Question Can I offload frivolous VRAM tasks for System Memory?

[TheyStoppedit]

You would think 16TB of VRAM on my 4080S would be enough to run all games at max settings with PT/RT, but apparently not. I see my VRAM get exhausted, and it spills over into system memory. When I look in task manager, I see some tasks, such as Discord, NZXT CAM, and a few others using precious VRAM that would probably do just fine on system memory. If games can use system memory as VRAM, can those other tasks as well? Is there a way to offload all the VRAM usage from those other tasks onto system memory (I have 64GB of RAM) so that games can have the entire VRAM on the GPU all to itself?

 

[SkyNetRising]

When I look in task manager, I see some tasks, such as Discord, NZXT CAM, and a few others using precious VRAM

Close those apps then.

 

[TheyStoppedit]

Close those apps then.

That doesn't answer the question

 

[USAFRet]

That doesn't answer the question

The 'answer' to your question is probably No.

The applications are written to use what they appear to be using.
VRAM.

You can't, AFAIK, change that.

 

[DSzymborski]

That doesn't answer the question

Basic applications aren't written to do that because there's little point; it increases complexity for those basic tasks immensely and system RAM is much, much cheaper to purchase, plentiful, and easier to upgrade than VRAM is. It would be like an alchemist trying to turn gold into lead; it can be done, but the economics of it are abysmal, since lead is far more easily and cheaply obtained from lead-zinc ore. Opportunity cost is an important consideration when developing software; it's the reason that multi-GPU solutions for many things have disappeared.

 

[TheyStoppedit]

Basic applications aren't written to do that because there's little point; it increases complexity for those basic tasks immensely and system RAM is much, much cheaper to purchase, plentiful, and easier to upgrade than VRAM is. It would be like an alchemist trying to turn gold into lead; it can be done, but the economics of it are abysmal, since lead is far more easily and cheaply obtained from lead-zinc ore. Opportunity cost is an important consideration when developing software; it's the reason that multi-GPU solutions for many things have disappeared.

That is such a misanalogy. There isn't "little point". There is a very important point. The GPU is capable of addressing both RAM and VRAM. It makes far more sense to put frivolous tasks on RAM than VRAM so that games that actually need VRAM can use it. What do these programs use on laptops that have no VRAM? Lol. There just has to be a way to force it to use RAM instead of VRAM

 

[USAFRet]

There just has to be a way to force it to use RAM instead of VRAM

Yes.
Recode the application, to give that option.

Laptops without dedicated VRAM simply use the system RAM as system+VRAM.
That happens within the laptop motherboard code.

 

[TheyStoppedit]

Yes.
Recode the application, to give that option.

Laptops without dedicated VRAM simply use the system RAM as system+VRAM.
That happens within the laptop motherboard code.

Right, so hoq do I get my PC with a GPU to do the same thing. Is there a way to block access to VRAM for that application so it's forced to use system ram because it has no other choice?

 

[USAFRet]

Right, so hoq do I get my PC with a GPU to do the same thing. Is there a way to block access to VRAM for that application so it's forced to use system ram because it has no other choice?

Without a LOT of programming, both software and firmware, you can't.


What is the actual problem this is causing?

 

[VizzieTheViz]

That is such a misanalogy. There isn't "little point". There is a very important point. The GPU is capable of addressing both RAM and VRAM. It makes far more sense to put frivolous tasks on RAM than VRAM so that games that actually need VRAM can use it. What do these programs use on laptops that have no VRAM? Lol. There just has to be a way to force it to use RAM instead of VRAM

Well the programmers of those apps apparently thought the app would work best using vram.

On a laptop they also use vram, it’s just that a portion of the regular ram is marked as vram because the gpu hasn’t got any actual vram.

You could take de 4080 out I guess and use the onboard graphics of your cpu that works similar to how a laptop works, but that’s not what you’re looking for.

Unless you’re a programmer and make apps that do the same as the apps your using without using vram you’re out of luck.

You could buy a 5090 or something with a load more vram, that would stop vram from running out.

 

[TheyStoppedit]

Well the programmers of those apps apparently thought the app would work best using vram.

On a laptop they also use vram, it’s just that a portion of the regular ram is marked as vram because the gpu hasn’t got any actual vram.

You could take de 4080 out I guess and use the onboard graphics of your cpu that works similar to how a laptop works, but that’s not what you’re looking for.

Unless you’re a programmer and make apps that do the same as the apps your using without using vram you’re out of luck.

You could buy a 5090 or something with a load more vram, that would stop vram from running out.

I don't want a 5090 because that GPU supports multi-flame generation, one of NVidias worst features

 

[TheyStoppedit]

Without a LOT of programming, both software and firmware, you can't.


What is the actual problem this is causing?

Running out of VRAM on my GPU. It spills over into system memory. I would like to force other applications using VRAM to use system memory because games actually need VRAM lol

 

[VizzieTheViz]

Running out of VRAM on my GPU. It spills over into system memory. I would like to force other applications using VRAM to use system memory because games actually need VRAM lol

Yes but the other applications actually need vram too. I don’t really see why you feel they don’t.

 

[USAFRet]

Running out of VRAM on my GPU. It spills over into system memory. I would like to force other applications using VRAM to use system memory because games actually need VRAM lol

As said above, turn those other applications off.

I know thats not what you want to hear, but that IS the solution.

 

[DSzymborski]

Running out of VRAM on my GPU. It spills over into system memory. I would like to force other applications using VRAM to use system memory because games actually need VRAM lol

If this is the problem you're having, then what you want won't solve that. There's only a tiny amount of VRAM, relatively speaking, to be reclaimed, and the constant allocation back and forth from the system to the GPU would further limit any gains.

I know you're annoyed about it -- I am too, I had to upgrade my 10 GB RTX 3080 earlier than I intended -- but this is of only minor help to a very small niche of users, which is why nobody bothers trying to write applications this way. The time spent going down this rabbit hole could be better used to make other features better.

 

[JayGau]

I have a 4080 (gaming at 4k) and it barely uses more than 60% of its VRAM in most games. Even demanding UE 5 games don't even come close to fill it up. And I run iCUE, MSI Afterburner and Logitech Hub in background. You may have some memory leak issues.