Vista Superfetch - Thanks for the memory!

So we all know that Vista needs more memory than it’s predecessor did, right? But how much more - and what does it do with it all?

Well, Microsoft recommends 512MB as a minimum, with 1GB as preferred. As a rule of thumb, I’ve learned over the years of working with Microsoft OSes that the minimum will just about get you started, but if you want to be able to do anything beyond web browsing and checking email that it’s best to double up on the MS recommendations. So for Vista, 1GB of RAM will get you up and running, but if you really want to unleash the beast then 2GB (or more) is a must.

So why did MS set the minimum required RAM so low?  One rumour is that pressure from Dell came to bear, who had the idea that specifying 1GB might deter people who thought it might be too expensive.

The truth is, however, that throughout the development of Longhorn, and long before the name Vista was adopted as the official title of the replacement for Windows XP, Microsoft had said on many occaisions that the next version of Windows would need at least 1GB of RAM. 

I currently have 1GB in my home machine and plan to get another gig as soon as possible. With just Vista, an antivirus package and the Windows Firewall running (no other apps loaded) my system is running at 63% of RAM utilised.

So - where does all of this memory go?

Well, Vista is more complex than XP and naturally needs more memory, but one of the more interesting technologies to be found under the hood is the Superfetch feature.

This isn’t something that is configurable by the user. Instead, it is an intelligent caching system that learns from the user and configures itself as you use the OS.

Once the system has started up and all background processes have been launched etc., Superfetch will monitor how you use your system and preload your most-used applications into RAM, ready for you to use when you need them. As I mentioned, this is an intelligent caching system and will change what it loads over time. Thus, if you normally start up your email client at 10am, Superfetch will ensure your email client is already cached and ready to run. If you nip in and out of an Access database all day, it will learn the times you use it and ensure it is cached into local RAM and waiting for you (of course, you still have to launch the app).

The idea is that empty RAM is wasted RAM, and Superfetch is not only designed to cut down on loading times and HDD thrashing, but to make more efficient use of your system and it’s available resources.

Naturally, if your system suddenly needs more available RAM, it will start paging the stuff that’s already loaded into memory in order to free up space for that HD video you’re editing, or that big database you need to query.

So, how much RAM will be right for you?

Well, if you needed 1GB of RAM under XP, you’re going to need 2GB to work happily with Vista. If you already had 2GB of RAM with XP, because you run some of the more intensive games, or work with large video files, etc., then 4GB may be more suitable.

The days of “640KB should be enough for anyone” are long gone.