Cacheman 4.1 released - Win9x/ME users should try this!

[Dr Mordrid]

If you're edtiting without Cachceman optimizations you really should consider it.

Cachemans main function is to reign in the Windows VCACHE. This "feature" was implemented back when drives had only very small caches. That is no longer the case, but still VCACHE remains in Win9x and ME.

This wouldn't be so bad if VCACHE behaved properly. It doesn't. It allocates much of the systems free physical RAM at bootup, forcing most software to run off the swapfile. Not only that, but VCACHE is very reluctant to give that memory back to the system. Not good for physical RAM hungry editing proggies, Photoshop etc.

On my 512 meg system the VCACHE ate over 375 megs at bootup. This resulted in the system having only 13 megs free RAM with just Outlook Express running.

The more disk activity there was the larger the VCACHE became. Neeless to say the system was running amost entirely from the swapfile.

After applying the Cacheman Multimedia preset and running Outlook Express the free RAM upped to 411 megs and the VCACHE now allocates 26 megs with a 0k swapfile (!).

With Premiere running and a 1 hour RT-2000 project loaded the free physical RAM was still 321 megs!

Cacheman will also optionally unload unused DLL's and set up conservative swapfile usage. This is how I have the RT-2000 set up under Win98SE.

Cacheman's home: http://www.outertech.com/

'tis freeware.

Dr. Mordrid


[This message has been edited by Dr Mordrid (edited 25 March 2001).]

[This_Idiot]

Doc,

I'm asking this for everyone's benefit, not just mine. How do you check on use of resources ?

For instance, I'm currently running at 56% free according to Properties/Performance. This using 256Mb RAM under 98, with a whole host of background tasks that I'd rather I didn't have to run. There's 9 on the taskbar right now, not counting the ones that don't show up - Most folks will have the audio mixer, everyone should have an antivirus, then I've got MS Sidewinder drivers for my FF wheel,Pinnacle's control board, Nvidia's display properties, realplayer, my Firewall, Sygate (this is our gateway PC) and ICQ). Now I know very well that if I fire up any of MS system tools, they'll hog any resources that there are and mask the real effect of what's going on in the background.

Sandra is only of limited use unless you shell out on registration, and for the use it is for most folks, probably isn't a sound investment (ie it isn't cheap and probably won't get run more than a couple of times a year unless you are either into frequent hardware swapping or obessional about system performance). I don't know of anything else that can give a reasonable indication of system performance at a low price.

[dflatline]

Here is a little program called quickresource that stay in systray and let you see your resource usage.
It's free... it's little... it's really cool

http://am-productions.yi.org/downloads.php

[Dr Mordrid]

No need for it.

The new version of CacheMan has resource meters on its control panel and it can put a running total of free RAM in the SysTray.

There are also a much more configurable resource meters included with Windows:

1. Rsrcmtr.exe It's in the C:\Windows folder and will show System, GDI and User resources.

2. Sysmon.exe It's also in C:\Windows and can be configured to show almost anything. Too many options to list. Just check the Edit/Add Item menu.

Every item in the left window has a load of items in the right window to add to the display. You could fill the desktop with Windows performance info.

Dr. Mordrid

[Jerry Jones]

Thanks, Terry!

This may indeed be what I have been looking for.

[Flying dutchman]

Hi Doc,
What's the advantage over manually tweaking the [vcache]settings in system.ini?

[joeholley4]

I'm in agreeance with the Dutchman. I've had too many "tweaking" programs cause all sorts of problems (including forcing me to re-install). I have a great respect for recommendations from the Doc (you've never lead me wrong!), but I <em>would</em> really like to know just what advantage this has over manually setting the VCACHE size, as suggested by Matrox themselves in their little doc about optimizing your system for capture. Anyone have some more info on this?

[Brian Ellis]

Joe

I don't know about the new one, but I have used cacheman in the past. It didn't do anything (that I know ) other than change the vcache in a user-friendly manner. Of course, you can edit your system.ini to achieve ths same results.

For your info, I've played around with vcache settings quite a lot and I found that, for 128 Mb RAM, my best results for video were minfilecache AND maxfilecache=20401 (not critical, anything between 18 and 22 Mb will do) and chunksize=1024. I use similar settings in my 3 other computers except that the chunksize is better at 512 for non-video applications. FWIW

------------------
Brian (the terrible)

[Dr Mordrid]

Cacheman does things experienced users would normally do themselves in a user friendly manner. This opens this kind of optimization to folks who wouldn't normally open system.ini or other setup files without taking a bottle of Prozac first

Dr. Mordrid

[dave m]

From 664kb physical memory to 46Meg,this is a nice program Doc. My G200 Marvel, AMD 350 and 128Meg RAM may well last me a fair bit longer. My mov playbacks don't stutter anymore.
Thanks,
Dave
Edit:
By which of course I expose myself as being someone who wouldn't know what to do with his Vcache without prozac.
End edit

[This message has been edited by dave m (edited 27 March 2001).]

[sergiovalentino]

I tried and think it works great on my system (Win 98 SE - CUSL2 - P3 866 - 384 DIMM - Marvel g400).

[moreau]

I believe that the % free system resources number reported by windows in the performance tab is in no way related to the amount of memory you have.

[Dr Mordrid]

Grand Ledge?

Methinks I've been sneaking around the woods up there, heavily armed of course, just a few times

No, I'm not in the Michigan Militia. Just someone who hates missing deer season, both gun & bow.

Dr. Mordrid


[This message has been edited by Dr Mordrid (edited 28 March 2001).]

[Greebe]

TI try TaskInfo 2000. Works a treat