What is virtual memory

The computer prompts for a "virtual memory shortage" or "low virtual memory" message. Now although the mainstream memory configuration is mostly 2g+, but the application software and some games such memory is still not enough for them, now use the computer to open the program will be more, no matter how high-end computer configuration, Virtual internal existence is still very necessary now, the following is to understand the computer knowledge of virtual memory.

What is virtual memory

Generally, memory refers to RAM space (RAM is divided into static RAM (SRAM) and dynamic memory (DRAM) two main categories), the so-called virtual memory refers to non-RAM memory, which is equivalent to a small system of ROM space (programmable, FLASH) is the computer's hard disk space, Take the program or data storage space temporarily when RAM is used, such "memory" in the speed will be greatly reduced, the use of virtual memory can be said to be a necessary thing, for example to compress a 500M file (assuming that you want to occupy 500M memory), if the memory is only 256M, Then remove the system overhead has been left, so you can only take space from the hard disk to use, if you turn off virtual memory or virtual memory settings are too low, then the compression work may not be done.

Have hardware on the computer base friends are clear, whether it is a common monolithic system or embedded system, when writing a program requires a reasonable planning of the use of RAM space, the small system may be placed in a few variables in the slice or outside of the big headache, with the OS is more attention to the application and release of memory and program efficiency issues, Visible RAM space is an important resource in the operating system. For ordinary computer users, there is no need to care too much, because these jobs are given to the operating system and application software to manage, we only need to understand the approximate situation of virtual memory.

From here we can understand. The greater the virtual memory, the more resources available to the system, the computer will run faster, if the virtual memory over small, it will affect the implementation of some software efficiency.