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Does Virtual RAM Really Improve Performance on a Smartphone, or is it a Gimmick?

Virtual RAM is now something that most new smartphone models particularly in the budget and mid-range segments advertise as one of their key features. So what is this really and how good is it for a smartphone? Is it similar or the same as that of physical RAM? Will it actually increase the performance of the device or is it just a marketing gimmick?

This article will attempt to clear all your doubts regarding virtual RAM and inform you on how it acts on your device.

Virtual RAM – A Gimmick or Not?

The first and foremost thing to state before moving forward is that, virtual RAM is not a gimmick and it do help in improving the performance of a smartphone device to some extent, but it is never the same as that of physical RAM. Speaking more, RAM or random access memory is a fast storage data that is present on a device which temporarily stores data that is currently in use so that the device performs well in the required task or tasks. On the other hand, virtual RAM simply takes a portion of the device’s internal storage and uses it as a temporary storage to run apps or ‘games’.

Mostly, virtual RAM becomes beneficial for budget or mid-range devices, particularly in budget devices with lower physical RAM – as low as 3GB or 4GB. In the current world scenario, smartphone users will have to make use of many processor intensive applications on a daily basis and in most cases they may have to multi-task by running more applications on the background. Since budget devices only have 3GB ~ 4GB RAM, while multi-tasking, the device may hang or a lag may be experienced. During such cases, virtual RAM comes in handy and users will be able to easily run more applications in the background and seamlessly juggle between apps without facing any issues.

To add, while playing games relying on virtual RAM is possible, it is not advisable to do so as the main reason why virtual RAM has been introduced on smartphones is to make multi-tasking easy and problem-free.

So how is virtual RAM different from physical RAM and which is more beneficial for long term use? Obviously, physical RAM cannot be replaced with virtual RAM and using virtual RAM may likely hinder or damage the device later. Firstly, accessing data from the internal storage is much more slower when compared to data accessed from a dedicated physical RAM. Moreover, as pointed out above, the device treats RAM as a temporary storage space to run applications or the needed things, however, when virtual RAM is being used, the constant read & write cycles may cause wear on the device’s internal storage and shorten its lifespan. Furthermore, gaming is not recommended usually with virtual RAM, and it is best to use only the physical RAM for it.

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