Nearly every Android smartphone now includes a Virtual RAM feature, which claims to expand your device’s RAM by up to an additional 12GB.
Initially, this feature was limited to Chinese smartphone manufacturers. However, recognizing its growing popularity, major brands like Samsung have also integrated it into their Galaxy devices.
But the real question is: does Virtual RAM really work? Does it really enhance performance? Let’s uncover the truth, which is more disappointing than you expect.
How Does Virtual RAM Work?
In simple terms, virtual RAM on a smartphone works by allocating a portion of the device’s internal storage to function as temporary memory, supplementing the actual physical RAM.
When this feature is enabled, the system moves data of less frequently used apps from the RAM to the phone’s storage, which acts as virtual RAM.
It frees up space in the RAM, allowing it to be used for other active apps and processes.
Technically, it helps the device run more smoothly by enabling better multitasking.
Does Virtual RAM Really Improve Performance?
On paper, virtual RAM should improve performance, but in real-world usage, it often makes little to no noticeable difference.
The primary reason lies in the significant speed gap between actual RAM and internal storage. If the physical RAM is 90% full and you open another app requiring 20% of additional memory, the system must move the data of an existing app from the RAM to the internal storage (acting as virtual RAM) to free up the required space on physical RAM.
However, when you try to access the app that was moved to internal storage, the system must transfer it back to the RAM before it can be processed.
At first glance, it may seem like the internal storage is efficiently holding the app and returning it to the RAM when needed, thereby improving multitasking.
But in reality, the read-and-write speed of internal storage is far slower than that of physical RAM. This significant difference means that accessing apps stored in virtual RAM introduces noticeable delays.
So, the system typically stores data from lightweight apps, like a calculator, in the virtual RAM. For moderate or slightly heavier apps, you’re unlikely to notice any improvement in performance.
Overall, virtual RAM only improves performance on paper. In real-life scenarios, it rarely delivers any significant or noticeable benefit.
Does Virtual RAM Really Work?
Virtual RAM works, but its effectiveness is quite limited—primarily on budget devices with minimal physical RAM, typically around 4GB. In such cases, where the RAM can fill up quickly, virtual RAM may offer very slight performance improvements.
However, its impact diminishes as the physical RAM increases. For instance, budget devices with 6GB of RAM are less likely to benefit significantly from virtual RAM.
With modern smartphones commonly offering 8GB or more of physical RAM, virtual RAM becomes largely redundant, making little to no difference in real-world performance.
If you own a mid-range or flagship device, virtual RAM is unlikely to provide any noticeable improvement. In fact, you might not even feel its presence. It only comes into play in rare scenarios where the physical RAM is fully utilized, and even then, its functionality is restricted to basic apps rather than resource-intensive ones.
In reality, this feature is often more of a marketing gimmick than a practical tool. While it may appear promising in specific benchmarks or controlled tests, we have noted that virtual RAM has no tangible impact on everyday performance.
So, virtual RAM is situational at best and irrelevant for most users. Its practical benefits are limited to niche cases and budget devices with minimal RAM. For the majority of modern smartphones, it is an unnecessary addition.
Does Virtual RAM Increase Battery Drain?
Yes, virtual RAM can slightly increase battery drain, but the impact is minimal.
Here’s why:
- Increased Storage Activity: Virtual RAM uses internal storage, which requires extra processing, leading to more power consumption.
- Extended Workload: The phone’s CPU works harder to manage data between physical RAM and virtual RAM, which can also use more power.
However, the battery drain is usually negligible and not noticeable in regular usage. That is because the apps stored in virtual RAM are lightweight and basic, so the CPU does not need to exert much effort to retrieve data from them.
Also Read: Vivo X200 Pro Mini features.
Does Virtual RAM Harm Storage?
Technically, yes, virtual RAM can slightly affect storage over time, but it’s not a major concern.
Here’s why:
- Increased Read/Write Cycles: Virtual RAM frequently uses the storage, which may wear it out faster because storage has a limited lifespan for read/write operations.
- Modern Storage is Durable: The good thing is that most modern smartphones use durable storage like UFS, which is designed to handle heavy usage, so the impact is minimal in normal use.
Although virtual RAM increases read and write cycles for internal storage, it is unlikely to cause significant damage to the phone’s lifespan. Modern storage systems can easily manage this level of usage.
Also Read: No need to upgrade your phone every year or two.
Should I Use Virtual RAM or Not?
There’s no harm in using virtual RAM, especially if your smartphone offers the option.
However, don’t expect it to enhance performance or multitasking. At best, virtual RAM might provide a modest improvement of around 10%, as internal storage cannot match the speed of physical RAM due to the significant difference in read-and-write speeds.
Although virtual RAM isn’t a feature that can perform miracles and is rarely utilized by us in daily life outside of testing, it is still an option you can consider using.
In a few cases or under particular usage conditions, virtual RAM might offer some benefits, so enabling it could still be worth considering.
Also Read: Bigger batteries in smartphones to become the norm.
Final Verdict
It’s disappointing to see how heavily some brands have promoted this feature, knowing well that it’s more of a gimmick than a genuinely useful addition. Even worse, major brands have adopted this feature to convince users they are getting an insane amount of RAM.
We’ve seen some brands advertising “8GB + 12GB RAM” during smartphone launch events. This can easily mislead users who lack technical knowledge, as the idea of “20GB RAM” sounds impressive and convincing at first glance.
In simple terms, don’t fall for this marketing gimmick. Virtual RAM makes little to no difference in real-world performance and has nothing to do with the actual physical RAM.
While it can be marginally helpful in rare cases, it is nowhere near as beneficial as brands often claim.
