Diablo 4 Season 9: Addressing the Ongoing RAM & VRAM Memory Leaks

• Introduction
• Current Issues Reported
• Workarounds & Temporary Fixes
• Blizzard's Response
• Player Frustrations
• Conclusion

Introduction

Recently, players of Diablo 4 have been grappling with significant technical troubles during Season 9, particularly concerning RAM and VRAM memory leaks. This issue brings back memories of similar frustrations from earlier seasons, as those fortunate enough to enjoy the game are now facing repeated crashes and performance degradation.

Current Issues Reported

Players on PC have taken to various platforms, including Reddit, to express their discontent with the current state of the game. Common complaints reveal that:

• “Some PCs can sit on a character select screen and crash due to a memory leak. Others find it necessary to reboot every hour.”
• “RAM usage spikes to 15-20 GB, while VRAM steadily rises with each portal or zone transition, ultimately exceeding 13-14 GB… resulting in crashes with a Fenris error after approximately 30-45 minutes of gameplay.”

Workarounds & Temporary Fixes

While waiting for a permanent fix from Blizzard, players can adopt several suggested workarounds to mitigate the effects of these memory leaks:

• Restart the game every 30-45 minutes or whenever sessions exceed an hour.
• Reduce texture quality to medium or high to help decrease VRAM consumption.
• Disable cross-platform functionality.
• Turn off windowed screen optimization, which seems to lessen the occurrence of the leak.
• Set a fixed pagefile size corresponding to your system RAM (e.g., 32 GB pagefile if you have 32 GB RAM):
  • Go to Advanced System Settings > Advanced Tab > Performance Settings > Advanced Tab > Change > Select Custom Size-Initial (MB) & Maximum Size (MB): enter the maximum MB of your Memory RAM!
  • If you have 16 GB RAM, enter 16000; for 64 GB RAM, enter 64000, etc.
  • Click Set > Click Ok > Click Apply > Click Ok.
  • Restart your PC as prompted, and ensure changes are saved; sometimes it may require repeated steps to confirm.
• Disable advanced GPU features like DLSS, ray tracing, and frame generation to help alleviate both VRAM and RAM pressure.

It’s important to note that, while these measures can provide temporary relief, they do not address the core issue of memory mismanagement that persists within the game engine.

Blizzard's Response

Blizzard previously acknowledged memory leak issues during Season 8 and requested that players submit crash report IDs for their evaluation. Nonetheless, many in the community express that progress has been limited since then. Unfortunately, as of now, there has yet to be a clear update or effective solution regarding the memory problems faced during Season 9.

Player Frustrations

The frustration felt by players is understandable, with several key concerns highlighted:

• Performance degradation: Memory leaks lead to stuttering, slowdowns, and crashes in critical moments, particularly during dungeon runs.
• Hardware inequality: Even high-end gaming systems, equipped with upwards of 64 GB RAM and 16 GB VRAM, are not immune; these issues are not exclusive to low-spec PCs.
• Need for proper fixes: Ultimately, it requires a dedicated resolution from Blizzard, addressing the underlying memory cleanup within the game's engine to fully eliminate the issues.

Conclusion

If you’re currently experiencing these memory-related challenges in Diablo 4 Season 9, consider implementing the temporary solutions listed above, and don't hesitate to file crash reports through official channels. The more collective data Blizzard acquires, the more swiftly we can anticipate a genuine fix. Meanwhile, for those looking to enhance their in-game experience, Diablo 4 items for sale can provide additional boosts, so check out our offerings. Additionally, explore Diablo 4 legacy items to enhance your gameplay. Happy gaming, and may your adventures in Sanctuary be smooth and enjoyable!