Windows 10 and Windows 11 includes a built-in RAM drive, but it is not as fast as your hard drive. However, there are ways to use both devices simultaneously without any performance reduction! This article will tell you how to do so.
The “how to use ssd as ram windows 10” is a tutorial on how to use your hard drive as RAM in Windows 10 and 11. It will explain the process of turning an SSD into memory, which can be used for a variety of purposes.
A feature in Windows 10 enables a portion of your hard disk to function in the same manner that RAM (Random Access Memory) does. When correctly configured, virtual memory is vital for system stability and may assist increase your computer’s performance.
Before going through how to setup virtual memory, it’s a good idea to go over how it works and why it’s necessary. However, if you simply want to get to the “how to” section, you may skip ahead by clicking here.
What Is Virtual Memory and How Does It Work?
The pagefile, or paging file, is a system file that stores virtual memory. This file is mostly utilized in two scenarios: when Windows consumes all available physical RAM and when applications are dormant for an extended period of time.
The first scenario is very typical on older machines with less RAM. When there is no more physical memory available, the data that is created and consumed must still be stored someplace. This is where the paging file comes in, which Windows treats as if it were actual memory.
When applications are minimized and no longer in use, their data may be relocated from RAM to virtual memory to free up space in RAM for other programs and processes. This improves the overall efficiency of the system.
Virtual Memory’s Importance
Some websites advise you to deactivate your paging file, particularly if you have a lot of physical memory, however this is a poor idea.
If your computer’s memory utilization becomes too high and you don’t have virtual memory enabled, you may have slowdowns, problems, and even crashes, resulting in data loss. If your paging file is too tiny, the same thing might happen. Some applications and operations, on the other hand, need the paging file to operate effectively.
Setting your paging file to a big size might also pose problems, the most apparent of which is that it will take up too much space on your hard disk. Setting an excessive paging file, on the other hand, might cause a significant quantity of data to be loaded into virtual memory while running memory demanding applications or simply a big number of them, making switching between them exceedingly sluggish.
Even when stored on an SSD, virtual memory is slower than physical memory (Solid State Drive). SSDs are faster than regular HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), but they can’t compete with RAM. If your computer is sluggish because of a lack of memory, the only option to speed it up is to add more or switch to a new system with more RAM, but having a large paging file can help keep it stable and perform better overall.
Choosing the Right Amount of Virtual Memory
Because there is no widely agreed-upon “optimal” quantity of virtual memory, the amount you configure it to will be determined by your demands. More precisely, depending on the amount of RAM you have and the greatest amount of memory you typically utilize or believe you’ll need.
If you know how much memory you’ll need, the best approach is to set your paging file to a bit more than that amount, including your RAM. If you have 8GB of RAM and a maximum memory consumption of 12GB, for example, your paging file should be set to 5GB. The system has a total of 13GB of memory accessible, which includes 8GB of RAM and 5GB of virtual memory.
Even if your maximum memory utilization is less than your entire RAM, a tiny paging file should be established. Approximately 1-2GB should enough.
Test of the Task Manager
Whether you’re not sure how much RAM you need, go under the Performance tab in Task Manager to determine if you need more. While the most well-known method of accessing Task Manager is Ctrl + Alt + Del, there are other options, such as:
- Windows has a search function.
- Also, the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
When Task Manager is up and running, do the following:
- Then choose “Memory” from the “Performance” menu.
- Open the number of programs that you believe you’d regularly have open at the same time. A web browser, a music player, and a word processor, for example. Perhaps a game or another time-consuming software that you use on a daily basis. If this causes your system to become sluggish or unstable, you most likely need extra virtual memory.
- Return to Task Manager and see what it shows under “Committed” once they are going. This shows your RAM and virtual memory combined, displaying how much is in use and how much is available. You should also increase your virtual memory if the figure on the left is extremely close to the one on the right.
A safe quantity to set is about 2GB more than what you presently have. You may always increase it later if you find you need more.
What Is Virtual Memory?
Getting to the virtual memory settings might be a pain. The first step is to go to the Control Panel’s System section.
To do so:
- Click or press Win + S to bring up the Search window.
- Start entering “Control Panel” and when it appears, click it.
- Select “System and Security” from the drop-down menu.
- Select “System.”
Basic system information, such as how much RAM you have, may be found here. Once you’ve arrived at the System page, do the following steps:
- On the left, choose “Advanced system settings.”
- Under “Performance,” select “Settings…” on the “Advanced” tab.
- Select the “Advanced” tab, then under “Virtual memory,” click the “Change…” button.
You may now pick how to set up virtual memory if you’ve come this far. Again, how you do so will be determined on your memory requirements.
In many circumstances, letting Windows choose the optimal size for the paging file is the best choice, particularly if you’re not sure how much RAM you’ll need and don’t want to bother with manually calculating the proper amount.
Allowing Windows to Control Virtual Memory
The following methods should give you the best results if you just have one hard disk or don’t care which drive(s) the paging file is on.
- Check the “Automatically manage paging file size for all disks” box in the “Virtual Memory” window.
- “OK” should be selected.
- You should get a prompt stating that you must restart for the changes to take effect. “OK” should be selected.
- On all of the remaining open windows, click “OK.”
- You should then be given the option of restarting your computer right away or later. Close all open apps and select “Restart immediately” if you want to restart right away. If you don’t want to restart right now, choose “Restart later,” but remember to do it as soon as possible.
Multiple Hard Disks
If you have numerous disks, you may instruct Windows to only use one of them for the paging file. Assigning the paging file to an SSD should result in the greatest performance. Set it to one of your SSDs that isn’t in use by Windows if you have more than one. Assign your SSD to an HDD if you’re worried about its longevity. Set it to one that isn’t running Windows if you just have HDDs.
Once you’ve made your decision, do the following steps:
- Follow the instructions here if you aren’t currently on the “Virtual Memory” window.
- Make sure “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” is unchecked, then pick the disk where you want the paging file to be saved.
- Then choose “System managed size” and “Set.”
- Select the remaining drives and, if not already chosen, click “No paging file,” then “Set” for each of them, then “OK.”
- You should get a popup informing you that you must restart. “OK” should be selected.
- On the remaining open windows, click “OK.”
- You should then be asked if you want to restart now or later. Close all open applications and click “Restart Now” when you’re ready. Click “Restart Later” if you wish to wait.
Using a Fixed Amount of Virtual Memory
Setting the size manually may be your best choice if automated management doesn’t work or if it’s what your machine was set to in the first place. This is where you may put the advise on figuring out what to set it to to use.
- Follow the instructions here if you aren’t currently on the “Virtual Memory” window.
- Select the drive you want to use after unchecking the automated management option. The advice given here about deciding which drive to use also applies here. If you wish, you may set the paging file on more than one, but there’s no actual benefit to doing so.
- Click “Custom Size” and specify the paging file’s minimum size in “Initial size” and maximum size in “Maximum size.” For the sake of comparison, 1 GB equals 1024MB of RAM. Enter the same value in both if you don’t want the size to change and want it to remain a constant size. This is important if you want to know how big your paging file is at all times.
- If you have many drives, pick each one individually and choose “No paging file” then “Set” for each one before clicking “OK.”
- You should get a popup telling you that you need to restart. “OK” should be selected.
- On the remaining windows, click “OK.”
- A new prompt should appear, asking if you want to restart now or later. Close all applications and, if you’re ready, click “Restart Now,” or “Restart Later,” if you’re not. The modifications won’t take effect until you restart your computer.
After you’ve configured your virtual memory to what you think would work best for you and rebooted your computer, try it out by running the apps you ran during the Task Manager test. If anything doesn’t seem correct, or if your memory requirements change, refer to this tutorial again.
Most Commonly Asked Questions
On Android, can you utilize storage as RAM?
True, but there’s a snag. To do so, you’ll need to root your phone. You won’t be able to do so unless your phone is rooted. Assume you have a smartphone with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.
With the Virtual RAM function, a portion of the 64GB storage, say 2GB, will be explicitly dedicated for usage as RAM. Your smartphone now has a total effective RAM of 6GB (4GB + 2GB) and a storage space of 62GB.
Here are various techniques for utilizing an external SD card to build a swap file and utilize it as Virtual RAM on rooted devices. To use it as Virtual RAM on your Android smartphone, you’ll need a Class 10 memory card or better:
- RAM Expander by ROEHSOFT
- RAM Manager Pro is a program that helps you manage your RAM
- Link2SD
Is 16 GB of RAM really necessary for gaming?
As of the time of writing, the sweet spot for gaming is 16 GB of RAM. While it isn’t required, it will make some games run more smoothly, particularly if you intend on playing them at a very high resolution. Aside from that, 8 GB of RAM is plenty for the majority of games released so far.
Last Thoughts
You now know how to utilize your storage as RAM in Windows 10, Windows 11, and, as an added benefit, on a rooted Android phone. You’ve also learnt why RAM is vital in the first place, since it stores critical data that must be accessible quickly. Would you want to learn even more? Please feel free to look around the rest of our website for more valuable information and articles on Windows and computers in general.
Watch This Video-
Windows 10 and Windows 11 have a feature that allows users to use their internal hard drive as RAM. This is useful for people who don’t want to purchase more ram but still need a lot of memory. Reference: how to use internal hard drive as ram.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I use part of my hard drive as a Ram?
A: If you are looking to use part of your hard drive as a Ram, there is no way currently. This option was removed when the new PS4 Pro and Slim models came out because Sony fears that loading too many things on the system would lead to instability in performance.
How can you use a hard drive as RAM memory in your computer to speed up the system performance?
A: You can not use a hard drive as RAM memory in your computer. A hard drive is meant to store data, and if you tried to modify the operating system or load files into it then there would be major problems with your devices stability – this includes crashes and lost data on that particular partition of the hard disk
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