Effect of RAM Upgrade?

[CountMike]

Yes, MS has made windows with some settings for an average user but that "average" is just their definition and may or may not apply to majority. With so many different configurations out there I don't believe "one size fits all" is possible. If you want to make system as close as possible to it's full potential, some things have to be adjusted manually.
Anyway, adding more RAM can help only systems that exceed available free RAM while running normal programs and /or their number, otherwise it's just wasted.

 

[Itaregid]

Yes, MS has made windows with some settings for an average user but that "average" is just their definition and may or may not apply to majority.

And I contend it does - and by a long shot.

It may not cover the 5 - 10% on one extreme and the 5-10% on the other extreme, but it does cover the 80 - 90% in the middle. And we know this because there are 100s of millions of Windows users who share with Microsoft their usage information and have for many many years. And since virtually every single Windows computer becomes a unique computer within the first few minutes after it is powered up the very first time, as users load up their security programs, network configurations, user preferences, extra drives, productively software, that is a lot of empirical data that is used to determine what is best for the most number of users.

With so many different configurations out there I don't believe "one size fits all" is possible.

Which is the point. There is no one size fits all here - especially when it comes to the PF which when left to Windows to manage, changes dynamically per user, per machine and by what the user is doing. But again, while every computer is as unique as every human out there, they are all much more alike than different.

If you want to make system as close as possible to it's full potential, some things have to be adjusted manually.

I am not denying that. But what I am saying is you need to really do your homework and have a thorough understanding of how virtual memory works and how it works with your specific computer AND for each user of that computer in order to make manual adjustments better than Windows can. And then you need to regularly (daily, if you do different tasks on different days of the week) check and adjust as necessary.

If you cannot measure performance gains, let Windows do it. Otherwise, it is likely just wishful thinking or the placebo affect.