Re: Memory size and allocation

[Dennis Payne <dulsi@identicalsoftware.com>]

> This sounds strange to me... i'd prefer to fill the ram till there is space
> available and remove unused data when i run out of space, this should
> improve the game performance avoiding all the load/unload work...
> Is this policy SO bad?

Yes it is.  Before you run out of memory you will begin swapping (assuming
there is virutal memory) in which case it is no worse than dumping the
data and reloading if needed.  Not only that but the kernel will
decrease the file cache space which may make new data slower to
read.  This may also affect network packets where they start being
dropped to conserve space.  And with memory overcommit you are totally
screwed.  You need to keep track of what you need and what you don't.

Dennis Payne
dulsi@identicalsoftware.com