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wow! Just checked my log file and it shows:
CUDA device 0 (GeForce GTX 760): compute capability 3.0, 2 GiB total, 1.65889 GiB available, display attached
So roughly 340-350 MB is being used by windows? For what reason though?
As already stated: "just in case."
I'm not seeing that - I have one GTX 1070 (only card) and one monitor on my rendering machine, default VRAM use in GPU-Z is 197 MB when I boot up. When I start DS, it goes up to 325 MB.
But I do agree it's strange that memory use is only 197 MB if Windows is eating over 1 GB. I've just thought that it was 197 MB of what was left when Windows has had its share. But I don't know for sure - programs like GPU-Z often report things in obscure ways.
If that's the case, why does GPU-Z not report it?
Does anyone know if there is a way to push VRAM use to say 8 GB without requiring a lot of RAM (less than 7 GB)?
Just tried to render a simple cube with no textures/shaders other than what DS might apply. Memory use before: 325 MB. After: 2312 MB. Makes no sense.
Does anyone know how to interprete this? :
Well maybe the answer is here:
CUDA device 0 (GeForce GTX 1070): Allocated 1.65625 GiB of work space (2048k active samples in 0.000s)
I have a theory as to why this might be happening. Have you ever tried to do any work on your computer when your hard drive is completely full? It's very slow and sometimes impossible to do some tasks. Some actions require working space (besides RAM) to swap files or whatever. Some programs aren't able to predict if their operations will exceed the available disc space until it has already begun. I believe Windows is reserving a working space for GPU operations. This may make it easier (and safer) for complex GPU calculations. There may not be any difference at all in the way a program renders in Windows 10 compared to Windows 7, the limitations may be similar, but if there is space reserved, the rendering software will know beforehand how large is the buffer and presumably the space will not decrease. I can see how this can be effective if you are multitasking with programs that are competing for the same pool of Vram. The only way to test this theory would be to render a sufficiently large scene in both Windows 7 and 10. If they both reach their Vram limit at the same point, this conversation is moot. Or you can try to render a scene that requires more Vram than what gpu-z says is available (not too much more).
dedicated video memory = 8GB VRAM present on the hardware itself
shared system memory = the system will cache UP TO 4GB of your system RAM to make swapping of info stored in the VRAM faster. This is done automatically by the OS if needed.
total available graphics memory = it's the total of your real and virtual VRAM
As for the missing VRAM available for DAZ Studio, that's the fault of Windows 10 since it reserves a percentage of your VRAM just in case.
In this case it looks more like it's DS that reserves space (the line I pasted was copied from the DS log).
OK, thanks!
I wonder why and when DS reports this. I searched my log file and found it, then I deleted the file, started DS and rendered a primitive. No "available" when searching the log file. The I rendered a larger scene, still nothing.
Greetings,
So...this confuses me. I used to run my 4GB card (not connected to a monitor) right up to 3950MB (according to GPU-Z) more than once, which leaves ~150MB, which seems to conflict with this discussion (unless the suggestion is that 4GB cards only reserve ~100MB?). That's kinda how I do it. I build a scene that has too much in it, and then I repeatedly reduce the memory usage (hiding items, lowering subdiv, tweaking textures, etc.) until it's JUST fitting into the cards memory.
I admit, I haven't had a problem with my 1080 (also not connected to a monitor) yet where I need to reduce memory usage, so I haven't had to do the same dance, so I can't speak to its memory usage.
I get that GPU-Z doesn't show the amount of 'unavailable' memory...but it DOES show the amount of dedicated memory usage, and if pressing Render makes that number go to very nearly the maximum memory on the card, isn't that...pretty much correct?
And...just to be clear...we're ALL talking about secondary video cards, right? NOT the card that's hooked up to your monitor, because of course that'll have memory reserved... (Is the suggestion that a SECONDARY card with 8GB is 'holding' 1.4GB of memory, but on a PRIMARY card with 8GB, it's holding only 300-400MB for display? That seems to be the implication I'm reading between the lines.)
Lastly, it's entirely possible that I was using an older nVidia driver when I was doing full-memory renders on my 4GB GT 740; I've seen a strong indication (in reading to try and understand what folks are seeing) that this is tied to the nVidia driver version.
-- Morgan
Which version of Windows and yes, 4GB and smaller cards do reserve less. Also the 'eye candy' features of Windows have a significant impact on how much it reserves.
So, if you disable many of the eye candy features of Win 10, does that significantly reduce the VRAM reservation?
To a degree...
Eye candy? The new flat design looks to me like they have removed anything they could get away with.
Hi! Today I realize I only got 70% to of the VRAM to render with in Windows 10 of my 1080 ti. 3500mb is used for different reservation stuff. Which used to be 0 in Windows 7. What are you guys reverting back to? You can't buy and install Windows 7 anymore as I know it. What's the display driver like in Windows 8.1? And have anyone tested "Windows 10 Pro for Workstations" that just came out? Many questions I know, but quite bad this issue when knowing everything is fine in Windows 7.
Best Regards
OK, I am gonna comment on this thread after reading all of the above. I have a GTX1080 with 8gb memory, I have loaded scenes that reach the limit of memory
( Let's use 7.86 GB ) However, My GTX1080 uses ALL 7.86 of video memory WITHOUT kicking to the CPU ( I7-6850K )
So, Whatever Window's is useing it is not ROBBING the available video memory - Or I would not be able to load a 7.86gb scene into the graphics ram.
If what you guys are claiming Win10 takes away over 1 gb? I say NO way... at least not on my system with it's current config. The GTX1080 is the only card in the system.
As CypherFOX Stated:
I get that GPU-Z doesn't show the amount of 'unavailable' memory...but it DOES show the amount of dedicated memory usage, and if pressing Render makes that number go to very nearly the maximum memory on the card, isn't that...pretty much correct?
//////////////////
I Have to pretty much agree here If I have a scene that it says is useing 7.86 of my dedicated memory then I do not seem
to have the complaint others do. ( But Dam, I want that Quadro Pro with 24gb.... ) DaveGV
...wait until NV link MBs come out (of course they will only be affordable for professional studios). Imagine having 128 GB of VRAM using four NV linked 32 GB Quadro GV100s and a total of 16,384 cores.
Yes, you can still buy a Win7 pro license on ebay. Just download the image for Win7 pro from Microsoft and create a USB installer. Look for how to online. Youtube has alot of video tutorials on how to do this. I have Win10 on my gaming system with AMD video card and that is all it is good for gaming and surfing the web. If you do 3D with Iray on only one video card you need Win7 pro. I would also suggest getting a cheap nvidia video card for primary video and use expensive card for Iray>> do this and Vram use by W10 becomes moot. The cheapest way to get a W7pro license is to buy an old workstation broken with license attached to case locally and use that license. Craigslist has some good deals.
...there are still full commercial versions of W7 with SP1 available as well. Granted they're not 20 - 30$ for just the licence key, but are the actual unopened DVD package with corresponding product key. These will range in price from around 70$ up to 149$. Most are OEMs so they will only be registered to the system they are installed on.
NV Link on PCIe cards does not require anything special from the motherboard aside from having 2 card slots for GPUs. Nvidia created it as a way to bypass the motherboard PCIe lanes bottleneck between multiple GPUs.
Sorry to rain on the party a bit, but NV Link PCIe cards can only run in pairs. To pool more than 2 cards you need a motherboard with NV Link sockets instead of PCIe card slots.
On a side note, it will be awesome when Nvidia brings NV Link to it's consumer gaming GPUs.
davegv, are you saying this whole thing addressed in this thread is not an issue? Did you check the Log File in Studio to see exactly what is available?
I just did it for my machine, which has a 1070 (which drives 3 monitors), and a 1080ti (with no monitors attached). And right after starting up Studio with an empty scene, the log file shows this:
2017-11-10 07:06:18.692 Iray INFO - module:category(IRAY:RENDER): 1.0 IRAY rend info : CUDA device 0 (GeForce GTX 1080 Ti): compute capability 6.1, 11 GiB total, 9.14414 GiB available
2017-11-10 07:06:18.692 Iray INFO - module:category(IRAY:RENDER): 1.0 IRAY rend info : CUDA device 1 (GeForce GTX 1070): compute capability 6.1, 8 GiB total, 6.65641 GiB available, display attached
So it appears W10 is taking almost 2GB of my 1080ti's 11GB, and just under 1.5GB of my 1070's 8GB. And recent posts in the Microsoft TechNet thread on this subject seem to indicate the issue has not been resolved.
What I am Saying is Simple : When I load a Daz3d Scene That uses 7.86 GB of VRam ( My GTX1080 Has 8GB ) The GPU will utilize ALL ( REPEAT ALL) 7.86GB of the avaiable 8GB - So for me I do not see the issue as others do.
I think when you say "APPEARS" maybe that is just what it is..... You can create a scene yourself that is as close to the limit of your VRam and test it yourself - I did this. Because as you know if you exceed the avaiable VRam - IRay will send it to the cpu.
7.86 GB IS THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF VRAM I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE OF MY CARDS GTX1080's 8GB BEFORE IT KICKED IT TO THE CPU.
So yea, for ME it is not a issue.
Edited to fix quote
Yes, but how do you KNOW what is being used by the system and what is being used for your scene? How do you know what is required for the scene, and what is taken by Windows? Apparently the log is the indicator in Iray, like I posted. If you're using GPU-Z or whatever, that's not the correct indicator.
Well, If the Windows resource manager GPU Memory Useage indicates my GTX 1080 is using 7.86 GB of VRam
Well, If GPU z is indicates my GPU Memory Useage indicates my GTX 1080 is using 7.86 GB of VRam
Yea, I am going to decide FOR MYSELF that I am satisfied that it is in fact useing nearly all of my 8GB.
Are you saying the "log file" is more a precise indicator than this?
If you look at the discussions of exactly what is happening, you'll see that you need to understand exactly what information you're looking for, and what's being reported. I believe the rendering engines are what keeps track of what is available for rendering, not just what the GPU ram usage is.
But if you want to believe all is well that's up to you. I tend to use facts before I decide.