14 DAY TRIAL // RAM is one of the most important components on your computer after the CPU. RAM is actually the engine that keeps your computer running fast and working smoothly. Of course the performance is shared with the CPU as well and it is well known that large amounts of RAM combined with a low end CPU will not make too much of a difference.
Today's average amount of Random Access Memory has reached 1GB. That's about the perfect amount for an average performance Central Processing Unit. But even if you have large amounts of RAM and combine it with a high end processor, your computer will still turn into a slug if you do not perform a regulate optimization of the memory.
Mz RAM Booster is a free of charge solution for boosting the performance of your computer without throwing your money on expensive hardware or trying to tweak the hardware equipment you already have. And all these are done maintaining your machine stable. The options available in the interface are dedicated to optimizing your memory by unloading unused DLLs, recovering memory from processes that are not in use and CPU boost (it frees up the idle tasks running in the background). The latter option can be used only on Windows XP running systems. "Send to tray option" will send the application to system tray and every time you require its services it will be available for you.
Mz RAM Booster provides you three windows that can be used for making the necessary settings so that the program brought your system to an optimal functioning state. System information window displays data about the machine Mz RAM Booster is running on. It is divided into three sections: memory information provides you with the total amount of memory installed on the computer, the amount that is currently in use and what is spared.
Virtual memory information section keeps you informed on the same values like in RAM part (total amount, what is currently in use and what is free). The activity of the CPU is also made available and the user receives important information about the usage of the processing unit. The only setting the user can make in this window is the update interval which is recommended to be somewhere around 400 milliseconds (0.4 seconds). By setting an update at this interval the information retrieved by Mz RAM Booster will be as accurate as possible.
Going further into the Options of the application we reach the configuration panel itself. It is impressing how many options can fit into such a small window. For a constant optimizing of the computer's memory the application can be set to load on Windows startup. Also, upon startup it can be configured to perform an optimization of the system according to the user defined parameters. The RAM can be cleared when the CPU level is lower than a user specified value (the recommended one is 35%) and the optimization can be set to take place at regulate time interval (120 minutes is the developers recommendation, but it depends very much on how the owner is using the machine).
A minimum level of memory can be specified by the user for Mz RAM Booster to try to keep it free (this option is extremely valuable to avoid freezes of the computer and keeping the allocation of memory strictly for the necessary applications). Additionally, besides this setting, the software can be set to try increasing the RAM to a user defined value. This way, if the memory level goes under the specified value, the program will automatically begin the optimization process. At the opposite end, when that value is reached, the program will stop optimizing.
The Recover Options include specifying the amount of RAM the user desires the program to recover when "Recover Memory" button is pressed, and the number of passes (the tries Mz RAM Booster will take to free the specified amount of memory).
For less experienced users, Mz RAM Booster provides a simple way to take care of all the values to enter. Once pressed, "Recommended Settings" will automatically fill in the value boxes according to the software's scanning process of your system.
Tweaking options include disabling recording the time a file was accessed. The result of enabling this option is a faster access to the disk when the read/write process is very frequent. Turning on 8.3 Filename Creation speeds file system operations, but the drawback is that 16-bit applications will no longer work, so care should be taken with this setting. If you are uncertain about the 16 or 32-bit applications you have on your computer, then here's a simple method to determine it: check into the properties of the executable file of the program and if you see a Version's tab available then it clearly is a 32-bit application.
Disabling Executive Paging is recommended for systems that are strapped with more than 512MB of RAM as this way, the core Windows system will reside in the memory and not paged to disk, this resulting into an increased performance. Unloading Unused DLLs is recommended for low end computers with less then 512MB of RAM. Windows will automatically unload unused DLLs, but only after a certain period of time has passed.
Hung application timeout, waiting time for killing an application and waiting time for killing a service depend entirely on the user's wish and setting a greater value in the boxes will only result in more time for the application to perform the operation.
The Good
Mz RAM Booster is a free application intended for optimizing your system's performance. The options available lead to an increased speed of the computer and will not affect its stability in any way.
The Recommended Settings button will greatly ease the work of newbies as the software will scan the system for resources and provide the optimum configuration for your computer.
The Bad
Some of the parts in the Help file should have been explained more extensively as not all the users are familiar with some of the terms.
The Truth
The application is free and does a pretty good job. System stability will not be affected and you can try and test it for as long as you want.
The help file, although not extensive enough, will provide a good support for beginners.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
