Recent increase in VRAM usage?

[ClydeBigBird]

Is it just me or has DCS become more VRAM hungry in recent versions?  I used to be able to run the game with High textures without issue on my 3080 10GB, however lately there are situations where even with Medium textures I run out of VRAM and get massive frame rate hits as it starts swapping (I can see this in Task Manager - constant "copy" activity on my GPU occurs together with these frame drops).

Any chance that this might be improved in the future, or should I just buy a new GPU at this point?

[silverdevil]

On 6/14/2023 at 10:24 AM, ClydeBigBird said:

Is it just me or has DCS become more VRAM hungry in recent versions?  I used to be able to run the game with High textures without issue on my 3080 10GB, however lately there are situations where even with Medium textures I run out of VRAM and get massive frame rate hits as it starts swapping (I can see this in Task Manager - constant "copy" activity on my GPU occurs together with these frame drops).

Any chance that this might be improved in the future, or should I just buy a new GPU at this point?

hello. i have not really noticed that much more vram being used. i have a 3090. when did you begin to see the issue? like what update? attach your dcs.log. we can start there.

[ClydeBigBird]

I don't think a 3090 would show this problem.  Even if DCS VRAM usage has increased, it wouldn't come close to using 24GB.

[bernardv]

@gortex I'm having the same issue in VR, same graphics card with Quest 2 headset. I have to add that I don't have similar severe VRAM shortage issues with any other game (or sim), VR or regular.

I've heard speculations that DCS texture handling is very sloppy with identical textures being stored in VRAM over and over, full resolution textures of distant planes being loaded even if that plane is just a dot in the sky ... As noted I'm not claiming this is a fact, just speculations by some more educated users.

Are there any plans to optimize VRAM usage in the pipeline or not? 

[ClydeBigBird]

Yeah, I've actually found that I still run out of VRAM when Terrain Textures are set to "low" while leaving Textures at "high", I have to turn down the main textures setting to avoid VRAM issues.

It varies from module to module.  With newer modules like the Hind which have very high resolution cockpit textures, I have encountered VRAM swapping even on "medium".

I am running the game in 4k on a single screen by the way.

[Harath]

Since last patch the game has been buttery smooth for me apart from random freezing which lasts about 5-10 seconds at a time; and when checking the VRAM usage, it's maxed out at 24Gb. MT btw. 

[Loukuins]

I have the same issue, but on my side the VRAM usage increased when DCS 2.8 came out almost a year ago now, and VRAM is completly crazy, to be able to run with textures on High I put AF at x8 and MSAA 2x, running the game above 120fps, but I'm at the limit of my VRAM, and sometimes the game will be in a state of Freeze every 5-10sec and nothingfix it 

 

[LucShep]

This has been a long running problem for years now (started since 2.5 got out, and got worse with every new iteration), has been discussed, even documented.
For example, here and here.
Never fixed, it's a real problem caused by bad management in regards to textures in use, with unnecessarily heavy formats and/or resolution.
 

Here's a possible solution, which ED and 3rd parties need to consider adopting in all of DCS content, ASAP:

Fellow member @Taz1004 has put to practice what he and others (myself included) have been saying for years.
His "DCS Optimized Textures" mod already brings considerable benefits (lower VRAM consumption, better performance)... with zero impact in image quality! 

Right now, this mod is definitely a "must have", and how it should have been from the start. But, unfortunately, it does not pass "Pure Texture" IC check in MP.

Edited July 3, 2023 by LucShep

[silverdevil]

On 6/29/2023 at 1:51 PM, LucShep said:

Here's a possible solution, which ED and 3rd parties need to consider adopting in all of DCS content, ASAP:

in the post you shared, there is already official confirmation of optimizing textures. 

[LucShep]

1 hour ago, silverdevil said:

in the post you shared, there is already official confirmation of optimizing textures. 

Yes, and you might have noticed that it also reads, and I quote, "it will take some time".....

 

[silverdevil]

19 minutes ago, LucShep said:

Yes, and you might have noticed that it also reads, and I quote, "it will take some time".....

 

agreed. though i cannot fathom, that since the leg work is already done by @Taz1004, it would come sooner than later. at least i hope. this would benefit every facet of DCS. understandably, DCS rarely shares anything with the users until it is zero hour. 

[Newbie62]

I have a GTX 1080 so 8 GB VRAM.  i was hitting some game stalls (from 60 FPS to 1 FPM LOL).  I run at 4k and had the video settings maxed out, and task manager showed VRAM usage maxed out when it happened.  So I dialed back the video settings until the stalls went away, but i would like to upgrade to 16 GB VRAM.  Problem: that is horrifically expensive.  If i got another 1080 and SLI them, could DCS use all 16 GB or do you really only benefit from the extra cores in that configuration?

Edited July 14, 2023 by Newbie62

[Somefap]

16 minutes ago, Newbie62 said:

I have a GTX 1080 so 8 GB VRAM.  i was hitting some game stalls (from 60 FPS to 1 FPM LOL).  I run at 4k and had the video settings maxed out, and task manager showed VRAM usage maxed out when it happened.  So I dialed back the video settings until the stalls went away, but i would like to upgrade to 16 GB VRAM.  Problem: that is horrifically expensive.  If i got another 1080 and cross connected them, could DCS use all 16 GB or do you really only benefit from the extra cores in that configuration?

Just don't even try with SLI anymore it's not supported by Nvidia or developers get a new card instead (AMD or Nvidia the RX6800 goes pretty cheap on the used market)

[Newbie62]

16 minutes ago, Somefap said:

Just don't even try with SLI anymore it's not supported by Nvidia or developers get a new card instead (AMD or Nvidia the RX6800 goes pretty cheap on the used market)

Thanks.  I won't bother with SLI then.  I had my doubts anyway, which is why i asked, and you confirmed my suspicions.  I will keep my eye on the RX6800.  Let it age more for further price drop.  $440 is MUCH better than $1400 for a 4080, but still a bit more than i would be willing to spend.  I shall live with medium textures and the other reductions i had to make, for now...

Edited July 14, 2023 by Newbie62

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

Yes sadly it's quite easy these days to run out of VRAM, even with 16GB. I have seen DCS use up to 19GB, even on the Caucasus map - which is mind boggling given how old that map is.
Before MT, the maximum I have seen is 14GB in use and that was when the Syria map had just released, in a pretty unoptimised state.

[MAXsenna]

On 7/14/2023 at 5:51 AM, Newbie62 said:

Thanks.  I won't bother with SLI then.  I had my doubts anyway, which is why i asked, and you confirmed my suspicions.  I will keep my eye on the RX6800.  Let it age more for further price drop.  $440 is MUCH better than $1400 for a 4080, but still a bit more than i would be willing to spend.  I shall live with medium textures and the other reductions i had to make, for now...

 

SLI works in DCS.
BUT, you don't get 16GB, each cards use the 8GB available on their own.
But you do get better frames. At least I did in my dual Titans, until one died.

So get a better card, like they say.

Cheers!

[Nealius]

Quest 2 on a 3060 12GB card here. VRAM has definitely gotten worse for me. When VRAM is exhausted my headset gets a giant white bar on the bottom third that slowly creeps up the screen. I initially had this on 2.7 with a 6GB card, and upgraded to a 12GB card to get rid of it. Now the performance bloat has gone like this:

-After MT release, any module any map, terrain textures high, textures high; NO PROBLEM

-After some updates, Syria+Tomcat only, terrain textures low, textures high required

-Ater some updates, Syria+Tomcat only, terrain textures low, textures medium required

-After Sinai release, all modules all maps, terrain textures low, textures medium required

It keeps getting worse and worse with each update.

 

[Jacodv201]

I have noticed it as well, trying to make the game look better results in it looking worse due to having to drop textures down. 

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

@Flappie Here's a comparison between the latest Open Beta, and the latest Stable release. DCS settings are exactly the same, same graphics drivers, same chipset drivers, same BIOS settings, same Windows version, same background tasks running in Windows, ... you get the idea...
All screenshots were taken after a fresh reboot, and it's the first mission loaded in.

This is the AH-64D Syria Ramp Start IA mission.

2.8.7.42583 Open Beta:

 

 

2.8.4.39731 Stable:
 

You can see for yourself what a massive difference it is. Mind you, this Stable release also has issues (as seen below), so the problems already started in that version but still it is MUCH MUCH worse today:

 

Following screenshots are from the Open Beta branch again, just to show the issues get worse the longer you fly in the same mission:

2.8.7.42583 Open Beta (after flying around for a while in Instant Action)

Edited July 26, 2023 by Raven (Elysian Angel)

[WinOrLose]

I set my textures down a notch, didn’t really spoil my visual experience, however ram usage, according to task manager, dropped 75%. 
 

butter smooth and no stutters. 
 

Hind on Enigma.