Ram

Mohkg · Sep 24, 2011

I would like to know why on most roms i dont get as much free ram as i would on stick like on stick i get average of 400mb on roms i get 200/300 any fix or suggestions

PapaSmurf6768 · Sep 24, 2011

Just ignore it... 300mb is a lot of ram, don't see why you'd need more. Android is better with lower ram

Sent via Tapatalk on my TBolt

Ratzinc · Sep 24, 2011

That's why the highest specced phones are shipping with less ram, right papa smurf?

Ballocaust · Sep 24, 2011

"Ratzinc said:
That's why the highest specced phones are shipping with less ram, right papa smurf?

No. What he means is Android doesn't run like Windows. With Android, free ram is wasted ram.

loonatik78 · Sep 24, 2011

Ratzinc said:
That's why the highest specced phones are shipping with less ram, right papa smurf?

Android uses a method of "garbage collection" RAM management. What that means is that the OS leaves things to linger until preset limits defined within the kernel trigger to "collect the garbage". AOSP ROMs are small in general, so small you can load the entire ROM and, often times, every app installed right into RAM and still have a healthy surplus. Not so with Sense ROMs which can be 4 or 5 times the size. Furthermore, the settings defined within the kernel will ultimately govern the free RAM levels. You can alter these with a simple script. Also, RAMdisk settings play a large roll in this too, and tend to be specific to a kernel developer's tastes or the requirements of his kernel. Generally speaking, running with a minimum of RAM free is a GOOD thing. This isn't Windows. The worst thing you can do on your device is run with too much RAM free. What this results in is excessive reads from NAND. Nothing your CPU does requires more power than performing NAND operations so these should be kept to the absolute minimum. That's done by keeping RAM as full as possible with apps that are often used or likely to be used. Applications are relatively small on an Android device. It's not like you're going to be loading Photoshop into RAM and doing in-depth editing. Generally, a RAM surplus of 140MB is more than you're ever going to use for any task in particular, but not obscenely more. 400MB is simply uncalled for under ANY circumstance you could ever imagine. If you've got that kind of RAM free, and the OS insists on maintaining that level, you're ROM is destroying your battery life by requiring more NAND operations than are needed.

That's why PapaSmurf6768 is right in saying less RAM is better. I think we all KNOW the term "free" is assumed in these statements.

excaliber88 · Sep 26, 2011

"loonatik78 said:
Android uses a method of "garbage collection" RAM management. What that means is that the OS leaves things to linger until preset limits defined within the kernel trigger to "collect the garbage". AOSP ROMs are small in general, so small you can load the entire ROM and, often times, every app installed right into RAM and still have a healthy surplus. Not so with Sense ROMs which can be 4 or 5 times the size. Furthermore, the settings defined within the kernel will ultimately govern the free RAM levels. You can alter these with a simple script. Also, RAMdisk settings play a large roll in this too, and tend to be specific to a kernel developer's tastes or the requirements of his kernel. Generally speaking, running with a minimum of RAM free is a GOOD thing. This isn't Windows. The worst thing you can do on your device is run with too much RAM free. What this results in is excessive reads from NAND. Nothing your CPU does requires more power than performing NAND operations so these should be kept to the absolute minimum. That's done by keeping RAM as full as possible with apps that are often used or likely to be used. Applications are relatively small on an Android device. It's not like you're going to be loading Photoshop into RAM and doing in-depth editing. Generally, a RAM surplus of 140MB is more than you're ever going to use for any task in particular, but not obscenely more. 400MB is simply uncalled for under ANY circumstance you could ever imagine. If you've got that kind of RAM free, and the OS insists on maintaining that level, you're ROM is destroying your battery life by requiring more NAND operations than are needed.

That's why PapaSmurf6768 is right in saying less RAM is better. I think we all KNOW the term "free" is assumed in these statements.

Wow, thank you for the knowledge!

Nilius17 · Sep 26, 2011

"loonatik78 said:
Android uses a method of "garbage collection" RAM management. What that means is that the OS leaves things to linger until preset limits defined within the kernel trigger to "collect the garbage". AOSP ROMs are small in general, so small you can load the entire ROM and, often times, every app installed right into RAM and still have a healthy surplus. Not so with Sense ROMs which can be 4 or 5 times the size. Furthermore, the settings defined within the kernel will ultimately govern the free RAM levels. You can alter these with a simple script. Also, RAMdisk settings play a large roll in this too, and tend to be specific to a kernel developer's tastes or the requirements of his kernel. Generally speaking, running with a minimum of RAM free is a GOOD thing. This isn't Windows. The worst thing you can do on your device is run with too much RAM free. What this results in is excessive reads from NAND. Nothing your CPU does requires more power than performing NAND operations so these should be kept to the absolute minimum. That's done by keeping RAM as full as possible with apps that are often used or likely to be used. Applications are relatively small on an Android device. It's not like you're going to be loading Photoshop into RAM and doing in-depth editing. Generally, a RAM surplus of 140MB is more than you're ever going to use for any task in particular, but not obscenely more. 400MB is simply uncalled for under ANY circumstance you could ever imagine. If you've got that kind of RAM free, and the OS insists on maintaining that level, you're ROM is destroying your battery life by requiring more NAND operations than are needed.

That's why PapaSmurf6768 is right in saying less RAM is better. I think we all KNOW the term "free" is assumed in these statements.

I can't thanks from the mobile app. So, thank you for this post.

Sent from my 5am5ung SGH-R225

miketoasty · Sep 26, 2011

Nilius17 said:
I can't thanks from the mobile app. So, thank you for this post.

Sent from my 5am5ung SGH-R225

I thanked him for you.

CheetahHeel · Sep 26, 2011

Android Central had a really good article on this. Can't find the link but it was very informative for those of us who think more ram is better.

It's not by the way.

Mustang302LX · Sep 26, 2011

saintdice said:
Android Central had a really good article on this. Can't find the link but it was very informative for those of us who think more ram is better.

It's not by the way.

Android Central Article on RAM

There you go.

Ratzinc said:
That's why the highest specced phones are shipping with less ram, right papa smurf?

The smackdown has been layeth upon thee. lol

Nilius17 · Sep 27, 2011

"miketoasty said:
I thanked him for you.

You rock. You'll both get some thanks when I get to a comp!

Sent from my 5am5ung SGH-R225

tanknspank · Sep 27, 2011

It would be tough to top his explanation, lol. He explained it perfectly.

Right now, running sense 3.0 and have 99.91MB of free ram, and my device is smooth as a baby's bottom. Still clocked at 1GHz too.

Sent from my Thunderbolt using Tapatalk

PapaSmurf6768 · Sep 27, 2011

Ratzinc said:
That's why the highest specced phones are shipping with less ram, right papa smurf?

Come at me bro

Sent via Tapatalk on my TBolt

Ratzinc · Sep 27, 2011

I stand by my statement!

the kid escobar · Sep 27, 2011

Is this why aosp roms typically have worse battery life than "bloated" sense roms?

Sent from my LG Dare running Windows 7

loonatik78 · Sep 27, 2011

Ratzinc said:
I stand by my statement!

Cool.... Nothing at all wrong with deciding to be wrong in the face of fact.

the kid escobar said:
Is this why aosp roms typically have worse battery life than "bloated" sense roms?

Sent from my LG Dare running Windows 7

Are you being serious? AOSP is much smaller, resulting in overall fewer NAND operations. RAM use has nothing to do with it. It's not more efficient with RAM, if that's what you're thinking. It's just a hell of a lot smaller... like 20%-25% the size of a Sense ROM.

Ram

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