RAM upgrade

[marco]

Hello!
I have 4GB RAM on a DS1819+, and the usage is always around 40%.
The NAS is mainly used for streaming, but without real time transcoding.

Since I don't see the NAS using more RAM than 40%, I'm correct that increasing the RAM will not do any difference?
I think that more RAM are mainly required for Docker users.

Thanks for your opinion.

 

[Tedster]

Not make any difference? No, no no! It'll make you feel great with another 4gb stick in there!

That's what empty slots are for, now quickly, get one and fill it.

 

[Jan Janowski]

That’s not helpful!
I have heard, but I don’t know for certain…. That blocks of unused ram might be used for a cache.
Hopefully someone more educated than myself will post.
In my case, when hardware purchase is approved - it had better be ‘full up’ or funds for upgrades are not approved later… If you know what I mean.
I’m sitting at 10-15% Ram useage on all NAS's each with 4GB ram expansion

 

[Telos]

16 GB here... Excess is fast cache. No worries.

 

[Tedster]

Yep, same here. It just sits there waiting for work.

 

[Jan Janowski]

Nosy.. Or did I miss something. What program displayed such ram detail?
Thanks!

 

[Rusty]

Nosy.. Or did I miss something. What program displayed such ram detail?
Thanks!

Resource Manager

 

[Jan Janowski]

At bottom of Memory selection... I had Never looked past the multi-screen display! !!!!

 

[marco]

Thanks, interesting! I also never seen it

 

[Coop777]

have 16GB in my 1815+, 32GB in my 1819+ - I'd at least go to 8 GB on the 1819+, it is a cheap upgrade and can't hurt performance.

 

[marco]

@Coop777 I agree with you. Since to add a second module of 4GB, I must be sure that is of the same type, is there a way to find this information in DSM? Or I must power off and physically check it?

I must avoid unnecessary restart, because we have content on external USB that reindex after restart.

 

[WST16]

Since I don't see the NAS using more RAM than 40%, I'm correct that increasing the RAM will not do any difference?

Check if you have any memory paging going on. If not, then most likely it’s not needed IMO, however, as mentioned, more RAM will be utilized for caching.
That’s how I see it.

 

[Coop777]

This 4 GB stick will work in the 1819+:

Crucial RAM 4GB DDR4 2400 MHz CL17 Laptop Memory CT4G4SFS824A​

 

[marco]

Thanks @Coop777, after your suggestion, I think that I may purchase the following. Seems to be compatible.

Crucial Laptop Memory
1 x 16GB, DDR4-2400, SO-DIMM 260 pin
CT16G4SFD824A

 

[Coop777]

I just upgraded my 1819+ to 32 GB last month....

 

[marco]

I just upgraded my 1819+ to 32 GB last month....

Great, with two CT16G4SFD824A ?

 

[FrankZ1]

It depends on what you want to do with your NAS. Recently I bought an RS1619xs+, including fully populating it with 64GB RAM. Device bought partly for its raw storage (archive etc), partly for backing up Microsoft 365 etc (email, OneDrive, Sharepoint, etc) to premises, and partly for running 3 VMs, to replace our ageing and expensive-to-run VMware ESX infrastructure, which is now turned off, and saving around £100/month in electricity.

The 3 Windows VMs include a pair of Domain Controllers. Each one has 12GB RAM allocated to it, and the line-of-business server (the 3rd one) has 8GB. Leaves enough RAM to add extra VMs if needed, although the processor might be a bottleneck if we were to try this. The VMs are not especially fast, but they run fine and do the job needed of them.

 

[marco]

I finally ordered the 16 GB from Crucial! That's for sure enough for me.

 

[Robbie]

16GB on a single SODIMM or 2 x 8GB SODIMMs with the original 4GB removed?

It makes a big performance difference to these low power/capability CPUs as running in dual channel mode makes quite a performance boost for the more CPU intensive tasks. If you are just using the NAS for the archive or backup storage capabilities then utilising the extra bandwidth of dual channel mode will not matter as much. For most users though 2 x 8GB is preferred over (as an example) a 4GB+16GB configuration.

Final point with RAM cache is that with the write cache enabled you are totally at the mercy of power and the general NAS requirement for a UPS moves from "You really should have one, no really, it's important" to that of "Get one or disable Write Cache immediately".

Having RAM cache is cool, as it helps to paper-over some of the wider performance gaps with these imbedded and low power CPUs.

️

 

[marco]

16GB on a single SODIMM with the original 4GB removed. I have UPS.