2GB Really Helps!

[parish]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

BF2, set to the highest settings, uses approx 1.6GB of memory when running. Anyone that tells you that 2GB does not make a difference is wrong. Even on the lowest settings, it uses 1GB of memory. The most significant 2GB difference being load times and first-in-map sweetness. A low ping and some extra memory can make all the difference in the world.

One thing you can do to improve performance in BF2 is to adjust your swap file settings if you do not have or cannot afford 2GB of RAM. The recommended method of doing this is to move your swap file to a different physical drive. Before I had 2GB, I did see a performance bump in BF2 after doing this.

Just so it does'nt come into question, I am running an ATI Radeon X800XT PE and a P4 3.6GHZ cpu with 2GB Corsair XMS Extra low latency.

[s|k]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

BF2, set to the highest settings, uses approx 1.6GB of memory when running. Anyone that tells you that 2GB does not make a difference is wrong. Even on the lowest settings, it uses 1GB of memory. The most significant 2GB difference being load times and first-in-map sweetness. A low ping and some extra memory can make all the difference in the world.

One thing you can do to improve performance in BF2 is to adjust your swap file settings if you do not have or cannot afford 2GB of RAM. The recommended method of doing this is to move your swap file to a different physical drive. Before I had 2GB, I did see a performance bump in BF2 after doing this.

Just so it does'nt come into question, I am running an ATI Radeon X800XT PE and a P4 3.6GHZ cpu with 2GB Corsair XMS Extra low latency.

What is a swap file? Do you have any more information on this?

[parish]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

There is one "Must Read' article for anyone who plays BF2 on a less, than the best PC. I recommend reading it to everyone I know and for some, the difference is huge.

http://www.tweakguides.com/BF2_1.html

Secondly, and in reply to your quesiton about swap files. Here's a quick overview of how to manage it in XP.

http://www.g4tv.com/callforhelp/features/36099/Optimize_Windows_XP_Page_File.html

[evogre3n]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

BF2, set to the highest settings, uses approx 1.6GB of memory when running. Anyone that tells you that 2GB does not make a difference is wrong. Even on the lowest settings, it uses 1GB of memory. The most significant 2GB difference being load times and first-in-map sweetness. A low ping and some extra memory can make all the difference in the world.

One thing you can do to improve performance in BF2 is to adjust your swap file settings if you do not have or cannot afford 2GB of RAM. The recommended method of doing this is to move your swap file to a different physical drive. Before I had 2GB, I did see a performance bump in BF2 after doing this.

Just so it does'nt come into question, I am running an ATI Radeon X800XT PE and a P4 3.6GHZ cpu with 2GB Corsair XMS Extra low latency.

incorrect.

I play on 512mb @ lowest settings, no swap going on, doesnt use a gig on lowest setting.

[parish]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

Lol. Ok genius, load up BF2 and once your in game, drop to your desktop, load your task manager and check to see how much memory is being used by BF2.exe. Please post a screenshot so all of us can verify your answer.

I love people who try to debunk what someone says without proof.

I guess I should also show how I got started looking into this...

http://bf2hardware.sytes.net:6583/

[parish]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

Hey, I almost forgot. Please tell me how you disabled your swap file while running 512MB of RAM? Be specific as I have never heard of anyone doing it with that little memory and still have a working computer. Running the OS and a couple of programs at the same time would gleefully use us more than 512 Mb and your system would crash. Being a systems designer, I am just curious how you did something that would crash pretty much any system running WinXP and yet magaed to not have any problems.

If, you possibly don't know what a swap file is or how it works, I could understand your confusion in thinking you somehow did not have one.

[s|k]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

Lol. Ok genius, load up BF2 and once your in game, drop to your desktop, load your task manager and check to see how much memory is being used by BF2.exe. Please post a screenshot so all of us can verify your answer.

I love people who try to debunk what someone says without proof.

He's playing the game with 512MB RAM, obviously if he can play it with that much RAM it doesn't use up 1G.

[imported_Psycho]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

He's playing the game with 512MB RAM, obviously if he can play it with that much RAM it doesn't use up 1G.

No, because it uses the page file.

[parish]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

Good try, but not even close. Let me explain what a swap or page file is on your PC. Its an area on your hard drive that your computer uses as memory. Its called virtual memory and the PC uses it when you dont have enough physical memory in your machine to do something. WindowsXp uses it like crazy. It's not something you install or turn on or off. Its built into the operating system. He could play with 256MB of memory, but that is by no means how much memory the game is using. The game simply uses the system swap file to make of for the lack of physcial memory the game needs. Therefore, the game may still be using 1GB of memory, however, only 256MB is physical and the rest is being used by the swap file.

If you would like to see what your PC uses for virtual memory, right click on "My Computer", select properties, then "Advanced", then click "Settings" in the Performance block, then click the "advanced" tab, then at the bottom it will tell you how much it is using already and allow you to make changes to it.

***** DO NOT MAKE CHANGES TO IT UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING !!! I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE IF YOU MESS YOUR SYSTEM UP BY TRYING TO TURN IT OFF OR MESS IT UP !!!!*************

I wont get into a technical debate over it with you, because your statement alone shows you do not understand what your speaking of. He stated he was playing with 512MB and >>>> NO <<<< SWAP. That's not even technically possible.

Heres a good exaplanation....

http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php

[parish]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

He's playing the game with 512MB RAM, obviously if he can play it with that much RAM it doesn't use up 1G.

Good try, but not even close. Let me explain what a swap or page file is on your PC. Its an area on your hard drive that your computer uses as memory. Its called virtual memory and the PC uses it when you dont have enough physical memory in your machine to do something. WindowsXp uses it like crazy. It's not something you install or turn on or off. Its built into the operating system. He could play with 256MB of memory, but that is by no means how much memory the game is using. The game simply uses the system swap file to make up for the lack of physcial memory the game needs. Therefore, the game may still be using 1GB of memory, however, only 256MB is physical and the rest is being used by the swap file.

If you would like to see what your PC uses for virtual memory, right click on "My Computer", select properties, then "Advanced", then click "Settings" in the Performance block, then click the "advanced" tab, then at the bottom it will tell you how much it is using already and allow you to make changes to it.

***** DO NOT MAKE CHANGES TO IT UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING !!! I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE IF YOU MESS YOUR SYSTEM UP BY TRYING TO TURN IT OFF OR MESS IT UP !!!!*************

I wont get into a technical debate over it with you, because your statement alone shows you do not understand what your speaking of. He stated he was playing with 512MB and >>>> NO <<<< SWAP. That's not even technically possible.

Here’s a good explanation....

http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php

[evogre3n]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

Well I assume that there is no swap going on, because there are no weird hiccups or several pauses, which I assumed ment it wasnt swapping with the computer.

Sorry if that ****ed you off so much lmfao hope you didnt lose any sleep

[parish]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

I was honestly only trying to help explain why more memory actually helps with the game, and how your system memory actually works with the OS. I guess your not in the mood to learn asnything usefull.

I have better things to do than lose sleep and I was never upset during any of my replies. I thought that someone offereing some genuine technical knowledge that may help your game run smoother would be appreciated, but I was wrong. Next time I will just sit back and watch people say things that are'nt accurate and just laugh to myself.

[pauli77]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

Just went from 1GB to 2GB and all I can say is that it helped alot. The game wasn't playable with 1GB on the settings I now use for my 6800GT. :)

[stevo1971]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

see u can debate about it all u like, but just take a while to read the posts by ppl who have upgraded to 2gig. they all say it improves the game. the game now becomes totally playable without having to lose the eye candy high settings

[loonsluv]

Re: 2GB Really Helps!

My comp only holds 1 gig of ram.. so i'm kinda screwed.. but it still runs good.