Increased vram usage on Windows 10?

[Lac3y]

On Windows 7 my vram usage never went above 2GB. Now on a fresh install of Windows 10 it goes up to 2.5GB on the same settings, although lowering the settings doesn't seem to make a difference. I'm now getting nasty stuttering.

Anyone else experiencing this and is there a solution?

Addendum: Started rolling back drivers and eventually found that the the pre-Windows 10 drivers fix the vram problem. Currently using 350.12 and vram went from 2.5GB+ to below 2GB on higher settings.

Windows 10 drivers are absolute trash at the moment.

[Freya?]

I actually am experiencing these same issues. It stayed under 4GB for me before, but now hits almost 5GB at times.

[F3lPi]

Let me try to explain this in simple words:
This is normal and it is not a issue.
Windows 10 have a new technology that uses the VRAM differently.
It can move some of the less used part of the VRAM to the normal RAM, to enhance performance, and lessen the problem with games using more than your GPU VRAM capabilities.
Win 10 also can now compile the vram of videos cards on CrossFire/SLI, wich was impossible to do before.
It's not really a problem, if your afterburner (or whatever program you're using to monitor) it is probably not distinguishing what part of the "textures" are been loaded on the VRAM from whats is loaded on normal RAM.
My english is not that good, so i hope you undestand.
If you want to know more, just search "Windows 10 VRAM management" on google.

[Mr Crisp]

Originally posted by FelPi:

Let me try to explain this in simple words:
This is normal and it is not a issue.
Windows 10 have a new technology that uses the VRAM differently.
It can move some of the less used part of the VRAM to the normal RAM, to enhance performance, and lessen the problem with games using more than your GPU VRAM capabilities.
Win 10 also can now compile the vram of videos cards on CrossFire/SLI, wich was impossible to do before.
It's not really a problem, if your afterburner (or whatever program you're using to monitor) it is probably not distinguishing what part of the "textures" are been loaded on the VRAM from whats is loaded on normal RAM.
My english is not that good, so i hope you undestand.
If you want to know more, just search "Windows 10 VRAM management" on google.

Source? I have heard no such thing that Windows 10 manages VRAM any differently. What does `complile` VRAM on CF or SLI mean? Please provide some source, link or evidence to support your assertions.

[F3lPi]

Originally posted by Mr Crisp:

Originally posted by FelPi:

Let me try to explain this in simple words:
This is normal and it is not a issue.
Windows 10 have a new technology that uses the VRAM differently.
It can move some of the less used part of the VRAM to the normal RAM, to enhance performance, and lessen the problem with games using more than your GPU VRAM capabilities.
Win 10 also can now compile the vram of videos cards on CrossFire/SLI, wich was impossible to do before.
It's not really a problem, if your afterburner (or whatever program you're using to monitor) it is probably not distinguishing what part of the "textures" are been loaded on the VRAM from whats is loaded on normal RAM.
My english is not that good, so i hope you undestand.
If you want to know more, just search "Windows 10 VRAM management" on google.

Source? I have heard no such thing that Windows 10 manages VRAM any differently. What does `complile` VRAM on CF or SLI mean? Please provide some source, link or evidence to support your assertions.

I think it's not well spread yet, but i got some "sources" for you here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHpkaE1n7bo (1:12 video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH6JX_t3R1o (3:50:24 livestream)
The two videos are in portuguese, so it's probrably dificult to follow.
On the video they show Shadow of Mordor running on 4k ultra, on a single gtx 980 4Gb on Windows 10, while on afterburner the game is using almost 6Gb and does not drop frames or performance, what would be impossible in other OS, as he explains way better in the livestream, this happens because Windows 10 (or directx 12) manage to send some of the vram (less used part) to the normal RAM in order for the game to run smooth, without a performance hit that would normally happen if you hit your GPU VRAM cap.
The guy making the videos is "Ronaldo Buassali" or "RBuass" he is a brazilian professional overclocker, he holds a few overclocking world records, was recently a judge on a overclocking contest "Computex 2015" in Taipei, works for Corsair and runs a little "tec lab" for Corsair, as it displayed on his channel name, the guy is well known here in Brazil.

I think I made a mistake there, the real responsible for that is the new DirectX 12.
As for "Compile" I meant "stack", stack the VRAM from your video cards on Crossfire(AMD) or SLI (Nvidia), but as i found now, it will only work on new games that are coded and runs only on DirectX 12, but this is only for the "stacking", the VRAM + RAM thing will work on the get go for every game on win 10 as it is shown on the videos above running Shadow of mordor wich is coded on Dx11:
[English] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8TRio53yR0 by Joker Production.
As i said, sorry for my english, if i committed any mistakes.

[xSOSxHawkens]

FelPi - You are correct (kind of) in how Windows 10 and DX12 work. They do manage memory differently, with better system ram caching, and DX12 does *technically* allow an SLI/CF setup to use both cards vram independant instead of mirrored as it has always been in the past.

THe main issue you are missing is that all of those features require a game that is programmed to use DirectX 12, which GTA is not. Also, both of those feautres require specific programming from the devs to allow it to work, and its low level enough that even now few people think devs will put the work in, especially for the micro-managment needed for SLI/CF doubling.

GVA-V runs on DX11, and will likely not be updated to run on DX12, therefore any new features introduced in Windows 10 are a non-issue with GTA.

If I have to take a guess, I would say its the new Desktop Enviroment.

In windows 7 for example, running with Aero and full effects enabled uses ~256-312mb @1080p, if you switch to the "Windows 7 Basic" theme it will drop your Vram usage down to ~25-40mb @ 1080p.

I would guess that Windows 10 has a desktop enviroment that uses more Vram than windows 7, and that may be the extra ram.

Unfortunantly, I have been out of state since Windows 10 launched and have not yet had a chance to try it out on any of my rigs, so I am speaking more out of specualtion on the actual cause.

[Easelm]

I don't get why people immediately jump on to a new Windows version when they know they'll have issues with it. I'm not even going to bother with 10. I'll stick with 7 and enjoy it. True, updated versions will have slightly better performance, but in the overall run it is pointless. And now, people are installing (just because it is new?) it and afterwards come on game forums to complain about a new OS version that the game wasn't really made for.

Solution: Use the minimum or recommend System Requirements.

[Lac3y]

Originally posted by Easelm:

I don't get why people immediately jump on to a new Windows version when they know they'll have issues with it. I'm not even going to bother with 10. I'll stick with 7 and enjoy it. True, updated versions will have slightly better performance, but in the overall run it is pointless. And now, people are installing (just because it is new?) it and afterwards come on game forums to complain about a new OS version that the game wasn't really made for.

Solution: Use the minimum or recommend System Requirements.

You must be a blast at parties. Everyone in this thread is humbled at your obviously higher intellect. I'm so sorry for asking a perfectly reasonable question. I'm sorry for irritating you so much that you felt you had to grace us with your presence to set us straight. We are unworthy. Now do us a favour and go back to sniffing your own farts.

[TG SHINODA]

Originally posted by FelPi:

Originally posted by Mr Crisp:

Source? I have heard no such thing that Windows 10 manages VRAM any differently. What does `complile` VRAM on CF or SLI mean? Please provide some source, link or evidence to support your assertions.

I think it's not well spread yet, but i got some "sources" for you here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHpkaE1n7bo (1:12 video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH6JX_t3R1o (3:50:24 livestream)
The two videos are in portuguese, so it's probrably dificult to follow.
On the video they show Shadow of Mordor running on 4k ultra, on a single gtx 980 4Gb on Windows 10, while on afterburner the game is using almost 6Gb and does not drop frames or performance, what would be impossible in other OS, as he explains way better in the livestream, this happens because Windows 10 (or directx 12) manage to send some of the vram (less used part) to the normal RAM in order for the game to run smooth, without a performance hit that would normally happen if you hit your GPU VRAM cap.
The guy making the videos is "Ronaldo Buassali" or "RBuass" he is a brazilian professional overclocker, he holds a few overclocking world records, was recently a judge on a overclocking contest "Computex 2015" in Taipei, works for Corsair and runs a little "tec lab" for Corsair, as it displayed on his channel name, the guy is well known here in Brazil.

I think I made a mistake there, the real responsible for that is the new DirectX 12.
As for "Compile" I meant "stack", stack the VRAM from your video cards on Crossfire(AMD) or SLI (Nvidia), but as i found now, it will only work on new games that are coded and runs only on DirectX 12, but this is only for the "stacking", the VRAM + RAM thing will work on the get go for every game on win 10 as it is shown on the videos above running Shadow of mordor wich is coded on Dx11:
[English] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8TRio53yR0 by Joker Production.
As i said, sorry for my english, if i committed any mistakes.

no games support DX12 yet so no games take advantage of the "stacking" of vram from sli/xfire.

[EsotericEgo]

Performance wise GTA runs much better for me on WIN 10 that WIN 7, but yes you're right the V-ram usage has jumped up some but having 4gb this hasnt really affected me.

[Ceejay]

Originally posted by Halcyon (Lexi):

I actually am experiencing these same issues. It stayed under 4GB for me before, but now hits almost 5GB at times.

What settings are you on. at 1080 when every set on max it only takes 4142, although that is without frame scaling on (if you using frame scalling you need seriously powerful cards anyway)

Originally posted by Ciderfects:

Performance wise GTA runs much better for me on WIN 10 that WIN 7, but yes you're right the V-ram usage has jumped up some but having 4gb this hasnt really affected me.

Yep I am getting a slight jump in frame rates also, my vram usage does not appear ot have significantly changed, but then I do have a 4gb card, so I may not have noticed as I never quite maxed the vram usage anyway (I prefer using Nvdia's txaa etc which uses no vram, so using less vram than using full msaa to give the same effect etc (msaa is only on 2x).

Also yes, DX12 features only work if the game has dx12 support, some have been patched behind closed doors, and some are being demo'ed with dx12 features, but nothing is actually out yet, so you will not notice any difference running the games yet.

Its also not just sli/crossfire stacking that makes dx12 good, multicore cpu's should see a big increase in performance, ie for reall life gaming i5's are not that far behind i7's, yet for rendering etc the i7's are way ahead, same as AMD's 8 core cpu's etc, the just about keep up with i5's but can do rendering etc far faster, under dx 12 both i7;s and amd multicores should see a big jump in performance, as many games do not take advantage of them properly.

[bigbenisdaman]

Originally posted by FelPi:

Windows 10 have a new technology that uses the VRAM differently.
It can move some of the less used part of the VRAM to the normal RAM, to enhance performance, and lessen the problem with games using more than your GPU VRAM capabilities.
Win 10 also can now compile the vram of videos cards on CrossFire/SLI, wich was impossible to do

This is for dx12. And right now theres no dx12 in Gta.

For ppl on sli/crossfire they still mirror the data on both cards so it'll show double the vram used.

Though win 10 does manage memory differantly,as well as multitasking an all, so wouldnt be suprised if it uses more resources if they're available. Me personally though, i'd rather keep spyware off gaming rig so ima stick with win 7 until like a SP for win 10 to fix stuffs.

Edit: see others already said this.
Remember also win 10 updates drivers so that also might be a diferance. As long as its not causing issues, be glad.

[Lac3y]

Addendum: Started rolling back drivers and eventually found that the the pre-Windows 10 drivers fix the vram problem. Currently using 350.12 and vram went from 2.5GB+ to below 2GB on higher settings.

Windows 10 drivers are absolute trash at the moment.

[bigbenisdaman]

Originally posted by Lac3y:

Addendum: Started rolling back drivers and eventually found that the the pre-Windows 10 drivers fix the vram problem. Currently using 350.12 and vram went from 2.5GB+ to below 2GB on higher settings.

Windows 10 drivers are absolute trash at the moment.

Might want to keep them on your desktop, win 10 likes to auto update everything. For gamers right now, it's not a good OS. I got it on Laptop and even on it sometimes things goes screwy like the touchpad won't work and I have to uninstall/reinstall older drivers.

[Lac3y]

Originally posted by bigbenisdaman:

Originally posted by Lac3y:

Addendum: Started rolling back drivers and eventually found that the the pre-Windows 10 drivers fix the vram problem. Currently using 350.12 and vram went from 2.5GB+ to below 2GB on higher settings.

Windows 10 drivers are absolute trash at the moment.

Might want to keep them on your desktop, win 10 likes to auto update everything. For gamers right now, it's not a good OS. I got it on Laptop and even on it sometimes things goes screwy like the touchpad won't work and I have to uninstall/reinstall older drivers.

Yeah it already uninstalled them once. Didn't even restart just installed a newer version right on top. I'm turned off the Windows Update service so hopefully they'll stay on.

[Ceejay]

Originally posted by bigbenisdaman:

Might want to keep them on your desktop, win 10 likes to auto update everything. For gamers right now, it's not a good OS. I got it on Laptop and even on it sometimes things goes screwy like the touchpad won't work and I have to uninstall/reinstall older drivers.

That is personal opinion, personally I am having no issues, if anything gta v is running better, actaully glad I upgraded, all my other games are also running fine :)