Can somebody knowledgeable please explain to me what the system cache does in Windows XP. There is a setting under properties in my computer that can be changed from "programs" to "system cache". I was looking at different Microsoft tweaking programs and came across this thing called Cacheset. I am wondering if this is related to the cache options.

As far as I understand it now is that “system cache” just keeps recently accessed files in memory. So I would imagine that there are benefits to setting the setting to more “system cache”. On the other hand online there are many warnings not to set the setting because it might hurt performance. Here is an article on Microsoft’s own website warning about some possible out of memory errors if the setting is changed.

I have been running my main computer with that setting enabled for some time now and actually see a performance increase, but now I want to find out more about this. There is no good explanation online though.

Since this forum is visited by technically inclined people, I want to you’re your thoughts on this.

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Well idea.. ;-)


I also saw in some tweaking progs the changing in following settings:


-----------------------------------

Prozessorzeitplanung
[Processor scheduling]

Programme - Hintergrunddienste
[Programs] - [Background services]

-----------------------------------

Speichernutzung
[Memory usage]

Programme - Systemcache
[Programs] - [System cache]

-----------------------------------


Stock is at both 'Programs'.


What would be the best settings for an only crunching rig?

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Best of my knowledge (I have taken a few XP and Server 2003 classes at college), and the difference between Programs and System Cache is supposed to be that the OS's memory management is supposed to favor keeping the selected group in RAM instead of paging it out to the pagefile. Programs means user-run apps are supposed to [mostly] stay in RAM, while system services will be among the first to be pushed to the pagefile if needed.

I believe that is correct.

If you do like I do.. 4gb of RAM and turn the pagefile off..that setting becomes useless. :D

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Linux laptop:
record uptime: 1511d 20h 19m (ended due to the power brick giving-up)

If you do like I do.. 4gb of RAM and turn the pagefile off..that setting becomes useless. :D

I second that...though with XP I wouldn't try that with less than 2GB RAM, Vista, 3GB. Just throwing that caveat/disclaimer out there.

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"Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think."

"I never get into an argument that I cannot win."

BTW Cosmic, I'm catching you in RAC...look out! :)

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"Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think."

"I never get into an argument that I cannot win."

BTW Cosmic, I'm catching you in RAC...look out! :)

Yes, yes..but you've got a long way to go for the credit. You would have to double my RAC and it would still take ~425 days. :p

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Linux laptop:
record uptime: 1511d 20h 19m (ended due to the power brick giving-up)

Let me concentrate on the sprint before I focus on the marathon. ;)

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"Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think."

"I never get into an argument that I cannot win."

After that you can work on my total.

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Best of my knowledge (I have taken a few XP and Server 2003 classes at college), and the difference between Programs and System Cache is supposed to be that the OS's memory management is supposed to favor keeping the selected group in RAM instead of paging it out to the pagefile. Programs means user-run apps are supposed to [mostly] stay in RAM, while system services will be among the first to be pushed to the pagefile if needed.

I believe that is correct.

If you do like I do.. 4gb of RAM and turn the pagefile off..that setting becomes useless. :D

Actually, it sets the way Windows will allocate memory resources at boot time.

The system cache setting will cause Windows to take more of the physical RAM to allocate to the file (disk) cache. Boot time drivers and other things like that then load into what's left, and the user gets whatever remains after all of that for whatever they want to do.

IOW's you are playing with a setting which sets up memory which will never get paged out. The performance killer is when you have 'limited' RAM and your stuff starts getting paged out to disk because you have told Windows to keep a bigger chunk of memory ready for tasks common in a server role, but may actually be doing nothing useful when run in a desktop role.

IIRC, that's pretty well spelled out in the MSKB.

Alinator