Memory Usage

Assuming a memory manager can manage memory, the next most important consideration should be how much memory the manager itself uses. This graph shows how the most popular memory managers compare with RAMpage.By design, RAMpage does only two things: It displays available memory, and it frees memory. Most memory managers basically do the same thing -- however, some clearly come with costly "bells and whistles".

The graph superimposes the amount of free memory while each program was running, (the programs were run consecutively, not concurrently). Each program was allowed to run for approximately 60 seconds in its normal "minimized" state. The fluctuations at the start of each plot are a result of loading the program and selecting the appropriate values before minimizing. The "steady" period for each plot was extended or reduced as required so that all plots end about the same time. To superimpose the readings, the absolute memory values were adjusted up or down so that the amount of free memory was the same when each program finished executing.

The figure in Kilobytes shown just below each plot represents the difference between the "steady" state and the final memory reading - in effect, this is the amount of physical memory, (RAM), the program uses when operating normally.

The memory usage shown does not include process space that is normally swapped out. Process monitoring tools will give a higher reading for memory usage, since they will include allocated memory that is swapped out. (RAMpage should still record the lowest memory usage, regardless of the method used to monitor memory.) From a theoretical point of view, the higher figures given by a process monitor are more correct. From a practical standpoint, the amount of physical memory used under normal operating conditions is far more significant.

These tests were run on Windows 95, (with version 1.3). Memory usage for other operating systems will vary. For example, in a test run on Windows 98, RAMpage required 188K and its nearest competitor required 364K. Windows NT has not been tested. Note that the memory usage can vary depending on the exact configuration of the machine, even on machines running the same operating system.