Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Re: is the

Author: Roberto Waldteufel

Date: 11:20:41 07/31/98

Go up one level in this thread



On July 31, 1998 at 08:16:39, Komputer Korner wrote:

>On July 30, 1998 at 10:14:08, David Eppstein wrote:
>
>>On July 29, 1998 at 23:54:33, Roberto Waldteufel wrote:
>>>Well, here's the big question. I spent a lot of money on a fast PC with 64MB of
>>>RAM for the main purpose of developing a chess program. I specially had a 64 MB
>>>machine rather than 32, which was standard, because I wanted to use at least
>>>40MB for hash tables, maybe more. Now I get all this terrible swapping. ...
>>>So how can I load and execute a program entirely in RAM, with all its data
>>>in RAM, with no disk access, no multitaskink, no fancy bells or whistles, just
>>>maximum speed and efficiency? Is there an operating system that allows this?
>>
>>I realize this is not a helpful answer to you, but the MacOS will do this if you
>>disable virtual memory.  I've run programs that malloc as much as 120MB (my Macs
>>have 144 and 160MB memories) without any thrashing at startup (or later).
>>
>>Other people in this thread have suggested NT, maybe Linux would also work.
>>I suspect the correct answer to your question is "anything but Windows 95".
>
>Win 95 is not the culprit. Too little RAM is. For chess programs, users need at
>least 128 Mb of RAM so that they can have 64 Mb hash tables with no problems.
>--
>Komputer Korner

Hi  KK,

I'm sorry, but I cannot agree. Any operating system that does not allow optimum
use of system resources is culpable in my book - and I don't call the inability
to use more than 50% of RAM without all that swaping optimal use, do you?

I cannot be satisfied with being limited to 32MB when I have 64MB, and if I were
to upgrade to 128MB I still would not be satisfied to then use just 64 - I would
want to use 100MB or more in that case, or else I would not buy the extra RAM. I
think a competent operating system would be a better investment.

Best wishes,
Roberto



This page took 0 seconds to execute

Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700

Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.