Guides/Memory
Should you disable the page file for gaming? (No)
“Disable the page file, you have enough RAM” is an old tweak that refuses to die. It doesn't make games faster, and it can make them crash.
What the page file is for#
Programs reserve memory before they use it, and Windows only promises as much as RAM plus page file can hold (the commit limit). Many games reserve far more than they actually touch. Without a page file, the commit limit equals your RAM, and a game can fail with an out-of-memory error while Task Manager still shows free memory.
Why it doesn't slow games down#
With enough RAM, Windows rarely writes anything active to the page file. It's a safety net, not something games run from. If your PC does use it heavily while gaming, the fix is more RAM, not removing the net. How much RAM games need.
The right setting#
- Press Win + R, type
sysdm.cpl. - Advanced → Performance Settings → Advanced → Virtual memory Change.
- Tick Automatically manage paging file size for all drives, confirm and restart.
Keep the page file on an SSD if you have one.
Questions#
Does disabling the page file increase FPS?
How big should the page file be?
Frametide has this setting under Tweaks, says what it does, and switches it and back with one click (some settings need Premium). With Premium it also measures FPS, 1% lows and stutters in your own game, so you see whether it helps on your PC. Its scan also checks that a page file exists.