PC Becomes Sluggish After Playing Games

[Michaelciv1]

Whenever I finish playing a game on my PC (CSGO, Batman Arkham City, some other stuff) the rest of the applications on the PC become incredibly sluggish. I try and open up file explorer and it takes 3+ seconds to display my folders. Even changing tabs on Google Chrome takes over a second to do. I have 8 GB of RAM and my OS and main programs are installed on an SSD. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

The only reason why it would do that is if the program, instead of gracefully terminating, is going to 100% CPU load.

ctrl+shift+escape to open Task Manager (click "More Details" if available) then go to the Performance tab. Are any of the four figures at 90% or greater? If so, what process is causing it?

 

[Bill_Bright]

The only reason why it would do that is if the program, instead of gracefully terminating, is going to 100% CPU load.

Or not releasing the RAM it has been using which is my guess. The next step is the same however; what does Task Manager say?

 

[st2000]

pagefile on hdd

 

[Bill_Bright]

pagefile on hdd

I don't understand your point here. While SSDs and PFs are ideal for each other, the PF on the HDD should not cause degraded performance after exiting a game - which is the complaint here.

 

[rtwjunkie]

I don't understand your point here. While SSDs and PFs are ideal for each other, the PF on the HDD should not cause degraded performance after exiting a game - which is the complaint here.

I agree. HDD pagefile, even if OS is on an SSD, does not cause this kind of performance issue. This is an issue of the some process taking all the either RAM or CPU processes it can (we won't know which until the OP tells us what is in Task Manager).

 

[st2000]

guys, pagefile works this way: it saves existing data on drive when your ram is out of space(example - your tabs in chrome cause game eats all/most of ram)
when you exit from game you got some "lags", they are not lags if you use hdd as system drive but once you started to use ssds low response time of apps becoming "lags".
just try PF on hdd and open some tabs in browser, open any modern game and exit from it - you will notice that PF on hdd is a bit slow.
also I'd like to see OP's disk management - all questions will be solved.

 

[rtwjunkie]

guys, pagefile works this way: it saves existing data on drive when your ram is out of space(example - your tabs in chrome cause game eats all/most of ram)
when you exit from game you got some "lags", they are not lags if you use hdd as system drive but once you started to use ssds low response time of apps becoming "lags".
just try PF on hdd and open some tabs in browser, open any modern game and exit from it - you will notice that PF on hdd is a bit slow.
also I'd like to see disk management of OP - all questions will be solved.

The reason I answered as I did, is because I have my system set up exactly like that on multiple computers. I am not speaking from theory, but from actual use.

 

[st2000]

@rtwjunkie more vram memory you have, more ram is wasted
so if you use 1-2GB of vram, 8GB of ram is ok, starting from 4Gb of vram better to go with 12-16GB of ram
so your pagefile on hdd is overused and got big responce time(>3 secs)

 

[trog100]

guys, pagefile works this way: it saves existing data on drive when your ram is out of space(example - your tabs in chrome cause game eats all/most of ram)
when you exit from game you got some "lags", they are not lags if you use hdd as system drive but once you started to use ssds low response time of apps becoming "lags".
just try PF on hdd and open some tabs in browser, open any modern game and exit from it - you will notice that PF on hdd is a bit slow.
also I'd like to see OP's disk management - all questions will be solved.

a so called page file only comes into play when a system runs out of real ram.. it goes back to the old days when ram cost a fortune and windows was designed on the principle that nobody had enough real ram.. by using the HD as pretend ram a system never ran out memory.. it would turn into a slow sluggish snail system though..

in this day and age no system should lack real ram.. if it does buy some more.. but none of this is connected with the op problem.. least i dont think it is..

trog

 

[rtwjunkie]

@rtwjunkie more vram memory you have, more ram is wasted
so if you use 1-2GB of vram, 8GB of ram is ok, starting from 4Gb of vram better to go with 12-16GB of ram
so your pagefile on hdd is overused and got big responce time(>3 secs)

Really what we need is a response from the OP so we can stop guessing.

 

[Bill_Bright]

guys, pagefile works this way: it saves existing data on drive when your ram is out of space

a so called page file only comes into play when a system runs out of real ram..

Kinda sorta but not really. If it were true that the PF is used "only" when you run out of RAM, then folks with gobs of RAM would never see their Page File in use. Yet the page file will be used whether you run out of system RAM or not. While true, the more RAM you have, the less often the PF is needed, the fact of the matter is, the OS wants to see, and will use the page file no matter how much RAM you have installed. For this reason, even if you have 32GB of RAM installed, you should keep a page file - and unless you are a computer genius and you pay almost constant watch over your virtual memory use, with a modern (W7 and newer) OS you should just let Windows manage the page file. The exception is if you are critically low on free disk space.

It is critical to remember that modern versions of Windows are not XP. So we should not treat them that way.

The page file and your system RAM make up your entire "virtual memory" and the OS manages the memory in different ways, depending on how important it sees the data it is using. Lessor priority data is "swapped" out to the page file for quicker access rather just closing the file back to disk. You don't have to be running out of RAM for Windows to stuff lower priority data in it.

It is not true, with very rare exceptions, that systems with lots of RAM can be bogged down if a PF is enabled. Only low priority data is stuffed in PF (unless you only have something like 2GB of system RAM installed).

See Understanding the Windows Pagefile and Why You Shouldn't Disable It.

The vast majority of users should never disable the pagefile or mess with the pagefile settings—just let Windows deal with the pagefile and use the available RAM for file caching, processes, and Superfetch. If you really want to speed up your PC, your best options are these:

• Upgrade your RAM.
• Clean off the crapware—the biggest cause of system slowdown.
• Switch to Microsoft Security Essentials and stop paying for bloated Windows security packages.
• Windows 7 handles multi-tasking much better than Windows XP did.

In reference to the OP's problem, when he exits his game, any open file in virtual memory should be closed (saved back to disk) and cleared from all memory (system and PF).

 

[trog100]

windows is a bit confused in what it calls stuff.. years ago the term swapfile was used.. it meant swapping ram out to the hard drive.. back in those days it did this on a regular basis..

but relatively speaking i have gobs of ram.. my swap file is turned off.. my system dosnt have one.. so basically it cant use what it dosnt have.. he he

when task manager says pagefile in use what it really means is how much ram is in use.. the only downside with disabling it in my case would be a system crash if i really ever did use more than 32 gigs of real ram.. i dont look that often but its rare to see any more than 6 or so gigs of ram in use..

much wrong information is passed about regarding windows and its "pagefile"..

in theory windows total ram is the real stuff plus any spare hard drive space.. in reality once it runs out of the real stuff.. which at todays ram prices it never should.. the system will keep working but at a snails pace.. an SSD dive wont help much ether its still massively slower than real ram..

trog

ps.. i am not telling folks to turn their swapfile off.. what i am saying is always make sure your system dosnt need to use it.. have enough of the real stuff and then it never will need to use it..

for most folks 8 gigs is enough.. but some folks are still running with as ittle as 2 gigs.. i recon it would be a bad idea for them to turn their swapfile off.. he he

 

[Bill_Bright]

.. so basically it cant use what it dosnt have.. he he

Well, no. Basically, you are blocking it from using what it could to optimize performance. There is no advantage for you to disable it.

when task manager says pagefile in use what it really means is how much ram is in use..

No, sorry, that also is incorrect. When TM says the PF is in use, it means it (the PF, not RAM) is in use. If you have the pagefile enabled, look at the Committed value and you will see your RAM plus your Pagefile. For example, I have 16GB of RAM installed on this system and my Committed values are currently 4.6/18.3GB.

It used to be called a cache or "swap" file because that is what it does, it swaps data in and out of the cache. But specifically, it swaps "pages" of data so it was renamed to page file.

in theory windows total ram is the real stuff plus any spare hard drive space..

"Any spare hard disk space"? Ummm, again, sorry but no. Total RAM is your system RAM plus your Page File and together, they are called your virtual RAM. Even if you let Windows manage your PF, it will never use all the free disk space - even if critically low on free disk space. It will only use the maximum amount set in the Virtual Memory settings - either set manually by the user, or automatically by Windows.

much wrong information is passed about regarding windows and its "pagefile"..

Right - which is why it is best to keep it enabled and just let Windows manage it. After over 20 years of experience Microsoft has it figured out. And if you have gobs of RAM, I agree an SSD will not offer any significant advantage for the PF over a HD (because only lower priority data is paged in). But still, a SSD is the ideal place to have your PF because it is significantly faster than the fastest hard drives.

Forcing Windows to keep everything in system RAM instead of using a PF sounds like a good idea, but tests after tests and studies after studies don't show that to be true. So again, there is no advantage to disabling the PF.

 

[xfia]

one more thing..
the pf is also used as part of core parking so a thread can remain active while its paged to the disk during lower activity and instantaneously can start using a core/thread again when more power is needed.
pretty interesting if you watch it work some time.. no matter how much ram you have you will see your pf dynamically changing even if your just browsing the web.

 

[trog100]

i got into this pagefile debate many years ago.. nothing has changed..

my pagefile is disabled.. originally i did it just to prove it wasnt needed or used in any system that has real enough real ram..

i do it now for a very simple reason.. i currently have my operating system on a small 128 solid state drive.. i also have 32 gigs of ram..

firstly i like having my operating system separate from all the other stuff.. its makes system drive back ups easier and quicker..

left to its own devices windows will set aside with my 32 gigs of ram 32 gigs of HD space as its swap file.. one thing is for sure with 32 gigs of real ram i dont need a 32 gig swap file set aside..

a fresh windows 10 install without swap files and hibernation space reserved comes in at around 16 gigs of hard drive space.. pretty small and quick and easy to back up or restore.. this 16 gig win 10 install will triple in size to around 60 gigs if windows is left to its own devices..

my current operating system with a few (what i consider) essentials added comes in at around 40 gigs.. i have plenty of free space on my 128 ssd system drive..

when i run a complete disk image restore windows comes up with message.. the message says.. "this can take from several minutes to several hours".. in my case a complete disk image system restore takes several minutes.. about six minute to be more exact.. i need say no more..

when the swap file is disabled the swap file does has to be manually removed it dosnt disappear on its own.. once removed it stays removed.. and with not the slightest negative side effect..

as for you suggestion that my system must suffer in some way because i have my swap file disabled.. that is total bollocks.. you are just making things up.. he he

one thing is for sure bill.. you dont give up easy do you..

trog

ps.. i actually have a full win 10 install on a fast 32 gig usb stick.. the full windows 10 install with a few basic essentials added comes in at around 17 gig.. it works perfectly well on any machine i plug it into.. needless to say it has its swap and hibernation files disabled and removed.. he he..

one other thing.. with its swap file disabled windows will never attempt to page out anything to a hard drive.. some folks may think it does but they are wrong..

 

[zsolt_93]

For me the same happened when nVidia borked something in the drivers for Fermi WDDM2.0. It causes system and compressed memory cpu and memory usage to skyrocket every time i played a game, and as the op said it lagged everywhere although resources were available. Found a guy who had the samer problem and a driver rollback fixed it for him too.
It might be some driver error in his case too, not necessarily the gpu as i see he uses AMD.

 

[xfia]

i got into this pagefile debate many years ago.. nothing has changed..

my pagefile is disabled.. originally i did it just to prove it wasnt needed or used in any system that has real enough real ram..

i do it now for a very simple reason.. i currently have my operating system on a small 128 solid state drive.. i also have 32 gigs of ram..

firstly i like having my operating system separate from all the other stuff.. its makes system drive back ups easier and quicker..

left to its own devices windows will set aside with my 32 gigs of ram 32 gigs of HD space as its swap file.. one thing is for sure with 32 gigs of real ram i dont need a 32 gig swap file set aside..

a fresh windows 10 install without swap files and hibernation space reserved comes in at around 16 gigs of hard drive space.. pretty small and quick and easy to back up or restore.. this 16 gig win 10 install will triple in size to around 60 gigs if windows is left to its own devices..

my current operating system with a few (what i consider) essentials added comes in at around 40 gigs.. i have plenty of free space on my 128 ssd system drive..

when i run a complete disk image restore windows comes up with message.. the message says.. "this can take from several minutes to several hours".. in my case a complete disk image system restore takes several minutes.. about six minute to be more exact.. i need say no more..

when the swap file is disabled the swap file does has to be manually removed it dosnt disappear on its own.. once removed it stays removed.. and with not the slightest negative side effect..

as for you suggestion that my system must suffer in some way because i have my swap file disabled.. that is total bollocks.. you are just making things up.. he he

one thing is for sure bill.. you dont give up easy do you..

trog

ps.. i actually have a full win 10 install on fast 32 gig usb stick.. the full windows 10 install with a few basic essentials added comes in at around 17 gig.. it works perfectly well on any machine i plug it into.. needless to say it has its swap and hibernation files disables and removed.. he he..

 

[SomeOne99h]

It appears to me, the Graphics driver is leaking memory. One of its .exes is leaking it or something else from the driver. Try updating the Graphics driver.

 

[Bill_Bright]

i got into this pagefile debate many years ago.. nothing has changed..

Sure it has. Windows 7 was smarter than XP. Windows 8.x smarter than W7. And now W10 is smarter than W8.x. Times change. Keep up or lag behind.

i do it now for a very simple reason.. i currently have my operating system on a small 128 solid state drive.. i also have 32 gigs of ram..

firstly i like having my operating system separate from all the other stuff.. its makes system drive back ups easier and quicker..

left to its own devices windows will set aside with my 32 gigs of ram 32 gigs of HD space as its swap file.. one thing is for sure with 32 gigs of real ram i dont need a 32 gig swap file set aside..

See, this just demonstrates you don't understand how the PF works and all the more reason you should just let Windows manage it. Having your OS on your SSD makes sense. And with 128GB, no problem there. But the fact you have 32GB of RAM is immaterial and absolutely no justification to disable your PF - as shown in the link I provided above. 32GB swap file??? Nonsense! "60 gig"??!!! Hogwash! You really don't understand how Windows today manages PFs. For one, a Windows managed PF is dynamic - it changes size as needed. It does not "set aside" the maximum.

I have 16GB installed so by your logic, Windows would "set aside" 16GB or more of disk space but as seen here, not even 2.5GB.

Attempting to justify your claim by suggesting 128GB boot drive is too small is just obfuscation. For one, 128GB is plenty big for the OS (as you indicated yourself by putting W10 on a 32GB stick) and a Windows managed PF. But for another, in those cases where the boot drive is a smaller drive, that is justification to "move" the PF to a larger drive, not disable PFs completely.

as for you suggestion that my system must suffer in some way because i have my swap file disabled.. that is total bollocks.. you are just making things up.. he he

I provided a link so you didn't have to take my word on it. Do you want more?

I will anyway.

Computer Hope question: Is it a good idea to change my Microsoft Windows page file size?
Answer: No.
Question: I have plenty of RAM, should I disable the page file?
Answer: No.

TechNet Magazine, Ed Bott: Learn Best Practices for Optimizing the Virtual Memory Configuration,

You can remove a paging file from a volume by selecting the volume and choosing No Paging File. (In fact, you can do this to get rid of all paging files, although doing so is not recommended, even on systems with a lot of RAM.)

Now can/will you show some (any) supporting documentation that says disabling your PF is (1) a good idea and (2) improves performance?

SSDs are ideally suited for Page Files (see SSD FAQs, Should the pagefile be placed on SSDs?).

one thing is for sure bill.. you dont give up easy do you..

And you sticking to archaic, out of touch ways for "many years" and refusing to change is what? The fact is, I used to insist on always manually setting PF sizes. But I gave up that policy when I saw how W7 greatly improved how Windows does it.

Now, until trog can show us any supporting documentation that says we should disable our PFs if we have lots of RAM, I will not participate in dragging this topic further OT.