Fixing Guide For Games Crashing Due to Low Memory

Craving an immersive gaming session only to be thwarted by a sudden game crash? You’re not alone. Many enthusiastic gamers share this plight. These crashes are often a result of your system running low on memory. But fear not, as this guide is designed to walk you through the process of troubleshooting and rectifying this frustrating issue, all while maintaining a smooth, easy-to-understand tone.

First Understanding the Issue

To start, it’s important to understand the root cause of the problem. In the context of gaming, ‘memory’ usually refers to Random Access Memory (RAM), a crucial component in your system that temporarily stores data for immediate access. When you’re gaming, a significant chunk of your RAM is dedicated to storing game data, like character models, textures, and game physics. If your system lacks enough RAM, it may struggle to load these elements, causing the game to crash.

Step 1: Check Your System’s RAM

Before we dive into the fixes, it’s essential to check the amount of RAM your system has. Here’s how to do it:

1. For Windows users: Press Win + I to open Settings, then navigate to System > About. Under Device specifications, you’ll find Installed RAM.
2. For Mac users: Click on the Apple icon in the top-left corner, then go to About This Mac. The Memory field under the Overview tab will display your RAM.

If your system has less than 8GB of RAM, it may struggle to run modern games, which often require a lot of memory. In this case, consider upgrading your RAM.

Step 2: Close Unnecessary Applications

It’s a good practice to close unnecessary applications running in the background before you start your game. These applications can consume a significant portion of your RAM, leaving less memory for your game.

For Windows users, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), and close the applications you don’t need. For Mac users, use the Activity Monitor (found in Applications > Utilities) to close unnecessary applications.

Step 3: Lower Game Settings

If your game is still crashing, you might need to lower your game’s settings. High graphics settings can demand a lot of memory, so reducing these settings can free up RAM. Try reducing texture quality, rendering distance, or turning off optional features like anti-aliasing or shadows.

Step 4: Update Your Drivers

Outdated graphics drivers can also lead to game crashes. Make sure your graphics drivers are up-to-date:

1. For Nvidia users: Go to the Nvidia GeForce website, download the GeForce Experience app, and use it to update your drivers.
2. For AMD users: Visit the AMD website, download the AMD Radeon Software, and update your drivers.
3. For Intel users: Visit the Intel website, download the Intel Driver & Support Assistant, and update your drivers.

Step 5: Increase Virtual Memory

If your game is still crashing, you could try increasing your virtual memory. Virtual memory is a portion of your hard drive that Windows uses as if it were RAM. While it’s slower than actual RAM, it can help if you’re running low on memory.

1. Open System Properties (Right-click on This PC > Properties > Advanced system settings).
2. Under the Advanced tab, click on Settings under Performance.
3. Go to the Advanced tab, then click on Change under Virtual memory.
4. Uncheck `Automatically# Assistant will complete the steps for increasing virtual memory. quote(“Uncheck ‘Automatically manage to page”, “Initial size’ and ‘Maximum size’.”)

manage paging file size for all drives. Then, select your system drive (usually C:), and manually set the Initial sizeandMaximum size for your virtual memory. A good rule of thumb is to set the initial size of your system’s RAM size and the maximum size to twice the amount of RAM.

Once you have made these changes, click Set, then OK, and restart your computer.

Step 6: Consider Upgrading Your RAM

If you’ve followed all the steps and your game is still crashing, it might be time to upgrade your RAM. This is a more drastic measure and involves a cost, but it can make a significant difference in your gaming experience. Today’s games often demand 8GB of RAM or more, and having enough memory can also improve your system’s overall performance.

Before you purchase new RAM, make sure to check what type of RAM your system supports. Consult your system or motherboard’s manual, or use an online tool like Crucial’s Memory Advisor tool.

Conclusion

Games crashing due to low memory can be a frustrating experience, but it’s a problem that can usually be fixed. By following this guide, you should be able to identify the issue, implement some fixes, and hopefully get back to your gaming session without any interruptions. Remember, every system and game is unique, so what works for one person might not work for another. It’s all about finding the solution that works best for you. Don’t let technical difficulties discourage you. With some patience and a little know-how, you’ll be back in the game in no time. Happy gaming!

FAQs