I think I understand the purpose of the page file; if the computer runs out of physical memory, the page file is needed to have additional (virtual) memory - very simply said.
Since Windows 2000 I know that the maximum page file size should be set to 1.5 times the RAM. This is also what Windows shows/recommends on the window, where the page file size can be configured. So, on a computer with 256 MB RAM, I set the maximum page file size to 384 MB and on a computer with 1024 MB RAM to 1536 MB.
But today, when computers have 16 GB, 32 GB or even more RAM, why should the maximum page file size still be set to 1.5 times the RAM? I ask because regardless of whether a new computer has 16 or 32 GB RAM, the same applications will usually be installed. So why do I have to set the page file to 48 GB when I have 32 GB RAM, which results in a total available memory of 80 GB, and why (according to the recommendations) do I only have to set the page file to 24 GB when I only have 16 GB RAM, which results in a total available memory of 40 GB? The applications will run on both computers, but on the computer with 32 GB RAM you "waste" twice as much hard disk space as on the one with only 16 GB RAM.
I know there are countless discussions on the internet about this topic, but I haven't found a clue why the size of the page file has to grow with the size of the RAM.
Is maybe the only reason that in case of a computer crash (blue screen) the entire content of the RAM can be stored in the page file?
PS: The origin of my question is that I bought another 24 GB RAM for my computer, which had 8 GB RAM until now, and I'm now wondering if I really should/have to increase the size of my page file from 12 GB to 36 GB, what's currently shown/recommended on the window, where the page file size can be configured. Unless absolutely necessary, I don't want to "waste" another 24 GB on my hard disk.