41 minutes ago, HighTowers said:

Having answers like turning stuff off, and disabling addons, seems ridiculous.   Other games that are demanding dont have this issue

I’m not aware of any other game that is as demanding as MSFS 2024?  LOD in other games is much smaller than the LOD we have in a flight simulator.

I don’t see the VRAM usage changing.  LM’s P3D attempted to reduce VRAM usage and it resulted in a reduction of image quality.  But why do you think it’s ridiculous … hardware limitations has always been the case with flight simulators going back to the beginning of flight simulators on a computer.

If it helps, I’ve also tested my AMD 7900XTX 24GB VRAM and have not run into the VRAM warning message and has stay 22GB or less.  Currently selling for about $900 at places like NewEgg.  Found this from someone that swapped out 4080 S for 7900XTX

I get you aren’t gonna like my response, but without any hard evidence there is a memory allocation issue in MSFS 2024 (which BTW could be entirely nVidia driver related among other things) you aren’t going to see any Asobo priority movement.

4 hours ago, Noel said:

Makes no sense here.  The 4090 has 24Gb of VRAM, and now I never see it over 15Gb and that includes all VRAM in use for my second display and other open apps.  And average VRAM total in use is closer to 12Gb.  Flying over Germany a little while ago, 10gb and change in the AS CRJ700ER.  ALL settings are at ULTRA and have been.  I'm miffed for the opposite reason:  all that fast VRAM is sitting idle being replace more now by much slower system RAM. 

Settings on ultra but what is TLOD set at... that will have a large footprint on the CPU and GPU.  I tend to run 300 in cities (but usually back down to 200), but run it maxed at 400 in rural areas... it's just so much crisper imagery.

I could spell out my recipe to prevent VRAM exhaustion, but I can already hear the moans and groans if I do that.  Suffice it to say that less is more and I don't even know where my community folder is.  😊

dd

1 hour ago, ryanbatc said:

Settings on ultra but what is TLOD set at... that will have a large footprint on the CPU and GPU.  I tend to run 300 in cities (but usually back down to 200), but run it maxed at 400 in rural areas... it's just so much crisper imagery.

In planes performance-wise like the Longitude I will run at 200 at KDEN for example on the ground and up via DynamicLOD Reset as we climb.  And that's because I don't use any form of frame gen and like to maintain a minimum of 50FPS-native so need to control TLOD.   I'll be landing at KBJC shortly and will see what that does to VRAM but I'm doubtful it will do much.

In terms of crisp, this trick is fabulous and no performance costs involved:

Sharpening Hack:  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\nvlddmkm\Parameters\FTS
Go to GR535, change from Hex 1 to 0

It just modifies NVCP 3D settings to add a sharpener, and it's really effective and actually passed muster by MrBitstFlyer who is very sensitive to sharpening related aberrations. 

10 hours ago, SayAgain said:

Yep, can’t use Ultra with 16GB VRAM … same VRAM warning message on my 9070XT 16GB on my other PC.

I know this is NOT popular and many probably don’t want to hear it … but using more RAM and more VRAM is better for performance.  RAM operations are much faster than non-volatile storage (aka, HDD, SD, M.2, U.2).  And VRAM is even faster than RAM which is why you want to use as much as possible (be it AI/DLSS or other GPU accelerated operations).

In order to do any sort of metric compares, a detail list of the following would need to be provided:

1.  What version of MSFS 2024 (SU2, SU3 Beta etc.).

2. List ALL the details in your graphics settings (not just a few).

3. What Add-Ons are active and being used and their versions if applicable and are they native 2024 builds from 2024 SDK or compatibility products from 2020?  In addition, list all the settings related to those Add-Ons (especially AI Traffic and/or weather).

4. Provide the exact location and weather conditions.

5.  Use tools like RTSS, nVidia overlay, AMD overlay, Intel’s performance monitor tools to log the data to file over time.

Not without much more information as described above.  There are so many variables that can determine VRAM/RAM usage that need to be examined and listed and compared.  Frankly, it’s a lot of work, but it’s how you separate fact from fiction.

I know there are many “this is the best settings for MSFS 2024” and “how to get rid of stutters” videos on YouTube, unfortunately most of them don’t address Add-Ons and don’t log (metrics) over time and don’t run the same exactly flight and same flight settings.

Unfortunately what often happens is the easy answer “Asobo did something” … but does that actually identify the problem?  Does it help you today?  Does it just make you walk away from Flight Simulation?

From a user/consumer perspective “I just bought the game, I don’t want to do all this to figure out why I get VRAM warnings” … a valid response.  BUT, what should Asobo do?  Not allow graphics settings if it determines your hardware can’t support it?  Not allow Add-ons to work if they don’t meet a specific performance threshold determine by Asobo?  It’s a slippery slope which is why I think Asobo offered the “Dynamic Performance” setting.

FYI, I’m a long time software engineer, project manager, software development manager, and CTO.  Please don’t shoot the messenger as I DO understand the frustrations.

I know many like “quick answers”, but in my experience “quick answers” are rarely the right answer and can send users down the wrong path ending in frustration.

Totally understand your response. I also appreciate your thought out response. 
 

I’m just left wondering why on earth I bought more RAM when it’s clear now I don’t need it. But I did before SU2. Oh well!

I had the chance to get a rather "cheap" 4090 and swapped my 4080 for it. Very interesting, while I had my settings as such that I was always around 13GB VRAM usage according to MSI Afterburner OSD, I then had with the exact same settings suddenly 18GB of VRAM usage when using the 4090. So, in turn, I dont think that having 20GB VRAM usage with a 4090 automatically means it really NEEDS so much VRAM and that you will have your VRAM hammered all the time when not having more than 16GB. But for sure, I would not go below, at least not for a 4K resolution (or VR). 

17 hours ago, Lucky38i said:

To take advantage of particular DX12 features that are now baked into the game engine.

Well those features dont seem to be quite ready with dx12 being not really ready also.

 

Mike

1 hour ago, mikeymike said:

Well those features dont seem to be quite ready with dx12 being not really ready also.

 

Mike

 Regardless, you can't go back to DX11 because of it.

On 7/2/2025 at 6:53 PM, Mike T said:

After two months of flying in 2024, the biggest issue I've encountered is the VRAM issue, and until the VRAM issue is addressed, 2024 will not be a viable simulator. I just had to scrap a DTW to RSKI run because the VRAM issue brought the sim to a crawl and the IniBuilds A340 instruments stopped responding (other issue?) after wasting an hour of planning and prep.

The problem with the VRAM exhaustion issue can rear its head at any time. You go from the never-before-encountered bliss of 100fps at JFK to 1 fps or less (yess LESS than 1 fps) while doing nothing but sitting at the gate. Likewise, you have the best flight of your life with great performance on takeoff and en route, but just as you make your final approach to a complex airport at 80 fps, all of a sudden, you're at 2 fps and attempting to land your stuttering mess. So you've wasted 40 minutes loading and preflighting your aircraft or spent 8 hours flying only to end up not being able to take off or land.

Now. If you're a GA pilot you may wonder what Mike T is on about - because I doubt you'll encounter this issue. But tube liner pilots flying into complex airports in complex aircraft, with AI Traffic (you can turn off the AI Traffic and still encounter the issue) see the VRAM warning as soon as they load up the scenery in many cases. Frustratingly, I'm not running everything pegged at Ultra, and I can keep turning down settings per the VRAM warning until I'm running on mid and low, at which point you might as well go back to MSFS 2020 or P3D v6. And yes, I've tried the "auto-config" setting and it can look pretty horrible. 

I'm running a high-end system with a 4080, and when 2024 is good, it is breathtaking, but when the VRAM issue hits, it ruins everything. The problem then becomes that I'm seeing 5090/4090 users encountering the VRAM issue too, so I'm loath to spend $ 3,000 on a 5090 for nothing. And because I know that my 4080 can run at very high frame rates, at high settings, until the VRAM issue hits there's no way I can justify it.

Are any of the beta testers seeing anything better? I DON'T want to go back to 2020, but I never have so much as a peep with it and I know that when I start a flight, I can complete it, which makes it compelling when the new shiny toy has a glaring issue like this one does.

Mike T.

 

I'm running a 4090 in 4k.

When I see VRAM head north of 18GB, stutters increase noticeably.

This is surprising, as there is still approx 6GB of VRAM available?

Stu

17 hours ago, ryanbatc said:

I tend to run 300 in cities (but usually back down to 200), but run it maxed at 400 in rural areas... it's just so much crisper imagery.

This image was done at TLOD 150 at KBJC.  Note the appearance of the Front Range.  VRAM in use in-sim is around 11.5Gb:

This image is at TLOD 1200.  You can see some difference at least on my screen, but it's so subtle as to not justify its impact on FRAME RATE, not VRAM, which did go up to 15.8Gb:

1 hour ago, Bunchy said:

I'm running a 4090 in 4k.

When I see VRAM head north of 18GB, stutters increase noticeably.

This is surprising, as there is still approx 6GB of VRAM available?

Stu

Don't forget 2024 still has a 'main thread' though it jumps around from core to core.  That is likely the cause of your stutters, not VRAM.

16 minutes ago, Noel said:

Don't forget 2024 still has a 'main thread' though it jumps around from core to core.  That is likely the cause of your stutters, not VRAM.

Respectfully disagree. Its most definitely VRAM.   In dev mode with the in game FPS display, I have all solid green performance.  No hiccups.  Frame time is great, as is FPS.   When Vram gets anywhere around 13gb out of my 16gb card, its a stutterfest every single time.  Easily reproducible.  Reduce addons and or settings to bring Vram back down, and its golden smooth.  Seems like 2024 is for the rich who can afford the very expensive cards with gobs of Vram in comparison.  Vram is very fast compared to DDR5 even, thus the extra expense.  So when we have relatively powerful machines but only 'moderate' Vram (16Gb) , we can't use much addons, and we have to turn everything way down.  

I've actually found one of the worst culprits for default aircraft is the 737 BBJ.  I actually got the resource window popup last night when I loaded at KJFK 31L (and thats without photogrammetry YIKES).

I wonder if there's a memory leak with that plane.

12 minutes ago, HighTowers said:

So when we have relatively powerful machines but only 'moderate' Vram (16Gb) , we can't use much addons, and we have to turn everything way down.  

Are you using a 4K display?  Right now, in the IF B37 MAX 8, on final into EHAM, with Self Loading Cargo, BATC, LiveATC all running, VRAM total in use is 11.6Gb.  All Ultra.  But I'm using a 3440x display.

1 hour ago, HighTowers said:

Seems like 2024 is for the rich who can afford the very expensive cards with gobs of Vram in comparison.

I guess that would depend on your definition of "rich", the people in my circle of friends that have more disposable income fly their own PC-12 or Cessna 550 jet where the cost of fuel for just 1 trip is more than a 5090.  I pointed you to $900 7900XTX which is cheaper than a 4080 S and performs about the same in MSFS 2024 and no stutters from VRAM exhaustion.  You will not run into VRAM issues with the 7900XTX and you can probably sell your 4080 S for good money (plenty of buyers that only buy nVidia).