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Info: This bug was fixed on August 12th 2014 with the release of the month's Patch Tuesday. Make sure to install every update available for your system, if you're having the problem described on this thread.
Hello, I've been facing a "tough" problem with my computer running Windows 8.1 x64. I did not upgrade from Windows 8, I did a clean install and for the past month, everytime I play some of the new 2013 games (Assassin's Creed Black Flag, Battlefield 4, CoD:Ghosts etc.), I'm constantly getting a "low memory" warning from time to time.
So, giving that my laptop is capable of running these games (Asus N56VZ - Intel Core i7, Intel HD 4000 + Nvidia GT650 M, 6GB DDR3, 750GB 7200rpm, Full-HD 15,6" screen), I began searching for an answer. Here's what I've concluded:
When the game (eg: Battlefield 4) opens, the memory consumption begins to rise, and rise, and rise, non stop, until the system doesn't have more memory available and triggers the low memory warning. However, in the exact moment that I "alt+tab" out of game OR the memory warning does it for me, all of the occupied memory is emptied instantly, like magic!
I was able to "understand" this using Process Explorer by MS (sysinternals), heres a screenshot that shows the "climbing" and the sudden drops:
I cant really discover where all this memory is being allocated/used, and I have no idea on whats causing this. I also don't know if this is Windows-related, device-related or driver-related.
Is anyone facing this as well?
[UPDATE DECEMBER 9th] This issue is triggered when the resolution in which the games are being played differs from the resolution configured on Windows.
If you are playing a game, say, in 1366x768, you need to change the system resolution to the same 1366x768 BEFORE opening the game. That will stop the excessive memory consumption and you'll be able to play the game fine.
My system is in Portuguese, but I think it's easy to get it:
This also concludes that the issue is Windows-related and not driver related, so we'll have to wait for Microsoft to patch it. Meanwhile, remember to change your resolution when you're going to play.
[UPDATE APRIL 26th 2014]
According to some Intel folks at communities.intel.com (http://is.gd/71Vha2), Microsoft has confirmed the issue with Windows 8.1 in an internal email. It resides - as it was explained - on the DWM (Desktop Window Manager) which triggers a memory leak when running fullscreen games with a resolution different than the desktop resolution.
The memory leak fills the system memory and page file with junk until there's no more memory available.
We assume Microsoft is already working on a fix for this, altough we never heard anything "official" from them regarding the issue.
[UPDATE AUGUST 14th 2014]
The problem has been finally fixed by Microsoft with the release of the August updates on Aug. 12th.
Make sure to install every single update available - including the optional ones - and you'll no longer receive low-memory warnings when running fullscreen games/apps with different resolution/refresh rate.
Also make sure you're using the latest drivers available for your Intel and/or Nvidia GPU (it might be important).
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
I might be a bit cynical but I looked through all the support KB's from the updates today and couldn't find anything that related to fixing this issue (unless I'm missing something)...
Yesterday i have made the update and i found via the link also no description, but...
Yah!, after nearly 10 months, microsoft have now solved this bug.
With the latest patches (Patch Day 12.08.2014, also install the optional Updates),
all different resolutions and framerates works well.
i just made the vram higher. it was 1700mb and i kept getting the error so i raised it to 2000mb and it only came after like 2 hours of gaming. XD ... flightless
raise it to 16384, 32768, or 65536MB.... then see how long till you crash :) granted this will mostly only help people on 64bit Windows...
32bit windows only allows the OS kernel and drivers to use a max of 2GB
Each program can use up to 2GB max and reference the 2gb of os memory
So if the leak is in the kernel/sysem OR a low level driver... once this hits 2GB, you are done for.. all the pagefiles wont help you..fyi if you see LAW below it means a program compiles with the LARGE ADDRESS AWARE FLAG
If you have 64bit Windows from XP to 8:
Now we go up to 8.1 x64 Intel/AMD... and you can see there's a LOT of changes to the memory manager:
So if you are coding VIDEO drivers that are 64bit for win 8.1, you HAVE to make adjustments or the sheer size of the address spaces can cause your drivers to go haywire
Most of this was obtained here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa366525%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
It's a good read if you REALLY want to know what makes windows tick
You all can do a few things to help until intel fixes this:
This will let the leak go to the page file... since the data is a LEAK and not actively used memory, this shouldn't slow your system down too much... if it does, just exit the game every few hrs then re-enter
It will install the 32 or 64bit version... I hope ALL of you are on 64bit Windows...
Anyway.. install.. fire it up... pull down EMPTY
Then EMPTY:
SYSTEM WORKING SETS
then
WORKING SETS
This will DUMP all non needed memory allocated to the working set of the OS and EACH and EVERY app, driver, etc loaded into the system...if you have a memory leak.. this should CLEAR the used memory....What it can not clear, it will dump to the pagefile system giving you as much physical ram free as possible
This option does NOT purge the HDD cache!
If you empty Standby List, then you dump ALL the stored read cache for all apps and files that are cached. You can also dump priority 0 standby for additional cache to be converted to free memory. This isn't really needed but often windows will swap idle/unused code/data to the pagefile system vs sacrificing the cache if the cache data us new and frequently used (priority 0)
Then there's the MODIFIED LIst.. that's WRITE BACK CACHE data (if you have that turned on)... choosing this flushes the write back cache - forcing the data to be written to all disks NOW
Seems like a bit of slander to say that its Microsoft's problem if it isnt, but you can go ahead and keep pointing the finger at Intel if you like. I think that nobody here cares as long as it gets fixed. From the thread I pointed to on the intel site:
https://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-22579 Which states:
Hello All,
We have been checking an issue related to the Virtual Memory when gaming.
The Root Cause is that when game runs full-screen on Win8.1 in resolution different than desktop resolution, DWM (Desktop Window Manager – part of Windows, which draws the desktop) has memory leak and eventually fills all the system memory and page file with unused data and causes the system to crash.
We’ve got an internal email from Microsoft, confirming that it is a MS bug and the problem is not cause by our Graphics Driver.
You can check also a Microsoft post here for further information.
Since this is a Known issue, Microsoft is working towards a solution to resolve this inconvenient.
That is an INTEL lacky saying all that.. and that LACKY points to THIS thread.. and in THIS thread.. there is NO ONE FROM MICROSOFT SAYING THIS IS AN OS BUG. It's just intel blowing people off saying.. "oooo it's a MS issue.. go read about it in this thread".. yet there's no one from microsoft confirming this phantom bug.. MS has not admitted to it on user forums, nothing in the dev forums, nothing in tech net, and NOTHING in the Knowledge Base.
This is an Intel bug.... why? here... plain.. simple... logic
First, I'm an Intel and Microsoft fan. I do not like AMD, or ATI products. However, I've never been fond of the Intel Graphics system, but I guess they have their place for non gaming system and for basic gaming. My point is, I'm not anti-intel so I have no reason to side against them for no reason.
The intel person who made the above post.... his logic makes NO SENSE... If there is a DWM bug, in win 8.1, as he described, there would be 100s of 1000s of gamers screaming on the internet. There's NOT.. it's only INTEL graphics people. Intel graphics are made for non gaming or mild to moderate gaming systems as their graphics are on the CPU or a chipset on the mobo and most of the time lack dedicated video memory for textures so system ram must be used. In these cases, a game that would normally take up 500-1GB system ram and 2GB textures, would take 2.5-3GB system memory to run...
This issue does NOT affect NVIDIA drivers or hardware .. nor ATI.. I run games all the time that are not at my desktop resolution
(another bit of logic: if it were a DWM bug, all the nvidia and ATI ppl would suffer too!) :)
I have a 2560x1600 monitor.. some games refuse to go that high... SOME... and I don't get a memory leak.. I do have 16GB of RAM and 3 pages files spread across 3 physical raid arrays totaling 64GB in Virtual Memory (which includes my 16 Physical)... so 48GB in page files...I've nuked my page files to a total of 1GB.. and I STILL GET NO LEAKS... so CLEARLY there is NO ISSUE in windows 8.1. I have tested this on 10 machines belonging to friends or family. NO LEAKS with AMD/NV.
I can leave my computer running for a MONTH.. and I do not see this 8.1 leak.. I can not reproduce it .. tried it on my laptop.. my partner's computer... several friend's.. UNABLE TO REPRODUCE
Now, if I yank out my 2 GTX 780TI cards which are in SLI mode and yank out my GTX 760 card (dedicated to PhysX), and turn on the Intel Graphics, with their CURRENT DRIVERS... then YES! I can EASILY replicate this issue!!... if I add 64GB in paging files, the system won't crash, but it will get to the point where the HDDs' page files VERY full. If I set them total of 1-2 GB.... then I crash very quickly
But if I use slightly older Intel GPU drivers for 8.1.. I do not have this issue.
ERGO.. THE ISSUE IS WITH THE INTEL DRIVERS.
NO WHERE on the internet is a post with Microsoft ADMITTED to this phantom bug. NO WHERE.. I've looked. If it exists, please enlighten me... but do so with a KNOWLEDGE BASE ARTICLE.. anything else is rumors and here-say.
i just made the vram higher. it was 1700mb and i kept getting the error so i raised it to 2000mb and it only came after like 2 hours of gaming. XD ... flightless
