Significantly Increased Memory Usage.

[DarkenedSpear]

Firstly, I apologize if this isn't how you do this. I just don't think I have enough info to accurately fill a bug report, so I'm doing this instead. I have been playing for a while with a select number of mods, about 16-18 active ones and 3-4 inactive but still present. I tried yesterday to add 5 more mods (loading screen revisited; autoline color redux; dynamic resolution; daylight classic; undo it), and since then, the game's memory usage seems to have jumped significantly. It is now running at over 7k MB, pushing overall memory usage to over 70% even on a freshly installed vanilla game on a completely new map (4k with DLC disabled). I believe the mod to have started all this has been the improved loading screen one, but I have no concrete basis for this assumption. For the sake of clarity, I have disabled the workshop and mods, I have disabled any and all DLC, I have uninstalled and reinstalled it more than twice, with one of them being a full wipe, and I have tried to fiddle with any and every available setting that seemed relevant. The game still runs at 7k (4 without DLC) on a fresh map. Main menu sits on a 1.6/1.9k. I am not sure what else to add, but I'll do so if needed.


My main question is whether this is normal or not. If it is, then how come I have not noticed it at all up until now (I also have task manager open at all times and have never seen the game pass 3-3.5k on its worst periods; another thing is that my PC's fans are not big fans of this change, they're now seemingly pushing themselves - the game runs exactly the same otherwise), and if not, is there anything I'm doing wrong and/or anything to help "fix" this.

 

[PedsNotCims]

For the sake of clarity, I have disabled the workshop and mods

Unsubscribe the mods on workshop

 

[DarkenedSpear]

Unsubscribe the mods on workshop

Done that as well. Ran the game completely fresh - after a full clean uninstall, no DLC, no mods subscribed in any shape or form, fresh map file. Still ran like it did.

 

[co_avanya]

Those numbers sound normal both with and without DLCs. Keep in mind that any assets (buildings, vehicles, trees, etc) you're subscribed to on the workshop will also increase the memory usage, so if you subscribed to more content and saw an increase in memory usage, that is completely normal too.

 

[DarkenedSpear]

Those numbers sound normal both with and without DLCs. Keep in mind that any assets (buildings, vehicles, trees, etc) you're subscribed to on the workshop will also increase the memory usage, so if you subscribed to more content and saw an increase in memory usage, that is completely normal too.

Right, which then brings me to the question why have I not seen those numbers before? There are also the PC fans which have been noticeably louder and more intense in their operating which has not been the case before. Said number and fan performance differences have only started appearing after loading the game with the mentioned 5 mods, so I'm inclined to assume it relates to one of them. I mean, I fully understand that those numbers can be normal, but I think the way I got to them isn't, which is what I'm trying to figure out whether is true or not.

 

[co_avanya]

Have you changed the graphics settings or added more DLCs recently? Texture quality has an impact on memory usage, so increasing it would result in all assets using more memory. And more DLCs mean more content which in turn means more memory usage.

 

[DarkenedSpear]

Have you changed the graphics settings or added more DLCs recently? Texture quality has an impact on memory usage, so increasing it would result in all assets using more memory. And more DLCs mean more content which in turn means more memory usage.

No added DLC; tuned the graphics to every possible setting, lowest or highest, still the same result.

 

[MarkJohnson]

Firstly, I apologize if this isn't how you do this. I just don't think I have enough info to accurately fill a bug report, so I'm doing this instead. I have been playing for a while with a select number of mods, about 16-18 active ones and 3-4 inactive but still present. I tried yesterday to add 5 more mods (loading screen revisited; autoline color redux; dynamic resolution; daylight classic; undo it), and since then, the game's memory usage seems to have jumped significantly. It is now running at over 7k MB, pushing overall memory usage to over 70% even on a freshly installed vanilla game on a completely new map (4k with DLC disabled). I believe the mod to have started all this has been the improved loading screen one, but I have no concrete basis for this assumption. For the sake of clarity, I have disabled the workshop and mods, I have disabled any and all DLC, I have uninstalled and reinstalled it more than twice, with one of them being a full wipe, and I have tried to fiddle with any and every available setting that seemed relevant. The game still runs at 7k (4 without DLC) on a fresh map. Main menu sits on a 1.6/1.9k. I am not sure what else to add, but I'll do so if needed.


My main question is whether this is normal or not. If it is, then how come I have not noticed it at all up until now (I also have task manager open at all times and have never seen the game pass 3-3.5k on its worst periods; another thing is that my PC's fans are not big fans of this change, they're now seemingly pushing themselves - the game runs exactly the same otherwise), and if not, is there anything I'm doing wrong and/or anything to help "fix" this.

Yes, this is very normal.

Those 5 mods you added are adding more content to the game and increasing memory usage and maybe more of all resources in general.

The first mod, Loading Screen mod, actually reduces memory, the Move it mod is using a little more memory as well. but the other three are graphics quality settings and each one of those three mods are increasing the graphics quality and increasing memory usage.

Yes, the extra load will definitely make your computer run hotter as well.

But I see nothing abnormal at all with your city.

Maybe you just don't realize the workshop is extra added on content to the game? So, each subscription will use more of your computer resources.

Also, on a vanilla map, your memory usage will go up as well. you start off with an empty city and slowly fill it up, so it will need more memory to track the city and all of the buildings you have added to the map, also the networks (streets, train tracks, plane paths, ship paths, etc.)

EDIT:

Also, Window's itself will move stuff in and out of RAM to virtual memory (pagefile) as well. So your RAM will grow and shrink on demand as Windows see fit.

Don't forget any app you run besides Steam and the game will also use more memory.

Your web browser can use a lot, especially if you open different tabs. each tab uses a lot of memory and it can add up quickly.

 

[DarkenedSpear]

Yes, this is very normal.

Those 5 mods you added are adding more content to the game and increasing memory usage and maybe more of all resources in general.

The first mod, Loading Screen mod, actually reduces memory, the Move it mod is using a little more memory as well. but the other three are graphics quality settings and each one of those three mods are increasing the graphics quality and increasing memory usage.

Yes, the extra load will definitely make your computer run hotter as well.

But I see nothing abnormal at all with your city.

Maybe you just don't realize the workshop is extra added on content to the game? So, each subscription will use more of your computer resources.

Also, on a vanilla map, your memory usage will go up as well. you start off with an empty city and slowly fill it up, so it will need more memory to track the city and all of the buildings you have added to the map, also the networks (streets, train tracks, plane paths, ship paths, etc.)

EDIT:

Also, Window's itself will move stuff in and out of RAM to virtual memory (pagefile) as well. So your RAM will grow and shrink on demand as Windows see fit.

Don't forget any app you run besides Steam and the game will also use more memory.

Your web browser can use a lot, especially if you open different tabs. each tab uses a lot of memory and it can add up quickly.

Aye, I'm aware of all you mentioned, the core of my question is that I have not seen these numbers before at all. In any case, I have since decided to just keep on trucking and if anything really does go awry, I'll try to reach out again. Appreciate folks taking their time to answer.

 

[MarkJohnson]

Maybe post a screenshot of the loading screen page as it launches the game wait until well past the workshop loading section. This should give you as good idea of the overall memory usage.