Windows Low Memory while playing. Can you guys advise me? : IV

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:38 pm

My setup:

1. 8gb ram
2. 1200mb ram on the video card -GTX 570-
3. Oblivion.exe is LAA patched
4. Only 2gb paging file

Heavy Video Memory mods:

1. Qarl's Version 3
2. 4096 res body textures

Possible Memory Leak mod problem?:

1.Dynamic Leveled Lists
-----I didn't install the invisible actor cleanup thing because it says it wasn't heavily tested.

I think my issue is that I need to raise my paging file but I'm kind of in denial because I don't really want to because my SSD is kind of small.

Is it really normal for Oblivion to be taking up

1gb video ram
4gb system ram
and 2gb paging file?

That seems a little excessive.

Task manager says I have about 5400mb of physical memory free directly after Oblivion crashed and windows gave me that message.

I don't get how windows can be low on memory since Oblivion is suppose to only be able to use 4gb with LAA patch.

What do you guys think I should do?

Thank you for your help.

Active Mod Files:

Spoiler

00  Oblivion.esm01  All Natural Base.esm  [Version 1.3.2]02  Francesco's Leveled Creatures-Items Mod.esm  [Version 5.0]03  Francesco's Optional New Items Add-On.esm  [Version 5.0]04  Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esm  [Version 1.34]05  Mart's Monster Mod.esm  [Version 3.7b3p3]06  FCOM_Convergence.esm  [Version 0.9.9MB3]07  Better Cities Resources.esm  [Version 5.1.0]08  CustomSpellIcons.esm09  ScreenEffects.esm0A  Romance Air.esm0B  Unofficial Oblivion Patch.esp  [Version 3.4.1]0C  DLCShiveringIsles.esp0D  Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch.esp  [Version 1.5.0]**  Oblivion Vwalk UOS.esp**  DLCShiveringIsles Vwalk UOS.esp**  DLCShiveringIsles Vwalk DG_DS UOS.esp0E  Better Cities .esp  [Version 4.7.0]0F  Francesco's Creatures and Items Resources.esp  [Version 5.0]10  Francesco's Optional Chance of Stronger Bosses.esp  [Version 5.0]11  Francesco's Optional Chance of Stronger Enemies.esp  [Version 5.0]12  Francesco's Optional Chance of More Enemies.esp  [Version 5.0]13  Francesco's Optional Leveled Guards.esp  [Version 5.0]++  FCOM_Francescos.esp  [Version 0.9.9]++  FCOM_FrancescosItemsAddOn.esp  [Version 0.9.9]14  FCOM_FrancescosNamedBosses.esp  [Version 0.9.9]15  All Natural.esp  [Version 1.33]16  All Natural - SI.esp  [Version 1.3.2]++  All Natural - MMM Patch.esp  [Version 1.3]17  Immersive Interiors.esp  [Version 0.8.1]18  All Natural - Real Lights.esp  [Version 1.3.2]19  Enhanced Economy.esp  [Version 5.4.3]1A  Spell Delete.esp1B  DLCHorseArmor.esp1C  DLCHorseArmor - Unofficial Patch.esp  [Version 1.0.5]1D  DLCOrrery.esp1E  DLCOrrery - Unofficial Patch.esp  [Version 1.0.3]**  DLCOrrery Vwalk.esp1F  DLCVileLair.esp20  DLCVileLair - Unofficial Patch.esp  [Version 1.0.5]21  DLCMehrunesRazor.esp22  DLCMehrunesRazor - Unofficial Patch.esp  [Version 1.0.4]**  DLCMehrunesRazor Vwalk UOP.esp23  DLCSpellTomes.esp++  DLCSpellTomes - Unofficial Patch.esp  [Version 1.0.1]24  DLCThievesDen.esp25  DLCThievesDen - Unofficial Patch.esp  [Version 1.0.5]26  DLCThievesDen - Unofficial Patch - SSSB.esp  [Version 1.0.4]**  DLCThievesDen Vwalk UOP.esp27  Oblivion WarCry EV.esp  [Version 1.09]28  FCOM_WarCry.esp  [Version 0.9.9MB5]29  Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esp  [Version 1.34]**  Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul Vwalk.esp**  OMOBS_SI.esp  [Version 2.0]2A  OMOBS Optional Combat Settings.esp  [Version 1.0]2B  Mart's Monster Mod - Additional Enemy NPC Vars.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]2C  FCOM_Convergence.esp  [Version 0.9.9Mb3]++  FCOM_EntropicOrderRebalance.esp  [Version 0.9.9beta2]2D  FCOM_RealSwords.esp  [Version 0.9.9]2E  FCOM_DurabilityAndDamage.esp  [Version 0.9.9]2F  Mart's Monster Mod - More Wilderness Life.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]++  Mart's Monster Mod - More Passive Wildlife.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]++  FCOM_SaferRoads.esp  [Version 0.9.9]++  FCOM_LessRats.esp  [Version 0.9.9]30  Mart's Monster Mod - Extra Wounding.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]++  Mart's Monster Mod - Looting NPCs & Creatures.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]++  Mart's Monster Mod - No Reavers.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]31  Mart's Monster Mod - Zombies for Body Meshes.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]32  Mart's Monster Mod - Safer Quest Locations.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]33  Mart's Monster Mod - Dungeons of MMM.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]34  Mart's Monster Mod - Gems & Gem Dust.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]35  Mart's Monster Mod - Hunting & Crafting.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]36  Mart's Monster Mod - Farm Animals.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]37  Mart's Monster Mod - Diverse WaterLife.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3f]++  Mart's Monster Mod - Slof Horses Complete.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]++  Mart's Monster Mod - Diverse Runeskulls Loot G&GD.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]++  FCOM_DiverseGuardUnity.esp  [Version 0.9.9]++  FCOM_HungersUnitySI.esp  [Version 0.9.9]**  FCOM_FriendlierFactions.esp  [Version 0.9.9]38  FCOM_MoreRandomSpawns.esp  [Version 0.9.9]39  FCOM_MoreRandomItems.esp  [Version 0.9.9]++  Mart's Monster Mod - Shivering Isles.esp  [Version 3.7b3p3]**  Fransfemale.esp**  EVE_StockEquipmentReplacer4FCOM.esp3A  TheForgottenRealm.esp3B  DLCFrostcrag.esp3C  DLCFrostcrag - Unofficial Patch.esp  [Version 1.0.4]**  DLCFrostcrag Vwalk.esp3D  Knights.esp3E  Knights - Unofficial Patch.esp  [Version 1.0.9]**  Knights Vwalk UOP.esp++  FCOM_Knights.esp  [Version 0.9.9Mb3]3F  Auto Update Leveled Items And Spells.esp  [Version 1.2.5]40  EVE_ShiveringIslesEasterEggs.esp41  M.O.E. - Lycanthropy and Lichcraft.esp  [Version 7]42  Class Advantages.esp  [Version 1.01]43  Alternative Beginnings.esp  [Version 1.2.5]44  Mysterious Bear's Epic Necromancy + EM.esp45  RA ADD GRV.esp46  RA Objects.esp47  bgMagicEV.esp  [Version 1.7EV]**  bgMagicEV Vwalk.esp++  bgMagicSpellTomes_for_WryeBash.esp  [Version 1.68EV]48  bgMagicBonus.esp  [Version 1.7EV]49  bgMagicEVPaperChase.esp  [Version 1.68EV]4A  SupremeMagicka.esp  [Version 0.90b]4B  SM_ShiveringIsles.esp  [Version 0.90]++  SM_DLCSpellTome.esp  [Version 0.90]++  SM_OOO.esp  [Version 0.90]++  SM_MMM.esp  [Version 0.90]4C  SM_EnchantStaff.esp  [Version 0.90]++  SM_Scrolls.esp  [Version 0.90]++  SM_SigilStone.esp  [Version 0.90]++  bgMagicEV_Conjuration_for_Supreme_Magicka.esp  [Version 1.7.7]4D  MidasSpells.esp4E  FearsomeMagicka.esp4F  JCN_AV Uncap.esp  [Version 1.01]50  Oblivion XP.esp++  EVE_KhajiitFix.esp51  Better Cities Full.esp  [Version 5.1.0]52  Better Cities - VWD of the IC.esp  [Version 4.7.0]53  Better Imperial City.esp  [Version 5.1.0]54  Better Cities - All Natural.esp  [Version 4.9.5]55  bgMagicLightningbolt.esp**  FCOM_Archery.esp  [Version 0.9.9]**  All Natural - Indoor Weather Filter For Mods.esp  [Version 1.3.2]56  Bashed Patch, 0.esp57  DynamicLeveledLists.esp

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:41 am

I'm not versed well in the mods you have but, what was the error you rec'd when Oblivion crashed?

Raed

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:36 pm

Task manager says I have about 5400mb of physical memory free directly after Oblivion crashed and windows gave me that message.

I don't get how windows can be low on memory since Oblivion is suppose to only be able to use 4gb with LAA patch.

The task manager is only showing you the amount of ram that is being used, not the pagefile. It also provides misleading information but I'll get to that in a sec.
You can check how much of your pagefile is being used by running dxdiag. 2gb is definitely very small so that is probably your problem, especially since the "low system memory" message is only supposed to be appear when the pagefile is close to full. For comparison, this is my current pagefile: Page File: 2651MB used, 5498MB available. Windows will always assign some less important things to the pagefile, so as not to clog your ram when a program needs it.
As you can see that is already more than 2gb, and I don't even have any games running, although I do have several background programs and a dozen tabs in firefox open. I only have 4gb of ram, but because Oblivion is an x86 program, it will start filling the pagefile at the same point on both our systems, and will likely fill the pagefile at the same rate.

The amount of "free" memory in the Task Manager is actually misleading, as it refers to ram that is completely unused. Windows 7 and Vista also have "cached" memory that they preload with resources for programs that are frequently used. This "cached" memory can be reassigned almost imediately. The "available" physical memory adds together all the cached and free memory that can be used, so that is what you want to look at. For some reason it doesn't always add up to the sum of the cached and free memory, but "available" is still the true amount of unused space in your ram.

Edited for clarity, I hope

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 11:38 am

I'm not versed well in the mods you have but, what was the error you rec'd when Oblivion crashed?

Raed

Open task manager while you have the game in Window mode and you can see how much ram Oblivion.exe is taking up. Even with the LAA patch, it will not get above 3GB. So if your system is running out of RAM something else is doing it. Try gamebooster to turn off services for gaming mode.

For texture VRAM, with QTP3 and hight rez body texture you can easily approach 1GB. With ULs installed, in some areas you may got to 1.2GB. If you have other high rez textures, that also adds to it.

Use streamline and its purge cell buffer feature. It helps. But I think your problem is somewhere else. With the RAM you have you should not be swapping to HD except for your video if it goes over. Open console, sdt 13 then tdt and watch what happens with vram when you play.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 3:43 pm

Thanks everyone I will run a few more tests and then probably just increase my pagefile. Skyrim with texture mods uses all my video memory and I have never had this problem with that or any other game. I don't know it just seems odd to me. These Oblivion textures could very well be using more space though.

Thanks again for taking your time to respond guys.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:54 pm

One other alternative you might want to try - ReadyBoost. I purchased a 16GB high-speed SD card for about $35, and it's worked wonders on my machine while running Oblivion.