SuperRam is a memory management utility for Windows from PGWARE. It runs in the background and watches how much physical memory is free. When free RAM drops too low, it releases memory back to the system. Programs and games opened afterwards then have room in RAM instead of being pushed to disk. It works on desktop and server editions of Windows, in 32-bit and 64-bit form. SuperRam is commercial software with a trial download; a purchased serial number turns the installed trial into a licensed copy.
Why low memory slows Windows down
When Windows runs short of free physical memory, it starts relying on the page file. This reserved area on the disk acts as overflow for RAM. Reading and writing the disk is much slower than working in RAM. A program that has to live partly in the page file therefore responds more slowly. On a system that is already nearly full, the program the user has just opened is often the one that suffers.
SuperRam reverses that order. When free memory falls, it moves memory held by older, already running programs into the page file and returns the freed RAM to Windows. The newly launched application or game can then load into physical memory, while programs that have been sitting idle take the slower storage.
Threshold and amount to free
Two settings control most of SuperRam’s behavior. The low memory threshold sets the point at which the program steps in. As long as free RAM stays above it, SuperRam does nothing. Once free memory drops below it, a freeing pass starts. The second setting decides how much memory SuperRam releases back to Windows on each pass. The user can change both values to make the program act early and free a lot, or wait longer and free only small amounts.
Conditions that pause memory freeing
Moving memory to the page file costs processor time and disk activity, so SuperRam checks a few conditions before it acts:
- Processor load – SuperRam monitors how busy the CPU is and holds off freeing memory while the computer is under heavy processing.
- Full-screen programs – when a game, a DVD or another program is running full screen, SuperRam stops freeing memory. This prevents the extra activity from causing video lag or stutter.
- Battery power – on a laptop, the user can set SuperRam to work only while the machine is plugged in and stay inactive on battery.
Running without a logged-in user
SuperRam keeps running in the background even when nobody is signed in to Windows. That lets it free memory on idle desktops and on servers. On these systems, long-running services can gradually hold more and more memory through memory leaks, without anyone at the keyboard to notice.
Memory benchmark
Apart from its monitoring role, SuperRam includes a memory benchmark test. It gives an estimate of how fast the computer’s RAM is and how stable it is under the test. This is useful as a quick check of the installed memory rather than a tool that changes any setting.
Licensing and updates
The SuperRam trial and the full version are the same download. Entering a serial number from the link at the bottom of the program window activates it. A license must be purchased for each computer the program is used on. Updates within the same major version are free. SuperRam can download and install them from inside the application. Installing a newer build over the old one keeps the existing serial number. Because the program changes system-wide settings and the registry, it needs administrator rights.
