Best virtual memory setup for Windows 10 with 8GB and 16GB RAM
Best virtual memory setup for Windows 10 with 8GB and 16GB RAM
For Windows 10, optimal virtual memory settings depend on your hardware. With 8 GB RAM, a minimum of 8192 MB (8 GB) is recommended, while the upper limit can reach up to 12,288 MB (16 GB). Gaming typically benefits from higher values within this range, so adjusting accordingly can improve performance.
Allow Windows to manage. Gaming can't use Virtual Memory (Page File)
If you're referring to virtual memory as the page file, I'd recommend configuring it to auto or the smallest size possible while maintaining stability. On Linux systems, the swap file is available and typically set to 4GiB by default when RAM exceeds that amount. The goal isn't to maximize the page file size but to avoid excessive performance hits. You don't want your virtual memory too large because it shifts game files from RAM to the slower hard drive, which will hurt gaming speed. It's mainly used for two purposes: acting as a buffer so Windows can release RAM when needed to prevent crashes, and handling data from less frequently accessed files. When playing games, keep all relevant files in RAM—only move inactive data to disk. Let Windows handle the page file; it doesn't significantly impact performance.
You're using a 480 GB SSD for games and have extra 120 GB available. Adding more storage won't change the game load times much, but a cache file or virtual memory could help keep frequently used data in faster memory, improving responsiveness. The PCIe NVME adapter would offer better performance if you need it.