Arma 3 memory leak

In matters of memory (RAM) needs, it seems there are no limits.

I am not sure if is because of the "breaking 32 bit barrier" but Arma 3 has a huge memory leak and most likely is related with this "On a 64 bit OS the data is slowly written to the page file, but it's not actually removed from memory until you run out of space. This trick allows for memory use above the 32 bit address space limit".

Since I started to use 3 GPUs in triple crossfire, the game keeps caching memory basically until exhausting all memory available in system.

Looking at Arma3.exe is loading around 2.5GB, sometimes reach 3GB but in total the memory loaded is around 12GB and looking at system monitor it says that I have about 10GB cached. Since the only applications that I am running are Arma 3 and Steam, there is much no doubts about this insane RAM usage is coming.

The main issue is that after 5.5GB loaded (approximately) the game becomes unplayable with a insane struggling and stuttering.

Also, if we set the startup parameter -maxMem= to let's say 2GB the Arma3.exe process it stays bellow 2GB RAM usage, but still the game keeps caching memory in the same way until exhausting all memory available in system.

This was not happening when I was using a single GPU (Nvidia) it started with multiple GPUs connected.

I suspect that the RAM usage is somehow connected with GPU memory (I have more GPU memory available than whatever game needs, including Arma 3), from what I can see the game loads tons of data (probably all what it can) into GPU memory and try to do the same with RAM in attempt to compensate all the data loaded in to GPU but since it seems there are no limits ("breaking 32 bit barrier") easily exhaust all the memory (RAM) available in the system (in Altis is a matter of seconds).

Setting my system with triple crossfire simply prevented me from playing Arma 3 and should it have been exactly the opposite.

I hope that some one from Development can address this issue because I would like to play Arma 3 again.

I've wondered myself about such a thing, although overall my experience with performance has been mostly positive with this new update.

In one isolated incident I've noticed that I experience what seems to be a memory related crash to desktop after Arma 3 attempts to load up resources on AIA's Sahrani, I'm pretty sure it's a confluence of using both ALiVE, perhaps that particular version of Sahrani and my memory, although it's nothing I've experienced before.

Aside from that I haven't had any real problems, and I have a crossfired pair of 6970s.

Well, figured what's happening.

Arma 3 just keeps loading data in to memory without limits without flushing, it seems.

When I start Arma it loads about 2GB RAM, then with editor opening Stratis and moving around (with Zeus) and loading all map RAM goes to 3.5GB (approximately).

Closing Stratis and returning to main menu we still have 3.5GB loaded in to memory, and this is terribly wrong, when we close Stratis the data loaded in to memory should (and needs to) be flushed.

Then we open Altis, moving around with Zeus and loading all map the memory (RAM) usage goes to 9GB (approximately), after 5.5GB the game becomes unplayable.

Closing Altis and returning to main menu we still have 9GB of RAM loaded, again this is terribly wrong, when we close Altis the data loaded in to memory should (and needs to) be flushed.

If we start with Altis first, repeating the same process, it loads by itself about 7GB.

This is what is happening, with every action the game just keeps loading data in to RAM and does not flush, RAM usage goes insane and turns the game unplayable.

The game settings are all set for HIGH, going higher Stratis itself loads about 6.5GB.

The funny thing is that with a Nvidia single GPU this does not happen, in fact the RAM or even GPU loaded is very low. RAM do not go above 3.5GB and GPU memory stays below 1.5GB, but the low GPU memory usage is probably because Nvidia has a shader cache loading shaders in to system memory instead of GPU memory.

This is happening with AMD GPUs in triple crossfire, so I guess is related with some hardware (or hardware configurations).

Anyway, is time for a break since Arma 3 to me has become unplayable.

Closing Stratis and returning to main menu we still have 3.5GB loaded in to memory, and this is terribly wrong, when we close Stratis the data loaded in to memory should (and needs to) be flushed.

*SNIP*

Closing Altis and returning to main menu we still have 9GB of RAM loaded, again this is terribly wrong, when we close Altis the data loaded in to memory should (and needs to) be flushed.

*SNIP

It doesn't simply "close" the map(s). They're still present in the background of the main menu with the background cutscenes and such. So I would expect them to remain loaded.

Not an ideal solution, but there is a "console" command that you can use to manually flush the memory.

Hold LEFT SHIFT and KEYPAD MINUS (-) for several seconds and then type 'FLUSH' (without the ' obviously).

There are several posts in this section regarding specs. vs performance, but from experience with past rigs the ArmA series since OFP ihas been a notoriously bad performer on AMD chipsets, even with crossfire.

You expect all the islands that you have opened remain loaded, after closing it?

If is like you are saying, after opening 5 islands we would have 40GB of RAM loaded.

Anyway, this also work in Editor? I've tried holding for about 1 minute shift+minus and I dont see any console.

Actually the performance is quite nice, all 3 GPUs scale pretty well, the only issue is with RAM and its a critical issue.

No jackal is saying whatever map you exit to main menu on, will be loaded in the backround while in the menu, until a new map is loaded

Probably I did not explained myself clearly, my apologies.

What I am saying is that after loading and closing one island the data still remains loaded in to memory (RAM) but, if open some a second island the data loaded in to memory (RAM) when we opened the first is still loaded into memory (RAM) after opening the second.

Why is that? Why when we open a new island we still have loaded in to memory (RAM) the data loaded with first island? In matters of RAM usage is like we had both islands open.

Here is a example,

Stratis loaded right after launching the game. 2.5GB RAM in use.

http://i.imgur.com/3d9Jqe1.jpg

Stratis loaded after loading and closing Altis. 5GB RAM in use.

http://i.imgur.com/rXMQ1U7.jpg

And this is with editor without vehicles or AI, if we add more content the issue becomes bigger, way bigger, so big that turns the game unplayable with the insane amount of RAM loaded.

If this is not a memory leak, then I dont know what is.

RV uses the file mapping API to cache data outside of the process workspace. If it was a true memory leak it would be in process and not simply a part of the commit charge.

RV literally uses like 10gb of memory easy, simply a large portion of it is outside the process workspace and streamed in on the fly. Very inefficient tbh but a workaround to 32 bit limitations.

10GB? Maybe with a single GPU, with mine configuration is much more. Going to install 64GB of RAM just to check if Arma 3 can waste it all.

This is freaking insane, the only setting for graphics quality that can make some difference with the amount of RAM loaded is Textures (but even with low the RAM loaded is beyond understanding) all the remaining no matter what we set, the amount of RAM loaded is the same.

With 1000 view distance or 12000 view distance I have exactly the same RAM loaded, why this "breaking barrier" thing is not linked to view distance? Should have a limit.

Anyway, this also work in Editor? I've tried holding for about 1 minute shift+minus and I dont see any console.

No visible console actually appears. For more info look HERE.

I see, but unfortunately the FLUSH command is for video memory, not for RAM. I dont have issues with video memory. Anyway, thanks for trying to help.

It doesn't simply "close" the map(s). They're still present in the background of the main menu with the background cutscenes and such. So I would expect them to remain loaded.

Not an ideal solution, but there is a "console" command that you can use to manually flush the memory.

Hold LEFT SHIFT and KEYPAD MINUS (-) for several seconds and then type 'FLUSH' (without the ' obviously).

There are several posts in this section regarding specs. vs performance, but from experience with past rigs the ArmA series since OFP ihas been a notoriously bad performer on AMD chipsets, even with crossfire.

arma 3 and arma 2 runs great on my amd hd 7770, so arma series have no problem with amd chipsets, at least it works for me, I use even ultra settings.

@bratwurste problem that you are talking about, is also annoying me on battlefield 4! after couple of playing on MP missions, ram usage increase more and more, until I have only 300 MB free! then game crash.

arma 3 and arma 2 runs great on my amd hd 7770, so arma series have no problem with amd chipsets, at least it works for me, I use even ultra settings.

@bratwurste problem that you are talking about, is also annoying me on battlefield 4! after couple of playing on MP missions, ram usage increase more and more, until I have only 300 MB free! then game crash.

I probably wasn't very clear. What I meant was compared to similar spec Intel processors etc they were outperformed by the Intel systems in many playtests and benchmarkings.

I noticed one more funny thing.

Loading Altis and moving around with Zeus, I start to lose Hardrive space.

For some reason the game is loading also whatever data in to my Hardrive, with Altis I lose about 4GB of free space in HD. Closing Arma 3 the space taken in HD become available again.

Is there any place where Arma 3 is not loading data?

I'm not exactly a computer expert, but is that part of the "page-file" process or somesuch?

When we set page file size in system, the disk space that we allocate for it is automatically taken, I mean, let's say that we set page file size with 8GB, this space is no longer available, if we had 500GB available we will have after 492GB.

This should be the disk space used for pagefile, why Arma 3 is taking even more disk space for caching, it's a mystery to me. In my situation reached 5GB in Altis.

I know Arma 3 use system page file, Altis gives memory errors having less than 3GB allocated for it, but Arma 3, or any other application, should not take or use extra disk space for caching besides the one that we have set for page file size.

I probably wasn't very clear. What I meant was compared to similar spec Intel processors etc they were outperformed by the Intel systems in many playtests and benchmarkings.

oh sorry, yes I had a experience of using amd athlon x64 5000+ and that was worst cpu experience I had.

Is this with all three of your cards? It may be a Trifire issue with your setup. Win-OS has to load all the VRAM from all the cards, even though you are only using the Total amount of just one card. So, three cards need 9 or 12GB address space On top of your Page, and then the games usage of RAM and VRAM. Also Win OS will use all the HDDs/SSDs to even the load of its Page management. Maybe the game sees all of your VRAM from three cards as one(DX does) and is tiring to compensate. Didnt see if you are getting this from just one card?

(I dont have a run on mem issue. I have one card.)

Is this with all three of your cards? It may be a Trifire issue with your setup. Win-OS has to load all the VRAM from all the cards, even though you are only using the Total amount of just one card. So, three cards need 9 or 12GB address space On top of your Page, and then the games usage of RAM and VRAM. Also Win OS will use all the HDDs/SSDs to even the load of its Page management. Maybe the game sees all of your VRAM from three cards as one(DX does) and is tiring to compensate. Didnt see if you are getting this from just one card?

(I dont have a run on mem issue. I have one card.)

Doesn't seem like that would make sense since VRAM is typically mirrored depending on the frame rendering method used. Even if a game detects it as a contiguous amount of VRAM, some games do with my crossfire setup, they won't ever allocate that much AFAIK. Of course with RV's method of mapping data who knows TBH. I have ran it with one card though and crossfire disabled and typically get the same overall commit charge usage in my personal tests.

Ok, since it's a known fact that Windows 8 has better memory management, I have decided to give it a try.

I have installed Windows 8.1 x64, I am letting Windows to manage pagefile and it seems I can play again.

Still it loads a huge amount of data to pagefile, while it keeps freeing RAM, with textures on high it load about 15GB. But with Windows 8.1, the management between RAM and system pagefile it seems better than with W7, I can have a relatively smooth gameplay.

I knew that something would happen to make me drop Windows 7, anyway I am back on business.

Ive had this shit chronically after the last two patches

not only has overall performance dropped, but mission editing is a nothing more than a nostalgic memory for me at this point, as playing and experimenting quickly becomes unbearably slow if you have to go through multiple loading screens or change maps - which you inevitably do when mission making.

And please, dont try on the "mods and missions" line.

@ Bratwurste

Regarding your memory leak, I know this is not what you are seeing and it may be totally unrelated but...

Page filing was mentioned and I am seeing SSD's as quite common now. Are you page filing on an SSD? Like I say, I know you are seeing RAM usage go through the roof but maybe in addition to your woes, you might be having unwanted read/write activity as well.

Just a thought

Thanks.

Still, one more thing is making me scratch my head.

Why GPU configuration is linked to the data loaded/cached in to RAM and system cache?

In Altis with 3 GPUs playing with AI and giving Targets I have hundreds (I mean high hundreds and at far distances) of ground positions as targets, means that I have all that data related with terrain loaded in to my system.

Probably this explains why I am having such high RAM usage and also a huge amount of data loaded in to system cache.

In Altis with 1 GPU in same circumstances I don't have a single ground position as target option.

Is there any specific reason for this?

What do you mean by "single ground position as target option"

in a mission you see targets, or just something with the map itself, can you clarify more?

Aside this, I am running 2 nvidia Geforce 560 Ti's and I been wondering if its just better to run 1 card instead of 2, as once in a while I get a crash,blackscreen, and I need

to press the power button to shut down and then restart the computer, I have 8gb ram and wondering if 2 cards are are using up my ram is this possible?

My buddy who's a Computer tech says its the game, well im starting to dissagree with him to a degree and looking at my setup as the culprit, or at least adding to it.