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.

[Aiyen]

I just have a "total amount" used by my entire system on my keyboard that I got for.

 

with the current ENB versions I am able to pass 40% (I have 16Gb total). Before if I hit that I would instant CTD almost every time. Since that would be the 4Gb figure hit by the game.

 

So whatever Boris has done then my data suggests that it is working and more RAM is being allocated via his. fancy program to allow the game to use more memory.

[tnsten]

Hello!

 

TL;DR: I have problems with irregular CTDs and have taken step textures above baseline. ENB enabled = many CTDs, disabled = none so far. Is this a 3.1gb issue? What should I do so I can run my game with ENB?

 

I was about to make a new post but decided against it when I saw this. I have problems with CTDs that are random. Very often when I load a saved game, or die and reload. But can also be in the middle of combat, being afk without an open menu or with an open menu. Happens in Helgen in the first big fight with several legionnaires near water. With ENB (SkyRealism) enabled, even without most of the effects I CTD frequently as described above. If I replay that battle 5 times I will CTD twice. 8 times without ENB = 0 CTDs.

 

I have:

3570k

8gb ram

660 gtx ti 4gb

 

Overclocked this rig eats everything it seems, but I have it at stock to make sure this is not a stability issue. 

 

My load order is:

STEP, Frostfall, Cloaks of Skyrim, Better Fast Travel in whichever order makes BOSS happy

Requiem

Real Needs and Diseases

Alternate Start

Patches that make requiem and below jive with STEP mods

Realistic blood moved to last

 

BOSS has no complaints, no complaints from other patchers etc.

 

I have taken STEP textures above baseline quite often 2k, and 4k for things I like like bars and ingots. My guess is that ENB + these extra big textures screw me over, and this is a 3.1gb problem. Papyrus logs are empty, and it is not reproducible easily, so it does not seems like a scripting error. This thread has many posters that experience issues with 3.1gb problem, would you say my description is correct? Or could it be any of my realism mods that do not work well with STEP. Does anyone have experience of this? I would really like to run with ENB so that I can get darker interiors and more realistic lighting.

[Aiyen]

Try to see if the issue persist with only HDDLC textures enabled first.

 

If ENB still causes CTD´s then its not memory related but perhaps some odd driver related issue.

 

If there are not CTD´s and you can run without issue, then it is perhaps because you just have too high resolutions selected.

[Necrokat]

hoping someone can help me understand something...

my specs; gtx 670 4gb, i7 3770k, 16gb corsair RAM, WINDOWS 7 pro

 

been using RealVision ENB lately and it has the ENB Boost in it. it brought my cpu use down a lot. from like 2400 to 650. but i still crash or freeze (mostly freeze) from time to time. when i bring up Task Manager to get out of the freeze, i noticed that i can go to Performance tab and there's 2 graphs on the left. one is CPU Usage, and below that is one "Memory". from searching a bit, it seems earlier versions show that graph as "Page memory". well when i freeze and check that graph, it shows my memory at the moment of freeze as around 4.36 GB. often right at 4.36gb exactly. but if i'm using Skyrim Performance Monitor at the time of these freezes, it's numbers are still good. they'll show usually under 1gb. it may be a little higher during the freeze, but nowhere near the 3.1gb or even my old pre-enbboost numbers.

 

so basically i'm wondering if anyone knows what that 4.36gb "page memory" is and if it's contributing to the freezes? thanks

[phazer11]

Page Memory or the Page File or "Virtual Memory" as Windows calls it is a section or file on your OS disk (the one you have Windows installed on). I'm not familiar with how ENBoost (haven't actually played the game in a while) lets you go over the limit so I'd have to defer to one of the members who has. I would however like to see any of the screenshots of the Skyrim Performance Monitor graphs that you have (if you took some which I hope you did otherwise I won't be able to help very much).

 

I would say that if your system is using your page file then yes it is possible that it is causing at the least stuttering (and possibly freezes) depending on the type of drive. If it's a HDD what rpm speed is it? SSD's don't usually cause problems with stuttering or freezes if the game needs to offload something into the page file and then dump it really fast.

[EssArrBee]

I don't think that you can go above the page file, but ENBoost allows memory to be cleared when certain parameters are met. Skyrim did a bad job of that and Boris added in some new ones that allow things to be cleared from the cell buffer or VRAM more efficiently. I haven't gotten rid of every ILS in my current playthrough, but I did get rid of all the open world crashes that were happening. I think with this level 30 character I've also only had two combat freezes, and both were with many actors on screen.

[DoYouEvenModBro]

I don't think that you can go above the page file but ENBoost allows memory to be cleared when certain parameters are met. Skyrim did a bad job of that and Boris added in some new ones that allow things to be cleared from the cell buffer or VRAM more efficiently. I haven't gotten rid of every ILS in my current playthrough, but I did get rid of all the open world crashes that were happening. I think with this level 30 character I've also only had two combat freezes, and both were with many actors on screen.

I basically am ok with one freeze/crash per hour of gameplay. MAYBE 2. Anything more and I consider it unplayable again. ENBboost has definitely helped with this though. I haven't gotten a single exterior CTD since but I still get the occasional random freeze. Seems to happen in combat, yea.

[EssArrBee]

Are you using DSI, BFS, and EBT? Those are the combat culprits in STEP that can cause freezes, otherwise it's a combination of the combat mods you installed mixed with those three that cause you to get freezes. Try different combos of those until your freezes reduce themselves.

 

My last playthrough I did a mage and had Phenderix Magic Transcended with Gifts of the Outsider and it was a total nightmare until I went down to 1k and 512 res textures. That was before ENBoost came out though, I think around v13.7.13.

[DoYouEvenModBro]

Are you using DSI, BFS, and EBT? Those are the combat culprits in STEP that can cause freezes, otherwise it's a combination of the combat mods you installed mixed with those three that cause you to get freezes. Try different combos of those until your freezes reduce themselves.

 

My last playthrough I did a mage and had Phenderix Magic Transcended with Gifts of the Outsider and it was a total nightmare until I went down to 1k and 512 res textures. That was before ENBoost came out though, I think around v13.7.13.

Sorry. My head is spinning from all the acronyms at work. Can you spell out the 3 mod titles that you just referenced? Haha. 

[EssArrBee]

Deadly Spell Impacts (DSI), Burn Freeze Shock Effects (BFS), and Enhanced Blood Textures (EBT)

 

Skyrim Total Enhancement Project (STEP) you know, just in case.:P

[DoYouEvenModBro]

Deadly Spell Impacts (DSI), Burn Freeze Shock Effects (BFS), and Enhanced Blood Textures (EBT)

 

Skyrim Total Enhancement Project (STEP) you know, just in case.:P

Ohhh so THAT'S what step stands for! JK.

 

I am using all three of those mods, lol. 

[thunderclam]

I've used EBT for a long time but I'm going to drop BFS since I never used it before installing SR and I don't really care about it. Everybody says they cause crashes but I'm hoping to get away with using EBT and just the retextures from DSI.

[DoYouEvenModBro]

Ultimate HD Fire Effects could be another one too. I get freezes a lot when I shoot fireballs

[thunderclam]

I'm thinking of scrapping that one if I go back to using GPU over ENB. It doesn't play nice with 8x SSAA.

[Necrokat]

Page Memory or the Page File or "Virtual Memory" as Windows calls it is a section or file on your OS disk (the one you have Windows installed on). I'm not familiar with how ENBoost (haven't actually played the game in a while) lets you go over the limit so I'd have to defer to one of the members who has. I would however like to see any of the screenshots of the Skyrim Performance Monitor graphs that you have (if you took some which I hope you did otherwise I won't be able to help very much).

 

I would say that if your system is using your page file then yes it is possible that it is causing at the least stuttering (and possibly freezes) depending on the type of drive. If it's a HDD what rpm speed is it? SSD's don't usually cause problems with stuttering or freezes if the game needs to offload something into the page file and then dump it really fast.

i have Windows, Steam, and Skyrim on a Crucial M4 SSD. mods and NMM are on a 2tb hdd. here's some pics of SPM graphs...

before enboost

 

after Realvision enb (w/ enbboost), and this is also after a freeze where Task Man showed 4.36gb page file