What Is Out of Video Memory & How to Fix It [8 Fixes]
Out of Video Memory — have you ever gotten this message while gaming or working on a project? It occurs when your computer runs out of memory that is required for graphics. Annoying, right? Don't worry! In this article, we will explain what causes this problem and show you some simple ways to fix it. By the end, you'll know exactly how to solve the issue and get back to your tasks without trouble.
Part 1. What Does Out of Video Memory Mean?
✍ What Is Video RAM (Video Memory)?
Video RAM or VRAM is a type of memory within your computer used to store images, textures, and the like. It's used to help the graphics card process the high-quality visuals you see on your screen, such as those in games and videos.
More VRAM translates to better handling of complex graphics on your computer, without hanging or slowing down. In case there is not enough VRAM, the system can't load everything well; hence, some errors occur, like Out of Video Memory.
✍ What Does the Out of Video Memory Error Mean?
When you confront an Out of Video Memory error, it is a sure bet that the computer is running out of VRAM. That could happen in two ways:
- Out of video memory trying to allocate a rendering resource: This error message means that your graphics card lacks enough VRAM to process 3D images or video playback. It may ask you to reduce resolution or close other programs to free up memory.
- Out of video memory trying to allocate a texture: This error shows that your system has run out of the required VRAM to load up detailed images/ textures that some game or program requires.
✍ Symptoms of This Video Card Memory Error
If you get the video out of memory error, you might notice symptoms like lag or crashing, especially when playing games or using graphics-intensive applications.
Some games where this error can occur include:
- Fortnite
- Throne and Liberty
- Jedi Survivor
- Stalker 2
- Borderlands 2
- The Finals
- Black Myth Wukong
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Marvel Rivals
These games are very heavy in terms of VRAM usage, and if your computer is not capable of handling it, then this running out of video memory on GPU error may occur.
Part 2. Why Does the Out of Video Memory Error Happen?
The Xbox out of video memory error can be caused by a few different things. Let's take a look at some of the most common ones:
- High Graphics Settings: When the graphics of your game or program is set to high, it consumes a lot of VRAM. If your computer doesn't have enough, you may see this error.
- Multiple Running Applications: Having several applications open on your computer utilizes VRAM. Running too many applications will consume all the memory that the game or program is going to use.
- Outdated drivers and software: A major reason behind the occurrence of problems in memory and performance is that your graphics card drivers or any other software related to them are outdated. This could be avoided if you keep your drivers updated.
- Insufficient VRAM: Some older graphics cards lack the required amount of VRAM to run some of the latest games or other graphics-intensive applications. This could be a reason for the Out of Video Memory error.
- Too Many Background Processes: If something else runs in the background, like antivirus scanning or updating, it also uses VRAM and eats your game or program.
- Corrupted Files: Sometimes, corrupted or damaged files can also be one of the reasons for memory issues and result in this error.
- Overclocking: Overclocking of your graphics card or CPU will lead to an unstable system and further cause problems with VRAM, resulting in this error.
By understanding why this occurs, you are able to make the necessary changes to correct it and prevent it from happening again.
Part 3. How to Fix Out of Video Memory Error on Computer [8 Ways]
If you are confronted with the Out of Video Memory error, then do not be in a panic, since many ways to fix it do exist. Following are eight detailed methods to resolve this issue:
- 1. Update BIOS
- 2. Unintall D3D Driver or Delete Discovery Files
- 3. Download Intel Extreme Tuning Utility & Reduce Performance Core Ratio
- 4. Update NVIDIA Drivers
- 5. Downclock CPU
- 6. Check Disk Health & Repair Bad Sectors
- 7. Delete Duplicate Files to Free Up Disk Space
- 8. Force Fornite to Use DirectX 11
1. Update BIOS
Updating the BIOS in your computer will contribute to the overall stability and performance of your system, which also includes how it handles memory. Sometimes, a BIOS that is out of date causes running out of memory when launching game error because it does not support the latest optimizations in hardware.
It is recommended to back up your significant data to a new drive before BIOS flash update. Just check this guide: How to Backup Computer Data to External Hard Drive
☞ How to Flash BIOS:
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Go to your motherboard manufacturer's website or the System Information to look for the latest BIOS version for your motherboard model.
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Download the BIOS update from the website and then follow the installation instructions to the letter. Make sure to read the manual provided by the manufacturer.
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Press the appropriate key (often F2, DEL, or ESC) to enter the BIOS setup menu. Find the BIOS version in the BIOS menu.
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Extract the contents to a USB drive formatted to FAT32 if necessary. Ensure your computer is plugged into a power source to avoid interruptions.
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Run the BIOS update program. Do not interrupt the process when it has started.
2. Unintall D3D Driver or Delete Discovery Files
Corrupted or faulty Direct3D Driver (D3D) can often cause Out of Video Memory errors, especially when the system tries to allocate memory for rendering. Deleting these files can help clear up the problem.
☞ How to Remove D3DDriver and Discovery Files:
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Press the Win+R shortcut keys and enter Appdata.
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Navigate to the folder path: "Local" > "Discovery" > "Saved" or the game installation folder where the D3DDriver and Discovery files are.
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Look for the files that begin with "D3DDriver" and "Discovery". Delete these files.
Restart your computer to see if the issue is resolved.
3. Download Intel Extreme Tuning Utility & Reduce Performance Core Ratio
If you're running on an Intel processor, the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility can let you tinker with more advanced CPU settings. Lower the setting for CPU performance core ratio to free more memory for video tasks, reducing the likelihood of memory errors.
☞ How to Use the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility:
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Download the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility from the official website of Intel and install it.
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Start the utility and in the 'Performance' section find 'Core Ratio'.
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Lower the core ratio from, say, 58 to 54; adjust according to your CPU model.
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Apply your changes and reboot the computer.
4. Update NVIDIA Drivers
Very often, errors in video memory occur due to outdated or corrupted NVIDIA drivers since the operation of video memory and its rendering are dependent on them. Keeping your drivers updated means compatibility and optimization to fix the running out of memory when launching game.
☞ How to Update NVIDIA Drivers:
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Go to the official website of NVIDIA and look for the latest drivers for your model of a graphics card.
update nvidia drive to fix out of video memory
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Click "DRIVERS" > "CUSTOM INSTALL" Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the drivers.
After installation, reboot your computer to apply changes.
Check if the Out of Video Memory error is fixed or not.
Alternatively, activate Device Manager and expand its "Memory device" label. Then right click on the NVIDIA driver and choose "Update driver" from the popup.
5. Downclock CPU
If the CPU is too fast and consumes a lot of resources, it can reduce the amount of video memory available. In such a case, downclocking the CPU will lessen the load and free the laptop video RAM.
☞ How to Downclock CPU:
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Press the BIOS hotkey to enter the BIOS settings of your system during boot-up-an action usually performed with F2, F10, or DEL keys.
Find the CPU clock multiplier settings.
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To lower the CPU's clock speed, you'll want to lower the multiplier value, for example, from 58 to 54.
Save the changes and exit the BIOS.
Restart your computer and check if the issue persists.
6. Check Disk Health & Repair Bad Sectors
Disk errors, such as bad sectors, can lead to system file issues, including the Out of Video Memory errors. Regularly checking your disk's health and repairing any bad sectors can help maintain system stability.
4DDiG Partition Manager is a user-friendly utility designed to manage disk partitions effectively. It offers a number of features, including disk cloning, OS migration, and partition management, which make it easy to resize, extend, split, create, or delete partitions.
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☞ How to Check Disk Status and Repair Disk
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Download and launch 4DDiG Partition Manager on your computer. Connect your external drive if you intend to repair a partition of it. Then go to the left "Partition Management" tab and click on your disk. Then you can view the "Disk Healthy" section.
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If the disk is problematic and need to be repaired, you can switch to the left "Toolkit" section and touch on "Repair Partition(s)".
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Select the disk carrying the partition, which you desire to take an overview of, or the partition you exactly want to be checked. Click upon the "Repair Now.".
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After repairing the partition successfully, click "Finish".
7. Delete Duplicate Files to Free Up Disk Space
Duplicate files can take up valuable disk space, leading to performance issues and errors like Out of Video Memory. Removing these duplicates can help optimize your system's performance.
4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter is a very easy-to-use device, one that has been crafted with a great deal of proficiency to assist users in finding and eliminating duplicate files in their computer systems and peripheral devices. Supporting all image, video, audio, and document formats ensures thorough cleanup.
☞ How to Free Up Disk Space to Save Video Memory
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Download and install 4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter from the official website onto your computer. Open it, click on "Duplicates", and then "Get Started".
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Select the "Local Drive" and click Next. Choose the folders of your interest where you want to search for duplicate files.
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Click Settings to choose file types to search for. You can also exclude some files or folders by changing the settings. Click "Scan" to start searching.
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Afterwards, after the scan, the number of found duplicates would show. You may click Smart Remove to remove them in an instant. Alternatively, click Review Duplicates, select your chosen files, then click Remove.
8. Force Fornite to Use DirectX 11
Gaming in Fortnite, Out of Video Memory errors force-switching to DirectX 11 from the more current DirectX 12 fixes memory issues, possibly due to that version being less demanding on VRAM.
☞ How to Force Fortnite to use DirectX 11:
Start the Epic Games Launcher.
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Click on your display name in the top-right corner and select 'Settings'.
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Scroll down to Fortnite and select that section.
Check the box beside "Additional Command Line Arguments".
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In the box, type -d3d11 and restart Fortnite.
Part 4. FAQs about Computer Out of Video Memory
Q1: What happens if I exceed my video memory?
Exceeding the video memory makes your graphics card run out of space, which may lead to slowing down performance or even crashes and errors like Out of Video Memory.
Q2: How can I free up video memory? / How to clear VRAM?
Lower your graphics settings to free up some VRAM, close all the other applications running, restart your computer, or replace the graphics card with a higher memory capacity.
Q3: Does updating BIOS fix Out of Video Memory?
Updating the BIOS can sometimes resolve hardware issues, but it is not a surefire method to fix an Out of Video Memory error. Other solutions, like updating drivers, may also be necessary.
Conclusion
In conclusion, high graphics settings and outdated drivers are some of the common causes that may lead to the Out of Video Memory error. These steps will help you fix this error and optimize your system.
If you also have issues with storage, then 4DDiG Partition Manager and other related tools will help repair the partitions and enhance disk health for improved performance and prevention of such errors in the future.
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