CTD at 3.1GB

[viking]

Some key posts on this and related threads (experts feel free to note any errors or insights):

• Post #11
• Post #27
• Post #40 (this is where the 500/430 ratio seems to have originated.)
• Post #66
• Post#278
• Post #313
• Post #1 (adjacent thread: Caution about memory optimisers)
• Post #64 (adjacent thread: Caution about memory optimisers)
• Post #68 (adjacent thread: Caution about memory optimisers)
• Post #70 (adjacent thread: Caution about memory optimisers)

Wiki article (draft)

 

Thanks,

STEP

 

OP follows

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First of all I wanted to thank you all for the great work you have done with STEP. Skyrim is the first game I installed on this computer and you guys have made it an AMAZING game. That being said, I have an issue that I hope you can help me solve.

 

My setup:

Vanilla Skyrim

gtx670 w/ 4GB @1080p w/ latest driver

16GB Memory

3770K at about 4GHz

Windows 8 64bit

ENB 149

Ultra settings

Highest available texture/quality

Mod Organizer

Step 2.2.1 + Skyrim Revisited + others

 

I have noticed a post here and there saying that Skyrim can't really address more than about 3.1GB of memory without issues. This seems to jive with my experience, meaning I CTD every time my memory hits that mark, but I couldn't really find anything definitive on the topic. The issue with googling the topic is the pre 1.3 skyrim that couldn't address more than 2gb of memory.

 

My mod list is mostly based on STEP which is why I came here for help, with about ten mods added onto the end (Interesting NPCs, Detailed Cities, Economics, COT, and a couple others). The reason I haven't included my mod list is that it doesn't seem to matter. As long as I keep the memory usage below 3GB I can have pretty much any combination of mods.

 

What I have tried so far (in no particular order):

• resetting ini files
• removing enb
• not using attklt
• only using a new game
• removing all mods and adding one by one until issue crops up
• running as admin
• watching the papyrus log - it seems relatively clean, no obvious errors right before CTD

Yes, I can run STEP just fine without any issues, but I also never get near 3GB of memory. I have tracked VRAM usage as well and have seen a max of 2.7GB/4GB.

 

As an example of where I might run into issues: I start a new character with Alternate Start. I start with Breezehome. Run out of Whiterun, past the Brewry, up the hill to the bandits. Enter the cave (watching memory usage with Elys MemInfo), and it dies right after I see 3GB. I have this same issue not using AS, sitting through the intro, and then running over to whiterun.

 

I'm sorry if this post is all over the place. I have spent more than a week trying to solve this issue, and the only solution I have found is to reduce memory usage. I have got to the point where I can exchange two texture packs and get into the cave without a CTD, but with both I get a CTD. I didn't even think texture packs should even affect CTDs, but I'm relatively new to Skyrim on the PC, so I could be wrong. I also found I could get a bit further with ENB turned off, but would still crash once I got above 3GB of memory. Finally, if I reload a game after a CTD, I can play just fine...until I reach 3GB of memory.

 

I really hope you guys can help. I more than willing to try anything at this point, besides just disabling all of the mods.

[DoYouEvenModBro]

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[JimmyTurbo]

Yeah the 7950... And I looked at different options like compression. Just resize to 2048 and you should be fine. I fear that compression would take even more system resources to render in-game.

 

Just be warned though: you might want to sit down and watch some TV, watch a movie, buy groceries, go to work/school, go to the bank, or make yourself a proper meal like BBQ salmon and sides. This does take a long time depending on how many extra mods that introduce new graphics (new weapons, armor, etc.) on top of STEP, the amount of resizing, and how fast your computer is. I probably could have got through the full extended version of Blues Brothers (Not Blues Brothers 2000) while my computer ticked away .

[DoYouEvenModBro]

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[JimmyTurbo]

Yes. I followed the instructions that JVorn posted on page 16 of this thread. Seriously though, go watch a movie after you hit start, it will take a while.

[DoYouEvenModBro]

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[torminater]

On normal resolutions (1920x1080 or similar) it's very hard to notice the difference if you use the mod author's downscaled versions. The quality decrease might be more apparent when downscaling with ddsopt.

On really high resolutions 5760xwhatever it might be more apparent.

[DoYouEvenModBro]

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[torminater]

unless you have many mod bsas adding textures, yes.

[Aiyen]

Well the game engine cannot handle exterior 4k textures in large amounts...

I use 4k only for caves and dungeons where there are not as much stuff that needs to be rendered and that still works fine on a 2Gb card. Also use a fair amount in my interiors. Also most interior textures are widely reused.

 

Remember that the memory usage does not scale well with higher resolution

Avarage size pr texture give or take. (This assumes the most optimal compression between space taken and quality. )

1k = 1.3Mb

2k = 5.5Mb

4k = 15+ Mb

 

This goes for both the texture... normal maps, glow maps etc. etc. so every "texture" that is shown ingame is almost always double this, sometimes more.

 

As for the visual change... Well 4k looks better in almost every way.

However since you cannot have mostly 4k in the exterior areas due to the RAM limit... then it is better to reserve 4k usage for stuff like weapons and armor that really benefits from the extra fine detail.

 

The game cannot even handle the exteriors with mainly 2k textures without reducing the normal maps to half size to compensate. And even then you can in some instances run fairly close to the limit, due to the games rather bad ability to cleanup unused textures and information.

[DoYouEvenModBro]

So I resized all my textures to 2k with optimizer textures and apparently my RAM usage is still at 3.102 gb..meaning that it did not change. Did I do something wrong? I ran optimizer textures on my skyrim texture folder. 

[JVorn]

So I resized all my textures to 2k with optimizer textures and apparently my RAM usage is still at 3.102 gb..meaning that it did not change. Did I do something wrong? I ran optimizer textures on my skyrim texture folder. 

Do you use MO? If so you need to run it on your MO mod folder (ModOrganizer\mods).

[MontyMM]

Hey guys,

 

Could we keep this thread for discussing what we learn about the 3gb issue itself, and spin off the optimisation questions to other threads?  It's not exactly off topic, but if we discuss all the possible ways to stay below 3gb in this thread, we'll have a bit of a muddled mega-thread.

[Tehodrakis]

I have the same problem with my CK when it loads ~4GB on start up, wich should be expected from the 32bit exe, but why does it load so much?

It never did that before and it does it on its own without me loading any plug ins.

Any ideas?

 

Edit: If this is considered OT you are free to remove and maybe tell me where else to post this, i just felt like there are a bunch of competent people here who might be able to help me.

[7hr08ik]

Ive been looking around trying to find a way of limiting my skyrims. RAM usage...i was thinking if i could limit it to say...2.9GB then i could keep the huge textures and not have to worry about this 3.1Gb issue.

 

Ive found the papyrus tweaks.....iMaxAllocatedMemoryBytes=3113851289 (2.9 x 1024 x

1024 x 1024)

 

But it doesnt seem to do anything.....

 

Am i just flogging a dead horse here, or am i missing something.

[MontyMM]

I've moved these posts about DDSopt, as they are a duplication of the discussion here, and I did already ask that the optimisation questions are posted in separate threads.