EVO RAM - Max Available Memory?

[LikeAChampion3]

I have run into a question that I cannot seem to find the answer to. I do not have an exceptional tech mind, so perhaps the answer to this inquiry can be answered easily by some of the more experienced members.

This thread isn't necessarily about task killers, so please try to stay off of that subject (read: argument) unless it relates specifically back to the topic at hand. I have been toying with task killers for the sole purpose of trying them out for myself and determining if I perceive any benefit from their use on my phone. So far, it has been hit or miss. The latest task killer I have been using is called "Task Manager" and it includes a widget that displays the available memory (little Android robot that also serves as the "kill button").

My question is a result of this application's use: What is the max memory that can ever be available on the Evo and at what low-end threshold does lack of memory become a concern? Further, is there a "technical" difference, as it relates to performance, between having 200mb and 100mb available? Logic tells me that if there is even 1mb available, I should be fine...but I know that this doesn't always hold true from a UI standpoint.

This post was prompted because I rebooted my phone this morning on a whim and got a reading of 228mb of available memory which was significantly higher than the max of around 170 I saw yesterday (which was the first day I used this particular task killer). Throughout the day yesterday I kept killing tasks whenever the memory got below 100mb. But now I am up over 200 and I don't know if I'll be able to allow it to go down past 150 again! Maybe this is OCD. Maybe this is like having to turn off the taskbar email notification in Outlook on a PC because it is counter-productive. Maybe its because I read this message board and seem to be on a quest for optimum performance and efficiency with this device...who knows?

I just want to know what you all have to say about the differences and what your experiences have been. Am I being too anal? Or is there really a benchmark that I should be trying to achieve in available memory at any given time? Are there specific applications that really hammer this number?

Thanks in advance, and sorry for the long post.

 

[LikeAChampion3]

Another thought/question - Does the Android OS start killing applications at a memory threshold?

 

[ArkAngel06]

Anything over 200mb is going to feel very snappy. Basically no hesitation. Anywhere in between 75mb and 200mb is where the phone is atmost of the time, and thats still a very acceptable speed... once you get into the 60's and 50's, thats where it really starts bogging down. I havent gone below 50mb myself.

 

[Raf]

how do you find that info...on the phone I mean, available ROM and ROM in use?

 

[Cory Streater]

An app called Device Information in the Market breaks it down pretty nicely.

 

[PREvision]

Are you talking about the RAM, or the Internal Memory?

 

[keviny47]

I just got device information, and there's a section that says ram and storage. Which one should I be looking at?


Sent from my HTC EVO 4G

 

[Darth Mo]

The amount of memory available isn't related to speed, per se. You may notice a decrease in performance as memory decreases, but that's due to more tasks running consuming more resources, not because of lack of memory. So low memory is indicative, but not causative.

It's not the same situation as with a PC because you don't have to deal with a swapfile on a hard drive as physical memory fills up. The reason a PC slows down as it has to access the swapfile on the hard drive is because access to the hard drive is literally millions of times slower than access to physical RAM.

 

[Caitlyn McKenzie]

There is no performance impact until a program needs more ram than is available. That doesn't typically happen until you hit 20 mb or less, except for 3d games. Even then, android will automatically kill off backgrounded tasks.

 

[Holsum]

The amount of memory available isn't related to speed, per se. You may notice a decrease in performance as memory decreases, but that's due to more tasks running consuming more resources, not because of lack of memory. So low memory is indicative, but not causative.

It's not the same situation as with a PC because you don't have to deal with a swapfile on a hard drive as physical memory fills up. The reason a PC slows down as it has to access the swapfile on the hard drive is because access to the hard drive is literally millions of times slower than access to physical RAM.

^^ this. imagine RAM as pocket space, the more you fill your pockets doesn't necessarily mean the slower you move. You are more careful about running and you might run slower but removing everything or having some things in your pockets are not going to affect your performance. Also, RAM swaps out space if it is needed, this is done intelligently as to not take a preformance hit.

 

[LikeAChampion3]

Thanks for the replies and I think I get the picture a little better now. Part of the reason I brought this up is because I didn't see a consistent slow down on the Evo as the numbers got lower...it was all in my head and I knew it, but it still bugged me. I may just remove that task killer for the sake of that number not nagging me anymore.

Back to my original question, purely out of curiosity...What is the max you have seen on your device? What is the max that "should" be available on the Evo at its optimum?

I have noticed that after a little while of use, I can't get mine back above 170 again. There seems to be about 50mb worth of RAM being used consistantly by the "ignored" applications on my list.

 

[eyecon82]

I just got device information, and there's a section that says ram and storage. Which one should I be looking at?


Sent from my HTC EVO 4G

good question