Official thread for Xtreme STEP users to post how they solved the 3.1 RAM crash?

[DoYouEvenModBro]

Can we have an official thread (either on here or another one made by a mod) for users to explain exactly what they did in order to eliminate the 3.1 GB crash? I realize that many people have explained this but I feel like the information is sprawled across many threads.

This thread assumes that all users started with Xtreme step with highest everything possible and then reduced from there to fix RAM issue

 

For example,

 

I started with extreme STEP (highest res textures and everything possible and obviously found out pretty quickly that RAM flew above 3 GB in many areas, resulting in a CTD, especially around heavily wooded areas)

 

I did the following reductions to stay below 3 GB (for the most part)

 

1.) HD DLC Optimized (1024 + 2048 Hybrid)

2.) Vurt's optional 2k LoDs for his SFO

3.) 1k versions of big three texture packs instead of 2k versions (SRO, 2K, HD)

4.) Made sure NOT to use Vurt's optional high-res pines add-on (4k and 8k pines look amazing but just use too much RAM to be worth it)

5.) Used Trees HD HIGH instead of ULTRA

 

 

This seems to have put me below 3 GB FINALLY. It occasionally still crashes in areas like Falkreath but not enough to be a real problem anymore. I usually just quit to menu and reload when I travel to another large cell just to dump the RAM. 

 

What have others done?

 

EDIT: Specs: GPU - 7970 Ghz 3 GB | CPU - i5 2500k @ 4.5 ghz | RAM: 8 GB 1600 | SSD: 128 GB

[grhuff]

I've done everything you listed, plus I also added the Medium Resolution Add-On for WATER and the four main options under Skyrim Performance PLUS (loaded right after HRDLC Optimized). Otherwise, I haven't knowingly installed any textures that are greater than 2048.

 

Does anyone know if other types of game data contribute to the RAM usage besides textures? I'm wondering if textures really aren't the only things we need to keep in mind when trying to stay under 3.1 GB.

[DoYouEvenModBro]

I've done everything you listed plus I also added the Medium Resolution Add-On for WATER and the four main options under Skyrim Performance PLUS (loaded right after HRDLC Optimized). Otherwise, I haven't knowingly installed any textures that are greater than 2048.

 

Does anyone know if other types of game data contribute to the RAM usage besides textures? I'm wondering if textures really aren't the only things we need to keep in mind when trying to stay under 3.1 GB.

Scripts do as well. Anything that adds content/sounds/items into the game or changes dialogue. Can you imagine if Skyrim was 64-bit? We could install all the 4k/8k textures we wanted and nothing bad would happen lol

[DoYouEvenModBro]

I've done everything you listed plus I also added the Medium Resolution Add-On for WATER and the four main options under Skyrim Performance PLUS (loaded right after HRDLC Optimized). Otherwise, I haven't knowingly installed any textures that are greater than 2048.

 

Does anyone know if other types of game data contribute to the RAM usage besides textures? I'm wondering if textures really aren't the only things we need to keep in mind when trying to stay under 3.1 GB.

Can you do me a favor? Can you run around Falkreath (https://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Falkreath_(Skyrim) ) for like 2 minutes (preferably in the wooded area) and let me know what your max system RAM usage gets up to? Mine gets up to about 3 GB but I've managed to eliminate the crash. Wondering what yours gets up to. Also, I'm at 1080p. Not sure what you're at.

[Aiyen]

Everything you add to the game cost some memory!

Textures just cost comparatively more since they are large 2D objects that where a script entry is just a value.

Extremely simplistic you can divide the game up as follows.

 

Total Memory use = Textures/Meshes + Sounds/scripts etc. + Game engine overhead.

 

The last is pretty much set in stone, since a minimum amount of memory is required to load in the game engine at all.

Of all these then textures/meshes is the most simple thing to change. As mods mature they get more optimized scripts etc. but again compared to just altering a few textures then this is a long and time consuming process.

[JudgmentJay]

I actually just gave up trying to run max res textures. I just resigned myself to mostly 1k with a few exceptions like mountains and trees. It still looks great in-game and you'll really only notice if you put your face up to a texture.

[DoYouEvenModBro]

Just wanted to shoot this thread to the top in case any other xtreme steppers wanted to share their solutions :-P. 

[7hr08ik]

Its simple, im running full SR with all DLCs. i`ve had to remove a few mods due to freeze issues but before i had them, i was runnign full texture mods and everything. 2.2Gb RAM and 2GB VRAM

 

Just DDSopt everything to 2048x2048, and do *_n.dds to 1024x1024. lowering the normals really is astoundingly amazing at how much RAM you`ll lower....with no quality loss at all....(unless you go out of your way trying to find them)

 

I did also lower all my armour mods down to 1024x1024 with 512x512 normals

[DoYouEvenModBro]

Its simple, im running full SR with all DLCs. i`ve had to remove a few mods due to freeze issues but before i had them, i was runnign full texture mods and everything. 2.2Gb RAM and 2GB VRAM

 

Just DDSopt everything to 2048x2048, and do *_n.dds to 1024x1024. lowering the normals really is astoundingly amazing at how much RAM you`ll lower....with no quality loss at all....(unless you go out of your way trying to find them)

 

I did also lower all my armour mods down to 1024x1024 with 512x512 normals

Damn those are quite the reductions. You should definitely be WAY under the 3.1 gb limit now. Which mods caused freezing for you? And have those mods been confirmed by others to cause freezing as well?

[7hr08ik]

https://forum.step-project.com/showthread.php?tid=2653

 

My thread.....Long story short....take out SMIM, and follow the instructions on DDSopt.....The big 4k mods do look amazing, but when your actually playing the game and not just wandering around going "ooooo look at that" you dont notice the difference between 4k and 2k trees. The RAM savings far outwieght the 5 mins of "ooo" factor and showing off to your mate with a crappy 8800gt

 

I only went for 1024 on weapons coz you only really see them in your inventory and when your holding them trying to behead some bandits...

 

Everything else, is set to 2048....take a look at my latest posts in my thread

 

I`ve listed my current mod list (skyrim revisited) and my DDSopt choices

 

Cant really say exactly which mods ive taken out, but the ones i can think of from STEP/SR are SMIM, AIMP, im using CBBE instead of UNP the neo suggests. I am also running ASIS and SkyRe though. so ive taken some things out to accomodate the huge extras you get from those 2.

 

So far in tests my game seems stable, so im gonna start a fresh game (number 2786 this week) and have a proper play through