Solution for high memory usage

[geckuz 0]

I was hoping you to take my comment as a joke, since i wasn't one of those who said people with few posts couldn't have an opinion.Tell that to them. :(

But I took it as a joke, and I am joking too Alvega, no offense at all :(.. Furhermore my sarcasm was for those who stated that people with few posts couldn't have an opinion :( :(Stefano

[slip-stream 5]

From NickN over at simforums.PLEASE NOTE: This section is for anyone who sees out of memory error while using FSX. It applies to ALL circumstances.To clear up confusion about this change.. the amount reserved for the cache is NOT and DOES NOT have anything to do with the amount of memory in the system or how much memory you are allowing access to the system!!This change only tweaks the address space, relieving the OOM error. The 32bit system will use the physical memory installed up to 4GB regardless! ONLY FSX SP2 HAS THE ABILITY TO ADDRESS MORE THAN 2GB OF SYSTEM MEMORY. THE DVD AND SP1 VERSIONS CAN ADDRESS MORE THAN 2GB HOWEVER IT REQUIRES MANUAL EDITING OF THE DVD OR SP1 FSX.EXE FILE USING SPECIAL SOFTWARE WHICH WILL ALLOW >2GB SUPPORT.The method of removing out of memory and other errors on a 32bit Operating system and allow fsx access to memory amounts greater than 2GB is listed here:For XP:disable hidden files and folder, then on the root C:\ you will find a file named: boot.ini Open it in notepad and add the follwoing to the end of the OS boot line: /3GB/Userva=2560 EXAMPLE LINE EDIT:multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows XP Professsional" /fastdetect /3GB /Userva=2560 <---- add it heresave and close the filerebootto set that back to default, simply remove the editIf you are using XP SP2 and are running a dual, quad, OR a single core Intel HYPERTHREAD processor, make sure this update is appliedhttp://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=enXP SP3 users do not need that updateFor Vista:WINDOWS VISTA ONLY: 1. Open a command prompt with Administration rights. You find the command prompt box under "Programs-Accessories-Command prompt" 2. Right Click the command prompt and select "run as administrator". 3. Enter in the box at the prompt: (copy/paste if you wish) bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVA 2560 and press enter 4. Reboot TO set that back to default in VISTA just start the command line prompt with Admin right again and type: bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVA 2048 Hit enter and reboot NOTE: It is possible you may need to TUNE this value if out of memory errors still display, especially with large video memory video cards (640mb and above)If you sill see OOM errors, do the following:Depending on your OS follow the directions above about editing the system for the cache value. What you will do is LOWER the value edited to the system originally. The amount should be DROPPED in lots of 64. EXAMPLE: Original Edit = 2560LOWER this to 2496, reboot and retest. If OOM still appearsLOWER the edit to 2432, reboot and retest. If OOM still appearsLOWER the edit to 2368, reboot and retest. If OOM still appearsLOWER the edit to 2432, reboot and retest. If OOM still appears, one of 2 problems are possible1. There is a addon in FSX which is not made correctly or has an error in it forcing the OOM.2. Your system (motherboard) simply does not play well with this edit and possibly more than 2GB in the system. The solution to #1 is to locate the addon causing the error through a process of elimination. See if you can ID what addon be it aircraft or scenery may be in use with the error appears and eliminate them as possibilites. The solution to #2 when the memory and the motherboard memory slots are confirmed as correct in use is switch to a 64bit (x64) OS (Vista or XP) which I suggest eveyone use anyway for FSX

[Guest keiron]

Nice one Keith! I think I'll stick Nick's write up in my forum too.Cheers again :(

[trisager 2]

The userva=2560 value in Nick's post is appropriate for users with a 768MB graphics adapter. The formula to calculate the value to use is:userva = 4096 - (amount of memory on grahics card + 768MB).E.g. with af 512MB graphics adapter you get userva = 4096 - (512+768) = 2816By default the 4GB virtual memory space of Windows32 is divided into 2GB for user programs and 2GB for system use. The idea is to take some of the virtual memory reserved for system use and make it accessible to programs that are designed to take advantage of it (e.g. FSX) while still leaving a reasonable amount of virtual memory available to the OS. In the example with the 512MB adapter you effectively take 768MB from the OS and make it available to FSX instead (with the 768MB adapter you only took 512MB).In many cases you can go higher than what this formula suggests, but if you go too far you will impact the performance of the OS itself. The formula above reserves 768MB for the exclusive use of the OS plus various system devices, which will be adequate in most cases.The reason the amount of memory on the grahics card plays into this is that this memory is mapped onto the the 2GB system memory space. If you have a 1GB graphics adapter, there is only 1GB of memory left for the OS to use, and if you take most of that away and give it to user processes you will run into problems.A more technical discussion can be found here: http://blogs.msdn.com/ptaylor/archive/2007...ress-space.aspxNote that this limitation does not exist in 64-bit windows (well, there is a limit, but it is much higher), which is why a 64-bit OS is a better long-term solution. Some users are reporting excellent results with 64-bit Vista or XP, but I'm hesitating to go that route myself as there will undoubtedly be compatibility issues to sort out when switching OS.As Nick points out, all this is about virtual memory - it applies regardless of the amount of physical memory in your system. As memory is relatively cheap, however, I'd suggest that anyone using FSX fills up to 4GB (or maybe 3GB if you have a 1GB graphics adapter).

[Charlie Felix 5]

I've tried the BCDEDIT fix but I still have parts of the MD11 disappearing near the end of a 20 minute flight (earlier if I do some task switching). The corruption continues until the plane is completely gone, ouside scenery is corrupted and FSX finally CTDs.System: E8600, 4GB memory, 8600GTS w/640MB, Vista32Charlie Felix

[jfv 4]

What this program does is exactly what every Unix OS in the world has done for like 20 years,in those environments its called the "swapper" and its job is to 'steal' physical memory that hasnot recently been used. By doing that other processes in need of memory can use it. If the"victim" of said memory accesses it again it is replaced from the "swap device".It doesn't matter that it does not reduce the virtual size, what matters is that the physicalpool of memory is being kept adequate so the OOM error doesn't happen.I have been getting the OOM errors since upgrading to ASA and XGraphics, and this is happening on Vista Ultimate X64 with 4G of memory. This little utility seemed like it mightbe worth trying.

[JDLinn 26]

Well, the techies can say what they like ... but my "bubble" is intact. I've been using this program now for over 50 hours of FSX without ONE hangup. Before my Ram would creep up to 60% then "crash". I now run the sliders wide open and stay in the 33-35% Ram usage area. Before I could not run more than 1 hour without a crash.  I don't care about the technology, I care about the results. For my system, this program is what I've been looking for for 5 years!  It is not a "placebo" ... I can MEASURE the ram usage on my keyboard ... there is a 100% reduction in RAM ... from 61% where it crashed down to 33% where it runs all day without a problem.  Don't ask me how, don't tell me I'm not techy enough to "understand" ... I could care less ... it works ... period!

 

System:

Computer-Dell XPS Studio, Win 7, DX10
Total Physical Memory-7.96 GB
Total Virtual Memory-15.9 GB
Video Card-NVIDIA GTX 570
Sim Software- PFJ, SAK, PNW, Tongass X 
Overlays-Traffic 360
Special for FSX-Razor Game Booster, CleanMem

[ivo09 23]

strong bump

[dazz 69]

If I got it right and this thing is evicting pages from running processes' workspace and sending them to the stanby list, it's not going to help with OOM errors, unless there's no page file and you're hitting the commit limit somehow. I'll try it later today though

[3-2-1-Now 126]

Well...Hate to burst your bubble people, but all this type of software does is force the process "working set" (reported as "Mem Usage" in Task Manager) to zero (equivalent to marking all the memory as "paged out"). The "working set" is defined as the amount of physical RAM that has been recently used by an application. So it may "appear" that your process is using less memory, but it's an illusion. And, all that is going to happen is that the process will swap back the pages as it needs them - you may (or may not, your milage may vary) notice stutters and other lag effects when the memory gets paged back.The most meaningful metric for a Windows process is the "Private Bytes" (reported as "VM Size" in Task Manager - this column is hidden by default, you need to show it via View->Select Columns). This is the amount of virtual memory which resides in the "private" portion of the virtual memeory space (the default maximum size of the private space is normally 2GB, but can be set to 3GB via a switch during O/S boot). You will note that this software will NOT affect the "VM Size" of the process. Nothing can, since the VM Size is entirely under control of the owning process.So, long and the short of it: if you paid money for it, I would recommend you get it back. This is Snake Oil at its best.I don't expect anyone to believe me, since you don't know me or my credentials, but if there are any other Windows VM experts out there, please lend your voice and Stop The Madness! :(

+1

 

All products claiming to boost performance are "snake oil". There are only two ways to really do it:

 

* stop as much junk loading at Windows boot as possible (it's amazing all the rubbish people have load up at the start)

 

or

 

* get a faster processor/graphics card

 

I also strongly suggest disabling anti-virus/anti-malware/anti-spam/anti-whatever - they not only slow the computer in their own right, but interact with running applications slowing the thing further. We all know what a PITA they are when installing things, too. They're all junk anyway - just look at the false report count in a bid to have the highest detection rates. LOL! Ironically they fail to stop real threats. They also lost all credibility when they started to become self-appointed "software police", deleting anything they don't like (read the small print - most of these programs do this). They are not interested in security at all.

 

Best regards,

Robin.