Memory-fix by Harkonnen is out!

What is "insane mode" ?
Am I better off in Windowed mode?
 
Kilim said:
Just I tought it should be able to handle more considering my work PC is not as good as my home PC yet the work PC can be pumped up a little more.
Work PC:
P4 3ghz
1gb RAM
GeForce FX5600xt 256mb

patch_on = 1
vid_mem_usage = 180
insane_mode = 1

Home PC
P4 2.4ghz
1.7gb DDR RAM
ATI x850xt 256mb

Hmm, reading your specs, I would say you have a better computer at work! 3GHz CPU compared to 2.4GHz at home. Both computers has enough mem so that should not be a problem. How the graphics card compare I don't know, but I think that on a huge map, more CPU is prefered than more GPU. A 1280x1024 screen shouldn't take more time to render on a huge map compared to a small map, it's still the same amount of graphics.
 
Flash1
"insane_mode = 1" might be problematic in full-screen mode with freuquent alt-tabbing (switching tasks). In windowed mode it is more tolerant to task-switching.

"insane mode" uses video memory to extend memory usage of civ4 used for graphics. Without insane mode almost every bit of video memory is backed up by system memory.

Video memory is not kept by Windows like physical memory is swapped, so alt-tabbing might kill game graphics data without recover possibility (only for insane_mode).
 
Fallblau
Page file size doesn't show exact virtual memory usage. Virtual memory tab in task manager shows that per-process (this column must be explicitly added, by default it's not shown).

I think you should try following settings:
insane_mode = 0, vid_mem_usage = 80

Also note that game might swap for the first time you see some land or some country, but optimizations made by my fix allow more data to stay in memory than without my fix, so system swaps less.

For example, 1Gb systems should experience no swapping at all.

Also please read post #1 again (I made update about zlib1.dll there). You *MUST* download it not because I made some improvements to zlib1.dll (I didn't), but because it loads PatchByHarkonnen.dll into civilization4.exe process. Same stands for those who used python24.dll earlier.

All
Previous paragraph about zlib1.dll does not affect those of you who have already downloaded and replaced it.
 
Kilim
Try setting 'insane_mode = 0'. I saves a lot of memory, but at cost of some performance (not to mention stability). Probably GF imposes less performance penalty than ATi. You have at least 1Gb in both configurations, so 'insane_mode = 0' should work fine for you.
 
Dear Harky!

Could you tell me what this setting actually do?

"1) Modify "Civiliation4.ini" - set "D3D9Query = 1", "DynamicAnimPaging = 0". If you have trouble finding/editing this file, don't care and skip to step 2"

I don't understand what d3dquery and dynamicanimpaging is at all, sorry :)
 
Harky!

The hugesave-testfile is not downloading for me.
Could you please attach that in a post?
 
Hi Harkonnen,

I've been following this thread with some interest since all my civ crashes are caused by civ4 handling memory usage. I can't play huge maps without crashes after 2,3 turns in advanced eras...

Anyway I applied your patch and unfortunately the game crashes this time when I zoom in/out and scroll in world view... Memory handling and speed are much better though!

My sys spec:
P4 - 2.6mhz, 1Gb mem, nvidea FX5200-128Mb, 80 Gig disc, XP Home SP2

I tried the following settings in Harkonnen.ini:

1) patch_on = 1, vid_mem_usage = 80, insane_mode = 1
2) patch_on = 1, vid_mem_usage = 80, insane_mode = 0
3) patch_on = 1, vid_mem_usage = 70, insane_mode = 1
4) patch_on = 1, vid_mem_usage = 70, insane_mode = 0
5) patch_on = 1, vid_mem_usage = 100, insane_mode = 1
6) patch_on = 1, vid_mem_usage = 100, insane_mode = 0
7) patch_on = 1, vid_mem_usage = 60, insane_mode = 1
8) patch_on = 1, vid_mem_usage = 60, insane_mode = 0

The game loads fast and for all the above settings it CTDs when I zoom out... Game graphics are set to 'High' except for Textures which is set to low and I ticked low res texture option.

Do you think my PC is not compatible with your patch? What do you recommend?

Cheers!
 
:hmm: I don't have any big issues with civ4 now and usually I'd say: Never change a running system, but I want to try since occasionally my wonder-movies stutter and its always good to improve performance!

My specs:
AMD Athlon 3000+
NVidia GeForce 6800GT 256MB RAM
1 GB Ram

- Settings? (Will go for default if you're too busy - I'd understand!! :) )

I'm @work right now and will install it later. One question: How do I uninstall this, if it doesn't work?? I read something about it, but I didn't get it... :blush: (I'm a moron, when it comes to modding...)

Thanks for your hard work! It definitely is appreciated :thumbsup: (haven't seen a thread growing THAT fast in a while :eek:) :)
 
Hi Harkonen,
I've just registered only to tell you that your patch works perfectly for me! No problem with installation - I've just followed your instructions.

It must be kind of magic: I couldn't play Greek World scenario before (only few extremaly slow turns with forzen screen at the end) and now it runs well and smothly - I'm 50 turn befor the end of scenario!

Man, you ARE great! Thank You!

PS. It's so STRANGE that Firaxis couldn't fix it...
 
Hakanon :goodjob:
I have only registered too thank you because you have fixed this (in)famous memory leak bug.
Thank you very much I have droped this game due to too many bugs, the memory as one of them Firaxis have totaly neglegted that the bug even exists. You have proved that they need some skiled employes and I hope that they gonna pay a huge amount of money for this fix.

Hakanon I hope you can help me with another bug that is really annoying:
My screen sudenly goes in sleep mode (no signal too the monitor) and i have to restart the PC. This happens only when i play CIV4. It takes anything between 1 turn too 20 turns before it does this. The problem is less frequent when I downclock my graphic cards.
My system specs:

geforce 6600GT
amd 2500
2x512 mb ram

I really hope you have an idea of what is wrong, I have read of other geforce owners with a similar problem.
 
amazigh:
I experienced the same thing, nut only after I have been playing for quite a long time on a complex map. I contributed it to my videocard becoming overheated. My PC seems to continue running, so I think only the videocard stopped performing.
 
Harkonnen. I've a 256MB video card and 2GB of RAM.

Currently not playing Civ4 since I'm waiting on an 3Ghz Opteron to arrive this morning so I can increase my speed just a little.

Is it worth using your patch, or from what you've learned from working with Civ4, should it be able to play without paging on my setup?

Edit : Should say that with 1GB I was having problems, and I haven't had a chance to play Civ4 since I went for 2x1GB sticks.
 
Harkonnen said:
Settings described above made my hugest Indian 1961 AD savegame playable with my 512Mb and my patch in insane mode. If you have 1Gb of memory or 256Mb of video memory, you may increase detail even more, and it will even more playable.

wow. I'm finally up to 1Gb and a 256Mb gfx card, and I think it runs very well. I can't wait to check out a 'more playable' Civ4. :crazyeye: What would that even mean?
 
Well as this patch seems to be a major fix, you should contact Firaxis team... So they can fix the memory leak in the next patch...

BTW, you should also claim a job at firaxis support section :)
 
Well, I just want to say that I really loath firaxis. They should have been the one to distrubate this patch.

I hope Soren and the guys read this. I want firaxis to give half of my paid money to Harkonnen. Hi's doing what Firaxis should have done before thay realeased the first version. I belive that the programming skills of the Civ4 staff could be better. Well, this was the last Firaxis game I bought.

Finally i'm tierd of the PC as a gaming platform. Every time i buy a game for the PC there is always some problem, Civ4 is extremly bad.

Maybe Civ 5 will not come to PC at all. I am really hoping that XBOX360 with the new HDTV format will make stratagy games on other platforms than PC possible.

I want to relax when I play. I will not tolerate worrying about the next crash or the annoying studering movies.
 
mr. Y said:
amazigh:
I experienced the same thing, nut only after I have been playing for quite a long time on a complex map. I contributed it to my videocard becoming overheated. My PC seems to continue running, so I think only the videocard stopped performing.
Could you please post your system specs? Yes it is a graphic cards issue, I don't think its a heat issue because the computer will restart if it was, not go in sleep mode. And i can play doom 3 and far cry for many hours with out experincing any heat problems
 
Thanks!
I can actually load a busy Huge map now!
so it turns out around a triangle per every 3-4 pixels
Aie.......

Very nice work! Hope they'd actually figure what you've done, give you credit and incorporate it in the next patch. And they better give you a big credit.
 
Wow, what a difference! My game doesnt run smooth yet but thats probably my Ti4200 with only 64mb's fault. But no more minute long freezes at the end of a tick (and at random moments from time to time), and so far no CTD, so overall a GREAT improvement :)

Running P4 2.4ghz, 1 gig mem and a GF4 Ti4200 64mb
Soon the 4200 will ge replaced by a GF6800 so that should fix the low FPS in scrolling.
 
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