Very high RAM usage after Battlefield 3

[Livin in a box]

For some reason, when I play Battlefield 3 my RAM usage keeps zapping up to 98% usage, making the game go into an umplayable state and taking about 5 minutes to quit from it. The only way to remedy it then is by a restart, otherwise Windows says that >80% is being used all the time - even though, as the image below shows, there aren't any open processes using that much.

Anyone know why this is? I have CleanMem installed, but even when I run that it goes back down to 80% then shoots back up again. It only takes about 15 minutes of playing on BF3 for it to start this :/ My PC specs are in my signature, and I'm running Windows 8 Pro 64-bit. Any help is appreciated!

Further:

If you can't see them, here's direct links:

http://gyazo.com/41554520331f159761c89805de5ca52a

http://gyazo.com/e0e3d742e63641ad29b54b30ee78d4d4

[Detection]

What is the RAM usage like without CleanMem installed?

[ArialBlue]

No image.

Probably GPU driver bug eating up all your RAM?

4GB ram is mediocre at best these days.

[Detection]

No image.

Probably GPU driver bug eating up all your RAM?

4GB ram is mediocre at best these days.

Image just shows task manager with Steam using the most RAM @ 43MB

[Livin in a box]

What is the RAM usage like without CleanMem installed?

It's exactly the same :/

No image.

Probably GPU driver bug eating up all your RAM?

4GB ram is mediocre at best these days.

I've added direct links to the images in the first post.

It could be a GPU driver bug, I'm on 12.11 Beta 11. It's really annoying because there haven't been any new drivers for AMD GPU's (at least for the 6xxx series) since the end of November, and there's quite a few bugs with some games (particularly Assassin's Creed 3 I've heard) that still haven't been fixed :/

I haven't seen anyone else with this problem though on this driver version, so I don't think it's a widespread problem. And I do intend to get more RAM when I upgrade to Haswell in July :D

[Detection]

Does it only happen with BF3 ?

If so, is it updated / patched to the latest version?

Can't remember if this option is available in Win 8, but at the bottom of the task manager it could say "Show processes from all users"

Check that box and see if it displays any other processes

Also try using this process explorer

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

[Livin in a box]

Does it only happen with BF3 ?

If so, is it updated / patched to the latest version?

Can't remember if this option is available in Win 8, but at the bottom of the task manager it could say "Show processes from all users"

Check that box and see if it displays any other processes

Also try using this process explorer

http://technet.micro...s/bb896653.aspx

It seems to be quite selective, I know it happens with Battlefield but other games seem to be a little hit and miss :/

I haven't restarted yet, and the memory usage is still at 98% according to Task Manager. Here's what Process Explorer shows:

Direct Link: http://gyazo.com/19db9a11537ba6eacb3bcd7f303b085b

Whatever is using that RAM is hiding somewhere :/

[xendrome]

You have a ton of Chrome instances loaded... :/

Doesn't 39 seem like a lot? and if I add up the memory usage just from those visible in the screenshot, is 512MB of ram alone.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

You have a ton of Chrome instances loaded... :/

yeah chrome does that (separate instance for every tab and every plugin/extension you have pretty much)

also @OP regardless of the problem you should really think about upgrading to at lease 8gb of ram

[rkenshin]

Holy Chrome instances. Honestly, I think it could be a combination of your apps loaded, plus the game. Do not forget that Windows Processes uses memory too. Take this in retrospect. My system is using, with Chrome running and background services (including MS Windows and non-MS services), about 2.8GB of RAM at all times. Of course, my laptop also has 16GB of RAM and doesn't use a PageFile. :D

I would imagine Battlefield 3 needs at least 1 to 2GB RAM at a minimum, depending on your graphic settings. With that, plus your apps and background services running, you're probably using up all your memory. RAM is dirt cheap .. so, can't you spring for 8GB to hold you over until your upgrade this summer?

But, that's just how I see it. :)

[xendrome]

yeah chrome does that (separate instance for every tab and every plugin/extension you have pretty much)

Yeah but he has a lot of stuff open... honestly, wouldn't it be a lot easier to troubleshot this if he closed some apps before taking a screenshot. Normal memory troubleshooting dictates you close all your open apps first, so we can see exactly what is going on without a bunch of open apps messing up the info/stats.

[Detection]

Whatever is using that RAM is hiding somewhere :/

I don't think its hiding, I thinks its the hundred or so Chrome processes

Close Chrome, disable Chrome from running background processes when closed (Chrome advanced settings), how does it look now ?

[xendrome]

Of course, my laptop also has 16GB of RAM and doesn't use a PageFile. :D

You shouldn't disable the page file, no matter how much ram you have, Windows uses it for various purposes. But you'd first want to educate yourself on how it fully works first.. http://blogs.technet.com/b/markrussinovich/archive/2008/11/17/3155406.aspx

[Livin in a box]

Holy Chrome instances. Honestly, I think it could be a combination of your apps loaded, plus the game. Do not forget that Windows Processes uses memory too. Take this in retrospect. My system is using, with Chrome running and background services (including MS Windows and non-MS services), about 2.8GB of RAM at all times. Of course, my laptop also has 16GB of RAM and doesn't use a PageFile. :D

I would imagine Battlefield 3 needs at least 1 to 2GB RAM at a minimum, depending on your graphic settings. With that, plus your apps and background services running, you're probably using up all your memory. RAM is dirt cheap .. so, can't you spring for 8GB to hold you over until your upgrade this summer?

But, that's just how I see it. :)

Yes, I have many, many Chrome tabs open at a time. But I always do, and I still have well under 40% RAM usage. It's never been a problem before :/

I probably am using all my memory, but I don't know why the memory usage has stuck at high and refused to go down even though it's closed. It has done before, but for the past few days it seems to be doing this (and I haven't changed anything on my configuration).

You have a ton of Chrome instances loaded... :/

Doesn't 39 seem like a lot? and if I add up the memory usage just from those visible in the screenshot, is 512MB of ram alone.

Yus, but it's never been a problem before D:

[rkenshin]

You shouldn't disable the page file, no matter how much ram you have, Windows uses it for various purposes. But you'd first want to educate yourself on how it fully works first.. http://blogs.technet...17/3155406.aspx

I've never had the pagefile enabled when I have 16GB of RAM and an SSD on my personal systems, and I've never had a single problem ever (desktop or laptop). And yes, I know how it works, and I've done the research and seen both sides of it. But thanks anyways. :D

[Livin in a box]

OK, I've tried with Chrome closed and most things from my tray (less than I have on startup when I use not much RAM) and it's still above 80%. Here's Task Manager:

I just don't know why it's not going down, I've never had this problem before.

[Detection]

OK, I've tried with Chrome closed and most things from my tray (less than I have on startup when I use not much RAM) and it's still above 80%. Here's Task Manager:

I just don't know why it's not going down, I've never had this problem before.

I can't see that image

Have you scanned for malware (Malwarebytes)

Have you ran a RAM test such as Memtest86+ ?

What do you have enabled in MSCONFIG ? (Start > Run > msconfig > startup tab)

[Livin in a box]

I can't see that image

Have you scanned for malware (Malwarebytes)

Have you ran a RAM test such as Memtest86+ ?

What do you have enabled in MSCONFIG ? (Start > Run > msconfig > startup tab)

Fffff, here are the 2 images:

http://gyazo.com/90add8d4ce745168643126cc56f37041

http://gyazo.com/328461d784ff8cb9cd7114c4a3ee801c

I have scanned yesterday, nothing here.

I haven't run a memory test, is this a sign of dying RAM? It doesn't seem like it :/

In MsConfig, I have it like this:

[notchinese]

Is it only after playing BF3? As someone else mentioned, sounds like a driver memory leak somewhere. That won't show up in the task manager.

[Detection]

No it doesn't sound like dying RAM

I don't see any Metro apps running in those shots, they can sit in the background too

[Livin in a box]

No it doesn't sound like dying RAM

I don't see any Metro apps running in those shots, they can sit in the background too

I never ever use Metro apps, I have the Start8 Start Menu so I can avoid the Metro Start Screen :p

[Detection]

I never ever use Metro apps, I have the Start8 Start Menu so I can avoid the Metro Start Screen :p

Im running out of ideas as nothing is showing in the task manager

Does it happen if you boot in safe mode?

Bit more complicated getting there in 8

Metro UI > Settings > General > Scroll down to advanced startup > navigate through the next boot options to enter safe mode

F8 doesn't work booting 8

[Livin in a box]

Im running out of ideas as nothing is showing in the task manager

Does it happen if you boot in safe mode?

Bit more complicated getting there in 8

Metro UI > Settings > General > Scroll down to advanced startup > navigate through the next boot options to enter safe mode

F8 doesn't work booting 8

If I go in Safe Mode I'm not sure Battlefield 3 will start :/

[Detection]

If I go in Safe Mode I'm not sure Battlefield 3 will start :/

Not to play BF3, just to see if your RAM use is back to normal idling without running anything

Possible a driver is doing it and safe mode only loads essential drivers, not 3rd party ones

[ArialBlue]

Driver related memory consumption is NOT shown in the Task Manager.

Also you have a bunch of crap running in the background - clean your computer from time to time.