Memory compression: trading CPU for RAM, and when that trade is wrong
Short answer
UpdatedMemory compression is disabled with the PowerShell command Disable-MMAgent -mc. Windows compresses pages in RAM instead of writing them to disk, spending CPU to save memory. Disabling it frees that CPU time, but only makes sense if you have plenty of RAM. On an 8 GB machine it will make things distinctly worse.
Enable-MMAgent -mcDisable-MMAgent -mc
What it does
Rather than paging cold memory out to disk, Windows compresses it and keeps it in RAM. Reading it back costs CPU but is far faster than a disk round trip.
The compression and decompression work is real CPU time, which is the argument for turning it off when memory is not the constraint.
When it helps, and when it hurts
When it helps
- Frees CPU cycles on systems with 32 GB or more, where compression is solving a problem you do not have.
- Can slightly reduce frame-time variance in heavily CPU-bound games.
When it hurts
- On 8 GB and often on 16 GB, disabling it pushes Windows to page to disk instead, which is far slower and produces exactly the stutter you were trying to remove.
- The effect is highly dependent on how much memory your games actually use. Measure before assuming.
What it writes
Exactly what the switch changes, read from the app's source. Switching it off is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.
Disable-MMAgent -mcDisable-MMAgent -mc: Turns off in-memory page compression.
Enable-MMAgent -mcFrom the app's source (memory_compression.hpp), app 2.0.0, checked .
How to undo it
In the app: Yes
Switching it off sets a standard Windows value, which may not be exactly how you had it.
Run Enable-MMAgent -mc and reboot. Switching it off in Frozen Tweaks runs that command.
Changing several settings at once? The app's Make a restore point button, on every plan, makes a Windows restore point before you start.
Verdict
Only with 32 GB or more. On 16 GB it is a coin flip and on 8 GB it is actively harmful, one of the clearest examples of a tweak whose correctness depends entirely on your hardware.
In the app
- Switch
- Disable Memory Compression
- Category
- Memory
- Plan
- Pro
- Undo
- Yes
Related guides
- Low-End PC Gaming Optimization: Getting Playable Frame RatesWhat actually works on a weak PC, in order, including the one upgrade that beats every software tweak combined, and honest limits on what tuning can do.7 min read
- How to Fix Stuttering and Frame Drops: Diagnose Before You TweakStutter has six distinct causes and each has a different fix. Match your symptom to the right one instead of applying tweaks at random.7 min read
More tweak explainers
- NVMe interrupt steeringAn NVMe drive raises an interrupt when a read or write finishes. What the tweak changes, when it helps, when it hurts and how to undo it.2 min read
- LargeSystemCacheLargeSystemCache tells the Windows memory manager to favor the file system cache over the memory of running programs. What it changes and how to undo it.3 min read
- DisablePagingExecutiveWindows may move parts of its own kernel and drivers to the page file when memory is short. What it changes, when it hurts, and how to undo it.3 min read
Written by
Frost LIVEFounder of Frozen Tweaks, based in Hamburg, Germany. Publishes settings guides for competitive games on his YouTube channel, Frost LIVE.
In the app
- Category
- Memory
- Plan
- Pro
- Undo
- Yes
Frozen Tweaks
Free for Windows 10 and 11
58 tweaks free, each with an undo switch. Never edits game files.
v2.0.0 · 6.4 MB · Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit · free account, no payment details
Or type frozentweaks.com on your PC.
The free Windows app for competitive games.
58 tweaks free, each with an undo switch. Never edits game files.
v2.0.0 · 6.4 MB · Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit · free account, no payment details
Frozen Tweaks runs on Windows. Send the link to your PC and download it there.
Or type frozentweaks.com on your PC.