How to install ArmA 3 on a RAMDisk

[Sephisto 1]

How to install ArmA 3 on a RAMDisk

If you get the following error 'You cannot create a RAMDisk exceeding 95% of the available RAM' then try allocating less RAM to your RAMDisk,

or reboot your PC (that way you'll have less resources being hogged at start-up)

Requirements

• Recommended System Memory - 10-12GB+

• ArmA 3 must already be installed on one of your HDD's

Benefits

• Faster loading times

• Potentially increased FPS

Edited March 9, 2013 by Sephisto
adding more information

[Sephisto 1]

Bump (am I allowed to bump?)

[grillob3 11]

will the Steam Mover delete your files on the hard disk?

[Iulik 10]

Haha, i did the same thing yesterday, i haven't noticed any improvements though, except for loading times, which are mostly instantaneous :)

It moves them and makes a link somehow, i forgot the right name for it, but you can set the ramdisk to save as an image, so you dont lose data

[k3lt 3]

First of all thanks alot for this guide (didn't even know there is a free Ramdisk software without ridiculous limitations), obviously as the above guy mentioned you wont get better (fps) performance with this, homever the loading times with RAMDisk are amazing.

If you dont have SSD, and have too much RAM give it a try. :)

Edited March 7, 2013 by k3lt

[Sephisto 1]

I haven't noticed an FPS improvement either. Only loading times have gotten faster.

[alroar 10]

the loading times are (well, what you would expect) almost no more existant. very nice. good whilst all that bug hunting and CTDing.

[antoineflemming 14]

This method only works if you have 8 GB of AVAILABLE memory. Meaning, you NEED to have at least 10GB RAM.

[Sephisto 1]

This method only works if you have 8 GB of AVAILABLE memory. Meaning, you NEED to have at least 10GB RAM.

That's pretty evident.

[Sephisto 1]

Bumping again, there's no harm trying this method if you have the available RAM.

[EvilPraetorian 1]

Doesnt work for me.

I get an error code "error level=32" when steam mover moves my Arma 3 directory to the ramdisk.

[Sephisto 1]

What size did you make your RAMDisk?

Besides that, make sure Steam is closed during the whole process.

If that doesn't work then make a folder in your RAMDisk, call it whatever you want and try transferring ArmA 3 to that folder via Steam Mover.

Edited March 9, 2013 by Sephisto

[RuecanOnRails 10]

I was going to offer a slightly different method using a ramdisk and symbolic links to move only the most accessed files.

After analyzing the process monitor data with what files are most used during standard online play you only end up saving about 500mb versus moving the entire game to ramdisk. Not really worth my efforts haha.

I do have one question for you, Have you tried disabling your pagefile? or if you have enough ram move pagefile onto ramdisk. I did notice a fair bit of data transfers to/from pagefile from arma3.exe

It seems arma3 requires some sort of pagefile running. When disabled, windows would pop up a message saying to close arma3 due to low virtual memory. If ignored the game would crash a few minutes after. It did the same thing setting a small 800mb for pagefile it however lasted longer.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had the same results.

[Sephisto 1]

I've read a little on symbolic links, if I was familiarized with it I would have included it in the tutorial. It does seem very convenient to use.

Feel free to make a guide about it though :P

[limeburner 10]

What happened to the video?? No longer on youtube, also curious to which free RAMdisk software was being used.

[xendance 3]

I was going to offer a slightly different method using a ramdisk and symbolic links to move only the most accessed files.

After analyzing the process monitor data with what files are most used during standard online play you only end up saving about 500mb versus moving the entire game to ramdisk. Not really worth my efforts haha.

I do have one question for you, Have you tried disabling your pagefile? or if you have enough ram move pagefile onto ramdisk. I did notice a fair bit of data transfers to/from pagefile from arma3.exe

It seems arma3 requires some sort of pagefile running. When disabled, windows would pop up a message saying to close arma3 due to low virtual memory. If ignored the game would crash a few minutes after. It did the same thing setting a small 800mb for pagefile it however lasted longer.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had the same results.

Yes, because the memory allocator works that way in Windows.

[MavericK96 0]

I have my pagefile turned off and I've never encountered a low memory or crash in ArmA 3. Then again, I have 12 GB of RAM.

Anyway, just dispelling that myth.

[privitan 10]

No video on Utube :confused:

[jiltedjock 10]

I have my pagefile turned off and I've never encountered a low memory or crash in ArmA 3. Then again, I have 12 GB of RAM.

Anyway, just dispelling that myth.

Probably because you are running on 64 Bit so the application can address 4GB. However I suspect that if you think paging issues are a myth you don't really understand how or why that is different to someone running it in 32 Bit Windows, and are therefore not in a very good position to dispell anything.

[MavericK96 0]

The claim was that "ArmA 3 requires some sort of pagefile running". All I'm saying is that isn't necessarily the case.

[jiltedjock 10]

The claim was that "ArmA 3 requires some sort of pagefile running". All I'm saying is that isn't necessarily the case.

Well maybe the quote should have been - "if you are using a 32 Bit OS, Arma 3 requires some sort of pagefile running".

[MavericK96 0]

Fair enough...Looking back through the thread, there is not a single mention I can find of 32-bit anything. *shrug*

[jiltedjock 10]

Fair enough...Looking back through the thread, there is not a single mention I can find of 32-bit anything. *shrug*

Well, it's a 32 Bit application, I wouldn't have thought that needs explicitly mentioned?

Which means there are going to be significant numbers of people running it on a 32 Bit OS.

So, for them, it is no "myth".