Re: [TCLUG:9929] Adding RAM for slow machine

[^chewie <chewie@guinness.urw.org>]

On Tue, 9 Nov 1999, Mike Hicks wrote:

MH >Some Pentium chipsets cannot cache memory above 64 MB.  This
MH >means that if you upgrade to over 64 MB, you will notice a
MH >decrease in system speed (and it would probably be immediate,
MH >as I understand that memory is mapped from the top down on x86
MH >systems..)  Linux does have a workaround for this (in 2.2.x
MH >only?) where you can use the extra memory for a RAM disk (in
MH >theory, you can put some swap space there), and still have a
MH >full 64 MB of cached memory.

You know.  I've heard of this being a problem, but how does one
determine if their Pentium chipset has this problem?  Is it evident in
the VIA chipsets for K6 processors?  Where does one diagnose this
problem?

I do like your suggestion of using RAM disk for a swap parition. :)
You suffer a little speed, but not as much as you would trying to
write to disk. :)

Later!

    ^chewie

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