Skyrim Memory Patch

January 25th, 2014

This is an interesting read and is endorsed by the SKSE team so we may even see a new release of SKSE with this implemented in the future. I've been reading several forums (S.T.E.P. EnbSeries etc) and it seems to do what Safety Load tried to do but works and stabilizes the game by allowing it to allocate more memory, particularly for people who raise their Ugrids which is something I'm not even going to try. However, it's not a requirement.
http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/ ... -for-real/

I suggest reading the above post and the links given for more info as I don't feel like quoting it all and I don't know if I should. There's a link at the bottom to download the already compiled DLL. Otherwise if you're familiar with programing and have the tools you can devise your own DLL. Luckily, there's one already provided by Sheson which is the one at the bottom of the Nexus page.

This mod aims to reduce Infinite Loading Screens, the CTD's in menus especially crafting with long lists, freezing and other crashes with heavily modded games. Reports are extremely positive so I'm going to give this a run tonight. If it fixes my menu CTD's which is a new thing even without Safety Load I'll be a happy camper indeed.

Even though in some places it says you need ENBBoost people are using it without. Make sure to remove Safety Load if using as it's not compatible.

Apologies if this has already been posted here somewhere. I can't be bothered searching.

EDIT:

Gopher has a brief video on it but he's going to add a more in depth one sometime next week.

January 25th, 2014

To add to the info...
The SKSe team are planning to have an Alpha out this weekend. Here's the thread at the Bethsoft forums:
http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/148526 ... -thread-2/

As for my experience so far which has only been around an hour and a half - much faster loading screens between interior and exteriors, smoother gameplay, no stuttering or jerking on fast turning especially around Riverwood and Whiterun. Haven't been anywhere else yet to test but there will be a dragon fight coming up soon.

I did have a CTD on opening a container, actually on closing it, but I guess I can live with it if it's only random if the game overall is more stable. Besides, in the above thread it says that the game can still crash for a number of reasons and this patch is meant to give the game more memory to use all the texture packs and mods we all like...

I rather hope Bethesda takes notice of this for memory management in the next game.

Fessels · January 25th, 2014

Looks a bit complicated for me, but it seems like a promising technique so i will be watching that thread.

January 25th, 2014

Fessels wrote:Looks a bit complicated for me, but it seems like a promising technique so i will be watching that thread.

It's not at all really. Just use one of the files posted at the bottom of the Nexus thread and put it in your SKSE folder like others, for example the ShowracemenuPrecachekiller.

EDIT:

First I tell you it's easy then I go and give the wrong instructions. The DLL goes in your Skyrim directory and replaces the SKSE file of the same name. If you already have an SKSE ini add the supplied lines to it. You can check if it's initiated and working by looking at your skse_steam_loader.log in your Documents\My Games\Skyrim\SKSE folder and check for this line "Sheson took your first born in exchange for more memory" And that's it assuming you use the file I suggested. Don't worry, when I first read about it it looked a bit overwhelming until I did some reading.

You don't need to do anything else and if you don't increase your grids you also don't need that extra program. It works best with EnBoost but I believe you can use it without. Just don't use Safety Load with it.

It's worth it.

I was going to shelve the game until i tried this. I know I'm at the beginning of the game but so far...a lot better than before.

I've just arrived at Whiterun and it was so smooth, no stutters or jerking as I usually have there and around Riverwood, and with a very noticeable increase in fps. However, some of that I think is because I removed SFO, as much as I love it, and now use the summer version of Seasons of Skyrim. Loading times as I said are a lot shorter as well.

Next stop - Riften which is a heavy stutter area for me.

January 30th, 2014

The SKSE team have a new release (1.07.00) which has the changes from Sheson's memory patch as well as other updates. Keep in mind this is an Alpha so may need tweaking for the memory saving features.

February 9th, 2014

Here's Gopher's review of the Memory Patch which for people using heavily modded games is really going to be a necessity. It's not hard and I suggest watching this video to see the difference in the way vanilla Skyrim handles memory (badly) and how Sheson's fix eliminates the problems. However, there are still other ways to crash the game than insufficient memory allocation...for example, bad load order, incompatible mods, dirty mods, and a few other reasons.

I've been using this patch for a couple of weeks and considering I was previously about to uninstall the game forever due to it's instability, the patch is like a minor miracle.

The 1st half of the video shows how badly Skyrim allocates memory and why people get infinite loading screens, crashing when extra NPC's are loaded, use of heavy texture packs, and more. The 2nd half explains the benefits of the patch and why everyone with a modded game should really use it.

Fessels · February 9th, 2014

I think i will try out the SKSE version by installing the alpha of SKSE, and keep the settings in the SKSE.ini on the default settings as seen in Gopher's video.

February 9th, 2014

I'm sure you will notice a big difference. That awful stuttering I used to mention (rage about) when turning and when enemies spawn is totally gone and now with the mods I have that add NPC's and more spawns with IC it still doesn't stutter. Performance in general is a LOT better and smoother also.

Are you using ENBoost? You'll get the most benefit with the patch if you are.

Fessels · February 9th, 2014

Maigrets wrote:I'm sure you will notice a big difference. That awful stuttering I used to mention (rage about) when turning and when enemies spawn is totally gone and now with the mods I have that add NPC's and more spawns with IC it still doesn't stutter. Performance in general is a LOT better and smoother also.

Are you using ENBoost? You'll get the most benefit with the patch if you are.

Yeah i am using ENBoost as well.

MasterAub · February 10th, 2014

Hi guys,

What is ENBoost?

February 10th, 2014

MasterAub wrote:Hi guys,

What is ENBoost?

ENBoost is a CTD and Memory Patch. It uses the same files as an actual ENB but without the graphic enhancements. Since the Skyrim engine (and Oblivion, Fallout etc) loads graphics into both the CPU and GPU (which is a Directx 9 problem), the game can run out of memory very quickly especially when modded.

Info and download here:

What this mainly concerns is the 3.1GB ram limit. It doesn't matter if you have 16GB of system RAM or 2GB and in fact some people with newer systems have more issues than older systems. The game engine will, and can only use 3.1GB and will CTD when the threshold is reached because it is a 32bit application. ENBoost helps to reduce memory usage.

Here's some info from S.T.E.P, but if you Google the 3.1GB limit you'll get a ton of results.
http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/ ... d-modding/

This is why TES and Fallout fans are hoping for a 64bit executable for the next games....and an entirely new engine, but that's not likely to happen.

MasterAub · February 10th, 2014

Thanks for a swift response...I don't have much of an issues but still I've encountered CTD a few time, 2 maybe 3 times in 2 month of play (arround 50 hours). My game is quite modded (70+ mods) but those mods are the base for even more to be installed.
I've heard of the 3.1GB memory issue but did not know there was a "real"/stable solution. I'll look into the ENBoost and see if it can help me. I just want to make sure I am not breaking something that works...

February 11th, 2014

MasterAub wrote:Thanks for a swift response...I don't have much of an issues but still I've encountered CTD a few time, 2 maybe 3 times in 2 month of play (arround 50 hours). My game is quite modded (70+ mods) but those mods are the base for even more to be installed.
I've heard of the 3.1GB memory issue but did not know there was a "real"/stable solution. I'll look into the ENBoost and see if it can help me.

If you manage to continue with your current mods, and as a base to add more, I truly wish you luck for a continued, mostly problem free experience.

50 hours isn't much really considering how big the base game is, and then with the DLC's added. The longer you play, the bigger your save gets, the quicker things are going to go wrong. It takes very little to corrupt saves and often by the time you realize, it's too late.

I just want to make sure I am not breaking something that works...

Trouble is, it's inevitable due to the way the game was made and once mods are added to the equation... Even the vanilla game is not exempt.

I have an ongoing love/hate relationship with the game and have had more than one character I've grown attached to become unplayable for unknown reasons.

Fessels · February 11th, 2014

Maigrets wrote:I have an ongoing love/hate relationship with the game and have had more than one character I've grown attached to become unplayable for unknown reasons.

That sounds familiar.

February 11th, 2014

Fessels wrote:
Maigrets wrote:I have an ongoing love/hate relationship with the game and have had more than one character I've grown attached to become unplayable for unknown reasons.
That sounds familiar.

Yes, and especially now where I'm having random exits to the Desktop for some unknown reason with my Bosmer. Could be 5 minutes or 15, but they have been things like when I'm just standing doing nothing and about to walk on, pressing tilde to take a screenshot or T to WAIT and other stupid random things, and suddenly I'm looking at my Desktop Wallpaper. I think it must be mod related and it's gotten worse since updating the Unofficial Patches a couple of days ago which I find unlikely to be the cause, but who knows. Might just be co-incidence, but these CTD's are putting me in the "hate" area again and wondering if I can be bothered trying to sort it out.

I haven't tried my other character again to see if she's still stable. I highly doubt it if it's a mod problem. I think it's definitely time to play another game for awhile. Some new games are coming soon, Thief 4, Dark Souls 2 to mention a couple I'm waiting for, and DS2 will take up a lot of my time, so it's getting close to retirement time for Skyrim and my sanity.

I empathize with people who post on forums saying they have played 500 hours with a character, made no recent changes etc, etc, and suddenly out of the blue, corrupt saves and they can't understand why.

Fessels · February 12th, 2014

Maigrets wrote:I empathize with people who post on forums saying they have played 500 hours with a character, made no recent changes etc, etc, and suddenly out of the blue, corrupt saves and they can't understand why.

Shjees i can not even think about playing 500+ hours with just one and the same character? But playing that long with the same character is just waiting for it to happen.

February 13th, 2014

Fessels wrote:
Maigrets wrote:I empathize with people who post on forums saying they have played 500 hours with a character, made no recent changes etc, etc, and suddenly out of the blue, corrupt saves and they can't understand why.
Shjees i can not even think about playing 500+ hours with just one and the same character? But playing that long with the same character is just waiting for it to happen.

I've seen people post that they have 1000+ hours with the same character. That would have to be vanilla because otherwise I find it extremely hard to believe. Also, I know the game is big, but what is there to do for all that time. I have seen roleplayers on Youtube who walk everywhere which would take a lot of time. It would drive me crazy since in real life normal walking pace is faster than in the game, at least it is for me.

I'd just like to get past level 20 these days without

happening. I have three choices. Play vanilla and I'm not doing that for any reason, use my choice of mods and put up with the problems and headaches, or uninstall and forget about it which is looking more likely, especially now new games are coming out.

BTW...nice new avatar. The Raven I assume.

Fessels · February 13th, 2014

Maigrets wrote:
Shjees i can not even think about playing 500+ hours with just one and the same character? But playing that long with the same character is just waiting for it to happen.
I've seen people post that they have 1000+ hours with the same character. That would have to be vanilla because otherwise I find it extremely hard to believe. Also, I know the game is big, but what is there to do for all that time. I have seen roleplayers on Youtube who walk everywhere which would take a lot of time. It would drive me crazy since in real life normal walking pace is faster than in the game, at least it is for me.

A 1000+ ?

Maigrets wrote:I'd just like to get past level 20 these days without happening. I have three choices. Play vanilla and I'm not doing that for any reason, use my choice of mods and put up with the problems and headaches, or uninstall and forget about it which is looking more likely, especially now new games are coming out.

Yeah getting past that level is not easy any more now a days in a modded game of Skyrim. That is why i have now set the Uncapper settings higher so that i can Level Maiev faster this time. BTW i would not be able to play Vanilla either any more, it would be way to boring.

Maigrets wrote:BTW...nice new avatar. The Raven I assume.

Thank you, and yeah it is a hint towards The Raven. I saw it some where in march last year and i liked it, but i could never find a picture that i liked that would hint towards The Raven. Then yesterday on Reddit i saw that picture called "Curious Raven", and i immediately thought of that movie again, so i downloaded it.

MasterAub · February 14th, 2014

Some new games are coming soon, Thief 4, Dark Souls 2 to mention a couple I'm waiting for, and DS2 will take up a lot of my time, so it's getting close to retirement time for Skyrim and my sanity.

The Wither "Wild Hunt" is coming too...It is said that the game is a true open world this time around. The story takes place in a immersive world 1,5 time bigger than Skyrim. I predict Skyrim will go to the storage room once the Witcher is out...

I empathize with people who post on forums saying they have played 500 hours with a character, made no recent changes etc, etc, and suddenly out of the blue, corrupt saves and they can't understand why.

In fact I am 50 hours into Skyrim since the rebirth of my computer in Christmas but steam is saying I am pushing 600 hours since the release of the game in 2011...hahahaha so much time invested in this ocean of bug.

Fessels · February 14th, 2014

MasterAub wrote:In fact I am 50 hours into Skyrim since the rebirth of my computer in Christmas but steam is saying I am pushing 600 hours since the release of the game in 2011...hahahaha so much time invested in this ocean of bug.

LoL well if i look at the total hours that i have played Skyrim since it came out then i am at 783 hours.