Location: England
Member since: Oct 2003, 50 posts
I don't know any of the details of how they work in the system, but I have tried a few freeware ones, and a few payware ones, and none made a difference to me. Infact, in my unbiased opinion I felt the computer was slower.
  #13  
Old 01-09-2007
Tedster's Avatar
Techspot old timer.....
 
Location: Petersburg, VA
Member since: Feb 2005, 10,005 posts
System specs
actually - according to Free RAM pro. Sometimes RAM gets locked by programs no longer in use. I have had many instances of this where this was actually the case. Both on my desktop and laptop. If it weren't for Freeram pro, the system might have locked up.

In any case it is also a good monitoring tool to see how much ram is actually being used. I haven't noticed any performance decrease at all.
  #14  
Old 01-27-2007
tipstir's Avatar
TechSpot Ambassador
 
Location: Florida, USA
Member since: Jan 2006, 3,356 posts
System specs
Using O&O CleverCache Pro File System Cache Manager

Finally able to replay back to some questions:

The otherday this week I was reading about O&O CleverCache Pro for Windows XP HME or PRO. What I had found interesting that it handles the file system cache and memroy freeing a different way. The first image shows you before using OOCC and after using OOCC.

So without OOCC: 279MB
So with OOCC: 19MB

All my systems now run this program I've disabled and turned off tweakpowerpack 2006 Ram Ide Pro. Which only free up memory. OOCC does more than that as you can see above and below.

Tested Systems
OS:
1-XP Pro SP1, 3-XP Pro SP2, 4-XP MCE 2005 SP2

CPU:
1-Mobile PII 266MHz, 1-Mobile PIII 850Mhz, 1-Mobile PIII 1GHz, 1-AMD Mobile 1.8GHz,
1-AMD X64 2600+, 2-AMD X64 2800+, P4 Presscott 2.6GHz

Laptops with only one: HDD:
3-40GB & 1-60GB, RAM: 1-256MB, 2-512MB, 1-1GB 4-Wireless

Desktops with more than one: HDDs:
1-260GB, 1-320GB, 1-500GB, 1-560GB, 1-4-1GB 4-Wired 1-Wireless option.

One system I use as Printer Server, before OOCC: 495MB, after: 22MB with OOCC . So doing this does not overwhelm the resources of your main memory. More memory can be made available to your system, reducing the need for swapping segments of memory onto the hard disk. As a result, applications and operating systems can react more quickly.

Here is what you see on the very first page.



This is the actual memory, usage memory allocated memory, file cache use and not used.



Results: Streaming Live TV and AV Media over the network wired and wirelessly, downloading an normal general task, on some older systems like the Mobile Intels there was much improvement in speed for accessing applications and opening up IE. The desktop AMD X64 and P4 Presscott were fast before, but better file cache and memory manage made opening up applications seem alot faster. More operations task though, still testing daily with Anti-V and regular stuff I run in the background so far so good. System quite stable.

Note: Download is free for 30 days but it's the trial version. After installation there really isn't anything to configure, it's pretty much takes over the control for you.

Last edited by tipstir; 01-27-2007 at 09:37 AM..
  #15  
Old 01-27-2007
Nodsu's Avatar
TechSpot Evangelist
 
Location: Estonia
Member since: Feb 2002, 9,431 posts
System specs
Maybe use some real benchmarking program to demonstrate how reducing system cache speeds up your computer? Pretty graphs showing arbitrary numbers mean nothing.

Sure, opening a new program is faster, but what about those programs that are already running? They will be slower..
  #16  
Old 01-27-2007
tipstir's Avatar
TechSpot Ambassador
 
Location: Florida, USA
Member since: Jan 2006, 3,356 posts
System specs
Well those type of testing will require a some free time and I'll have to get my hands on benchmark program.
  #17  
Old 01-27-2007
Nodsu's Avatar
TechSpot Evangelist
 
Location: Estonia
Member since: Feb 2002, 9,431 posts
System specs
I have the time, just buy me SYSmark 2004SE
  #18  
Old 01-27-2007
ravisunny2's Avatar
TechSpot Guru
 
Member since: Nov 2006, 1,789 posts
System specs
Messing around with allocated RAM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nodsu
Anyone saying that those memory optimizers "work" somehow, doesn't know how programs or operating systems work..

If a program has claimed some RAM, another program cannot just take it away. You'd have to manipulate some intimate in-kernel resources for that. And if you accidentally take away a piece of memory that is actually needed, the OS or the "leaky" program will crash.

Now, what those optimizers do, is that they force some of the physical RAM to be written to the swapfile. This is something that would happen in any case. All you gain is a pretty progress bar instead of just waiting for some other program to load while some memory is being freed up.

You also get slow response and mad swapping whenever one of those paged-out programs suddenly want their memory back. If the "optimizer" also decided to flush system cache, you lose the contents of that cache, meaning that the next time you want that cached data, you wait for your disk again.

As Mictlantecuhtli said, free RAM is wasted RAM. If something is there, then it is there for a reason (like a running program or cache). And if something there is not needed, the OS itself will write it out to swap in no time.

What Nodsu says seems to make sense.

Messing around with allocated RAM reeks of lack of confidence in the operating system.

There is usually a good reason why some process is in the RAM (unless its a virus or a spyware).

What is the prime function of a cache ?

If one needs to have a program execute faster, perhaps one should limit the number of application programs initiated/running simultaneously.

If you really need more speed, why not add some RAM ? It isn't that expensive.

Squeezing allocated RAM will eventually cause 'threshing'
  #19  
Old 02-04-2007
Condor's Avatar
TechSpot Booster
 
Location: Hawaii, Usa
Member since: Sep 2003, 453 posts
System specs
I use freemem pro 4.3 (really old program) and it help my system running smoothy for 3 day straight. i could watch movies, burn DvD, browse the web or even PSing if i want and there won't be a slow down (a bit if I were to open PS^_^). I got torent thingy running in the back ground too.

I set my Freemem to allocate memory for every 3 min, I sometime do it manually everytime I shut down my broswer or close a program to free up ram.

all running on 3.5 ghz cpu , 1 gig of ram.

screenshot here . I can video it if yall want further proof of how amaze that little program can do.

  #20  
Old 02-04-2007
Nodsu's Avatar
TechSpot Evangelist
 
Location: Estonia
Member since: Feb 2002, 9,431 posts
System specs
So you are saying that once you turn off your wonderprogram, your system turns horribly slow and crashes?

Care to benchmark it for us?
Closed Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Similar Topics
Topic Replies Forum
Recommended PSU Please 14 Overclocking, Cooling and Modding
Recommended antivirus/malware programs? 10 Virus and Malware Removal
Setup new wireless network, what recommended programs? 3 Virus and Malware Removal
Freeing up CPU, Page File, Memory usage 7 Processors and Motherboards
Freeing up physical memory on Windows XP Home 2 Windows OS

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:31 PM.