Is Pagefile worth it?

[mikemantrek]

Months ago, I had stated an issue with loading a savegame based on the mods I was using. I was told that a work-around to this was pagefile. I've taken a break from Cities, but when I began to consider picking it back up and began to investigate pagefile further, I've started seeing that some have had issues with it. I have to ask, as I make the decision to implement it..is it really worth it, or should I just stay on my course and return to the game without it?

[snowflitzer]

This game has a lot of resources e.g. assets/mods/DLC's. That said Windows loads everything into RAM. If you RAM is too low, it will create a page file if you want it or not.
The problem is that windows is slow in doing it. If you fix it, it is there!

I have 16GB and 64GB page file and my game runs super smooth. That said I have now an i7 and a better graphic card.

I know people who have 64GB RAM and still have a page file.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2114415052

Use LSM to see how much you use :)

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2858591409

[NameInvalid]

? Pagefile is mandatory for PC to function correctly without running out of system memory space. It's not "worth it or not" kind of thing. It's called differently on Linux/Mac but they have the same thing. If your game mod setup require 9000MB of memory space to run, then you need over9000MB of pagefile. Simple. If you don't allocate the space then everything will just CRASH.

[MarkJohnson]

Originally posted by mikemantrek:

Months ago, I had stated an issue with loading a savegame based on the mods I was using. I was told that a work-around to this was pagefile. I've taken a break from Cities, but when I began to consider picking it back up and began to investigate pagefile further, I've started seeing that some have had issues with it. I have to ask, as I make the decision to implement it..is it really worth it, or should I just stay on my course and return to the game without it?

You always have a page file. It is mandatory for windows. It has nothing to do with the game.

It is just if you own all DLC (40GB of memory loaded), then if you only have 16GB of RAM, you will run out of memory. So, the page file extends memory onto your drives to allow you to play the game.

In the mean time, stuff is constantly swapping in and out of RAM and onto your drives, therefore it will cause some performance loss as it takes a lot longer to process data from your drives instead of having all of the game in RAM only.

Most games are designed to be fully in RAM at all times. Like shooters and race car games, or any game that needs to be super fast and responsive.

if you run out of RAM and page file, then you will crash the computer. Hopefully it isn't during a saved game, then you may lose your saved game completely and forever!

Always save your game as a new name. For example: bigcity1, bigcity2, etc. so you don't lose anything. Be sure to clean out your saved game folder periodically to keep it from becoming overfull.

[Tsubame ⭐]

Windows uses page file whether you want it or not.

You can run the game without the need of a page file, depending on your system specs.

If you have lots of DLCs and/or lots of assets, then chances are you will require the use of a page file.

While Windows is good at automatically allocating the required page file when needed, manually allocating a set maximum amount for page file may help, and of course, ensuring the hard drive space required is actually empty and available for page filing.

If you run out of memory - RAM + page file - then the game or even the PC may crash.

This is rough memory requirements of the game:

4GB RAM: Base game
8GB RAM: Base game + 100 assets, 1-2 DLC's
16GB RAM: Base game + 500 assets, 5-10 DLC's
32GB RAM: Base game + 2000 assets, 15 DLC's
64GB RAM: Base game + 4000 assets, All DLC's

Note I own all expansion DLCs bar Pedestrian, and 5k assets, and can run the game in a 16 GB RAM - since then upgraded to 32 GB - machine, thanks to page filing.

[mikemantrek]

Originally posted by NameInvalid:

? Pagefile is mandatory for PC to function correctly without running out of system memory space. It's not "worth it or not" kind of thing. It's called differently on Linux/Mac but they have the same thing. If your game mod setup require 9000MB of memory space to run, then you need over9000MB of pagefile. Simple. If you don't allocate the space then everything will just CRASH.

Thing is, I dont know if expanding the pagefile would actually matter when it comes to the game.

[BoraBora]

Originally posted by mikemantrek:

Thing is, I dont know if expanding the pagefile would actually matter when it comes to the game.

Let it on automatic, the default setup, You're searching for a problem to a solution. ;)

[de.abacus]

Originally posted by mikemantrek:

Thing is, I dont know if expanding the pagefile would actually matter when it comes to the game.

If you don''t believe the (good) advice given here, please don't expand your pagefile.

[Neddx]

Originally posted by de.abacus:

Originally posted by mikemantrek:

Thing is, I dont know if expanding the pagefile would actually matter when it comes to the game.

If you don''t believe the (good) advice given here, please don't expand your pagefile.

i did it now the game loads but it always say out of limit city why i cant start and build a road pls help

[mikemantrek]

Originally posted by Neddx:

Originally posted by de.abacus:

If you don''t believe the (good) advice given here, please don't expand your pagefile.

i did it now the game loads but it always say out of limit city why i cant start and build a road pls help

This is what concerns me

[MaxFX]

Originally posted by Neddx:

Originally posted by de.abacus:

If you don''t believe the (good) advice given here, please don't expand your pagefile.

i did it now the game loads but it always say out of limit city why i cant start and build a road pls help

This has nothing to do with the use of a pagefile. This issue has to do with you using the old '81 Tiles' mod. This mod got broken by the latest game update.

If you use the new version, you do not get this problem...

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2862121823&searchtext=81+tiles

[MessengerOfRage]

Originally posted by BoraBora:

Originally posted by mikemantrek:

Thing is, I dont know if expanding the pagefile would actually matter when it comes to the game.

Let it on automatic, the default setup, You're searching for a problem to a solution. ;)

auto pagefile is the worst pagefile one can have for this game.... make up your mind if you want onw or not and eighter set it to a large and fixed size or deactivate it all together.

[de.abacus]

Originally posted by mikemantrek:

Originally posted by Neddx:

i did it now the game loads but it always say out of limit city why i cant start and build a road pls help

This is what concerns me

Hold on...

1 pagefile - the game rely needs a large page file, the best way is to set it manually instead of letting windows control it. As I understand that advice was given to you before you opened this thread. The loading screen mod is loading assets into to pagefile. IF the page file is to small the game will eventually crash. To give you an idea, I have 32GB RAM and a pagefile of 80GB, When I load the game I'm using 31GB RAM and 51GB pagefile.
(all DLC and about 7000 assets)

2 Game update - because the game was updated a lot of people got into trouble because their hardware don't meet the minimum requirements. (They already were in the redzone)
The only way to make it work (more or less) is to increase the pagefile.

3 Mods - A lot of mods have become outdated or simply broke because of the game update
In order to play, you will have to update all your mods. Also a number of functions have been relocated to other mods. (Read the compatibility topic by Ananya) Updating the mods will take you an hour or so, use the mod compatibility report
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2633433869
You need also 81 tiles2 and loading screen mod revisited. all other versions then below will give issues
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2858591409
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2862121823

[de.abacus]

Originally posted by de.abacus:

Originally posted by mikemantrek:

This is what concerns me

Hold on...

1 pagefile - the game rely needs a large page file, the best way is to set it manually instead of letting windows control it. As I understand that advice was given to you before you opened this thread. The loading screen mod is loading assets into to pagefile. IF the page file is to small the game will eventually crash. To give you an idea, I have 32GB RAM and a pagefile of 80GB, When I load the game I'm using 31GB RAM and 51GB pagefile.
(all DLC and about 7000 assets)

2 Game update - because the game was updated a lot of people got into trouble because their hardware don't meet the minimum requirements. (They already were in the redzone)
The only way to make it work (more or less) is to increase the pagefile.

3 Mods - A lot of mods have become outdated or simply broke because of the game update
In order to play, you will have to update all your mods. Also a number of functions have been relocated to other mods. (Read the compatibility topic by Ananya) Updating the mods will take you an hour or so, use the mod compatibility report

4 city limits - don't know how big your save cities are, but the game has some limits. There are mods to bypass those limits. You will need a decent device and a decent sizes pagefile


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2633433869
You need also 81 tiles2 and loading screen mod revisited. all other versions then below will give issues
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2858591409
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2862121823

[_KC76_]

Originally posted by mikemantrek:

Originally posted by NameInvalid:

? Pagefile is mandatory for PC to function correctly without running out of system memory space. It's not "worth it or not" kind of thing. It's called differently on Linux/Mac but they have the same thing. If your game mod setup require 9000MB of memory space to run, then you need over9000MB of pagefile. Simple. If you don't allocate the space then everything will just CRASH.

Thing is, I dont know if expanding the pagefile would actually matter when it comes to the game.

I have 64Gb or physical RAM + 12Gb of VRAM + a 64Gb Page file .. When loading a ONE tile map with less than 15,000 pop, all DLC, and a few QOL mods like TMPE, vanilla++ roads, moveit, fine road tools, node controller, etc. (very few "assets" other than movable bridges and avana warehouses) .. I USE 35Gb of RAM and 37Gb of Page File space.

Yes, it matters, and it is worth it.

[MarkJohnson]

Originally posted by ᠌ ⁧⁧Tsubame ⭐:

Windows uses page file whether you want it or not.

You can run the game without the need of a page file, depending on your system specs

Just to reiterate, if you deliberately turn off the page file in Advanced System Settings, then when you run out of RAM, your computer will crash as soon as you exceed your RAM limits.

Windows has enough of a page file for itself at all times to prevent windows becoming corrupted and unbootable from the crash.

If this crash occurs during a saved game, it will most certainly kill your saved game and be unloadable anymore.

This is why you don't use the Exit To Desktop mod. It will prematurely end the cities.exe process and corrupt the saved game and make it unloadable.