If you want to use more than two systems on one computer, there are usually many ways to achieve it. For most people, the best choice is definitely to use virtual system software to virtualize all secondary systems. Use software to manage other systems. For a computer, it only needs to have enough storage space and the system has enough performance to run the virtual system smoothly. However, NTDEV, a foreign expert who has launched Tiny11, a modified version of Windows 11, has a different idea. He thinks that the system Not only can it be filled in a solid-state hard disk or a traditional hard disk, but a small display memory can also be used as a storage space for a virtual system.And he also proved it with practical actions
Before talking about the extreme operation of NTDEV, we must first understand some concepts. Traditionally, storage devices as we know them are usually called hard drives or solid state drives (SSD). There are other external storage devices, but these are usually used for backup or data transfer.
As for memory, it is usually not equal to storage device, even if the unit is MB, GB or TB. The characteristic of memory is that it needs power to maintain operation. Once the power is cut off, the data on the memory will disappear immediately. Storage devices such as hard drives and solid-state drives have the function of storing data even when the power is off, which is different from the characteristics of memory that cannot retain data when the power is off. This is because the functionality is different from the field of use.
But the memory can also store some data, and because of its strong read and write speed, some people still use software to use the free memory space as a temporary and high-speed storage space.
Because of this concept, some manufacturers have launched a product called i-RAM in the past, installed four DIMM slots on the PCI expansion card, installed it by purchasing and installing DDR memory, and connected the motherboard and the expansion card with a SATA cable. This will allow the computer to recognize the product as a storage device. But buying extra memory just for storage is expensive, so these products usually end up being used only in data centers and the like.
Talking here, I believe that from the direction that the system memory can be converted into temporary storage space by software, we can think of the theme mentioned this time. The reason why the foreign master NTDEV can make the virtual machine run in the display memory is because there is a software called GpuRamDrive in the world, which can also simulate the free display memory space into a temporary storage space through the software.
However, even if there is software that can turn the display memory space into storage space, the general display card still has an inherent problem, which is not suitable for such an operation, that is, the display memory itself is very expensive, and most common display cards are equipped with 2G Only when the display memory ranges from 8G to 8G, the flagship graphics card has the opportunity to see double-digit display memory.
At this time, I will talk about another proud technique of NTDEV, a great master, which is to slim down the Windows system. NTDEV itself has released a modified version of Windows 11 called Tiny11, which reduces its required storage space to only 8GB, and further reduces the system requirements to a computer with only 2GB of system memory.
All that remains is to wrap the operating system inside the virtual environment. Regarding this point, NTDEV uses Microsoft’s Hyper-V as a virtual machine, first makes the pre-made Tiny11 into a virtual hard disk format VHD, and copies it to the storage space created on the display memory through software, and then configures it through Hyper-V For a new virtual machine, specify the VHD file located in the newly added storage partition, so that the virtual machine can skip the installation stage and be successfully established, and immediately enter the operating state.
Considering that the display memory is not completely unused when not playing games, the space aspect cannot be fully applied to the size of the entire display memory, and some space must be reserved for temporary storage space. NTDEV uses a laptop with RTX 3050 graphics card in the demo video, so theoretically there is 4GB of display memory, but when operating GpuRamDrive, it still cannot directly configure the space to 4GB, and must try to set aside hundreds of MB for the main body The system is running, and NTDEV actually only allocates 3550 MB of space in the movie, so it can be seen that even if you have a graphics card with a lot of display memory, you can’t allocate all of this space.
The last virtual machine is turned on, so there is no need to explain it in too many words. The result of a lot of effort is to make the thin version of Win11 in the virtual machine have an execution state similar to that in a normal environment, but the price for the smoothness of the virtual host on the client side is that the various operating states of the graphics card on the local side are at a very high level. The level is like a 3A game masterpiece. Although this kind of coquettish operation is very individual for some players, the practicality seems to be lower than imagined. The most important point is, isn’t it good to buy an M.2 SSD? Obviously, the current SSD is fast and has a lot of space , the price is also very kind. There is really nothing.
Finally, I would like to remind you that the wonderful operation of NTDEV is purely personal behavior, and there is a certain degree of risk of causing computer software and hardware failures (especially the graphics card, which must be repaired if the memory is broken). Good boy, don’t imitate it lightly. Ada cares about you.
