The Ballad of x86: Tips for 32-bit users to save RAM and make KSP (more) playable

[Naten]

It all started around late November. I started building a computer. Late December, it worked. I installed Windows XP first, then used an XP-to-Windows 8 upgrade on it. At this point, I didn't know that I had accidentally bought the upgrade on a 32-bit machine, not my 64-bit laptop. I was far too eager, and now, that's come back to bite me in the bum.

I installed KSP right away once the basics were done with Windows 8 and I was ready to use my new computer. But I noticed something odd.

A crash. How could this be? I looked at the output logs, and found a "write to blahblah caused an access violation blahblah numbers numbers"-like error. And to my dismay, this meant that I had ran out of physical memory.

I right-clicked Computer, and clicked Properties. Just as I'd thought, there the horrifying statement was printed. "Windows 8 32-bit (x86)."

Yep, this thing is running on x86, my $600 budget build, A.K.A. the Effort's Pit of No Return:

Athlon X4 Trinity Quad (3.7 GHz, quad-core)

ASUS Micro-ATX AMD Motherboard

AMD Radeon HD 7790 (2.2 GHz or so)

Crucial Ballistix 4GB * 2 (8GB total)

And guess how much RAM is usable?

...2.96 GB.

And to make it worse, around 0.8 GB are used by the system, the File Explorer, and essential things like the antiviruses I use.

About 2 GB I can use for KSP.

It can crash at around 1.8 GB.

Well, it's not all that bad, I guess. Um, actually, yeah, it is... D:

If you're suffering like me, you can minimize your RAM usage like me, and run KSP just fine! Crash after around 4 hours of gameplay, not 2 minutes! Follow these steps:

Don't run a browser like Chrome or Firefox while "Kerbaling." Go to your Task Manager and end any "chrome.exe" or "Google Chrome"'s you find under "processes."

Delete parts you don't use or really need. I delete the B9 railings and panels, as well as the overview cockpit, D25 or whatever it's called, and the 1.25m probe core from b9.

If you use something like KW Rocketry, get rid of the SLS parts. I keep the booster, but the other parts (excluding the grabber and "PotatoRoid,") are a little overpowered, and sadly, unless you're not playing Sandbox, a bit obselete if you also have KW or other launcher packs.

Delete fairings (other than the engine fairings!(in KW and many other mods)) if you have a mod like Procedural Fairings.

if you launch KSP via Steam, don't! KSP can be bought and updated via Steam, but for Pete's sake, people, launch it via KSP.exe. Go to Program Files/Steam/steamapps/Common/ and copy Kerbal Space Program to somewhere else. Pin the copy's KSP.exe to the taskbar, or remember its location. Now you don't have to waste memory with Steam!

USE Active Texture Management. If Basic doesn't work for you, use Aggressive. Download the x86 version instead of the x64 install if you have a 32-bit OS (operating system. e.g. Mac OSX sucks, Linux, Windows, etc) . Please, please please please remember this mod. It's a must-have even for 64-bit KSP!

End tasks in the Task Manager like Steam. Don't just close their window with the "X" button! That saves much less memory than ending its task. Chrome will say that it did "not shutdown correctly," and if you end the chrome.exe instance used by/for Hangouts, it will say that Hangouts has crashed, but ignore that. It's all good. And finally, if KSP crashes and KSP.exe is still visible in the Task Manager, end the task, especially before starting KSP again. Remember, this is just a "dead" instance of the program that crashed funny. It's useless for pretty much everything.

Remember: turn Textures down to Half Res (or maybe even Quarter Res!) in the KSP settings! (Inflight or menu.)

More tips are coming soon, and thanks for reading. Happy memory saving!

My modlist:

-Active Texture Management
-B9 Aerospace
-Engineer Redux
-ExsurgentEngineering plugin (for B9)
-Ferram Aerospace Research
-Firespitter (plugin for parts and B9, plus the whole mod and all its parts!)
-Kinetech Animation (plugin for B9, and maybe Firespitter parts...? Wait, no. Just B9 parts, I think. )
-KW Rocketry (fairings removed, engine fairings are an exception)
-ModStatistics (plugin, I may remove this to save more RAM)
-NASAmission folder (all contents kept)
-ProceduralFairnigs (all, even deprecated parts! ...but I may remove them to save RAM...)
-RemoteTech2 (again, full version! )
-ResGen (plugin for B9)
-Squad (all stock parts)
-3 B9 fixes ModuleManager configs (to fix B9's part.cfg's)
-update-aero-parts.rb, whatever that thing is. I think it's part of the B9 fixes, though... :/
-ModuleManager 2.2.0.dll (just plain 'ol, raw plugin.)
-build.txt, must be something from a mod. Ignore this, probably isn't loaded by the KSP mod parser thingy, it's just a text file.

[Motokid600]

I use to have to do all that... It'd take me hours and hours of tweaking, modifying and trimming mods just to dodge the ram limit. I'd end up deleting all of squads parts.. 90% of most mod parts.. it was ridiculous. Now with the x64 version I can keep all my parts, just drop a mod in and play. Tweaking however will always be needed. Thank you Squad.

... Do yourself a favor. If it's for gaming... Get a 64bit OS.

[katateochi]

before x64 I used to be pretty aggressive about killing certain processes before playing a heavily modded KSP. Not just browsers and other "programs" but bits of windows get it in the neck too. In particular DWM.exe (this is on Win7, don't know if DWM is on win8). It does all the fancy window effects and takes up a fair amount of resources. You have to kill it twice thou, it will re-appear right after killing it the first time, but if you kill it again then it goes away.

You can always getting it back by running it manually again (or rebooting).

[Naten]

I use to have to do all that... It'd take me hours and hours of tweaking, modifying and trimming mods just to dodge the ram limit. I'd end up deleting all of squads parts.. 90% of most mod parts.. it was ridiculous. Now with the x64 version I can keep all my parts, just drop a mod in and play. Tweaking however will always be needed. Thank you Squad.

... Do yourself a favor. If it's for gaming... Get a 64bit OS.

I'll have you know that I'm 12, and the build put me in debt with my parents and absolutely annihilated my life savings, and my family's communal, really old "backup" external USB hard drive is as large as my computer's only HDD (1 terrabyte/TB), and the USB drive only has around just 60 GB of storage space free. The only possible and doable way that I've thought of that will let me keep my files will cost around $120 at the least, and it will be a very painstaking process.

So yeah, 32-bit for the win.

[Renegrade]

It all started around late November. I started building a computer. Late December, it worked. I installed Windows XP first, then used an XP-to-Windows 8 upgrade on it. At this point, I didn't know that I had accidentally bought the upgrade on a 32-bit machine, not my 64-bit laptop. I was far too eager, and now, that's come back to bite me in the bum.

Wow. You're probably better off going back to XP.. :/

If you're going the Windows route, it's really strongly recommended to go the "Retail"-class license route, as they generally give you both versions (32 and 64-bit) as well as allow you to move your copy about. I think Microsoft calls that the "System Builder" license for Windows 8 .. or something. In any case, it's changed...but one thing that hasn't changed is that 'upgrade' editions tend to be very limited.

If money is a concern (retail used to be like $250 CDN), you could always try out a desktop-oriented Linux distribution. The price can't be beat, and you can have 64-bit support (as well as true PAE for any 32-bit systems you might have lying about. Windows PAE support is a disgrace) whenever you like. Also, many of the distributions are available as LiveCDs, so you can try-before-you-"buy" to see if KSP works well or not etc. Give Ubuntu or Mint a whirl and see if it KSPs up your life...

Also, if I'm remembering this right, ATI has better drivers for Linux than nVidia does, so your hardware should be fairly suitable for a Linux distro.

[problemecium]

Know what's funny?

I've already mentioned this in a few other threads, so apologies to those who have wandered through there, but my 64-bit OS with its 64-bit install and newly-upgraded 12GB Ram... is crashing to desktop with Access Violations just like in the OP, when I have KW Rocketry installed. o_O

[cantab]

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/windows-and-office/override-the-4gb-memory-barrier-on-32-bit-windows-81-systems/

Though it's decreasingly important now that 64-bit Windows is fairly readily available, it still annoys me that MS crippled 32 bit desktop Windows by removing PAE support. PAE doesn't let individual programs use more memory, so you'll still need to watch your parts on KSP, but it means you can leave Firefox open without worrying.

[The Jedi Master]

I'll have you know that I'm 12

Just going to say that you are one smart twelve year old.

[godefroi]

You lose 100 internets for installing XP at any point in this decade.

You lose 100 more internets for building a computer in 2013 with less than 16GB of RAM. I get that it was a budget build, but still. You were going to play games on it. You have to take the hit.

Finally, you lose 100 more internets for installing a 32-bit OS (XP, again) on a machine with more than 4GB of memory.

You're in the hole 300 internets here. It's ok, though, since you're only 12, and you have plenty of time to make it up.

I'll grant you back 150 internets for building your own system. That'll give you a good start.

[technicalfool]

Tutorial thread punted into Tutorials.

Have a nice day.

[Naten]

Know what's funny?

I've already mentioned this in a few other threads, so apologies to those who have wandered through there, but my 64-bit OS with its 64-bit install and newly-upgraded 12GB Ram... is crashing to desktop with Access Violations just like in the OP, when I have KW Rocketry installed. o_O

Ha, ha ha ha...

64-bit KSP seems like it will be harder than expected to pull off...

[Naten]

You lose 100 internets for installing XP at any point in this decade.

That is because I had XP on the computer I planned to rebuild, so I bought the XP-to-8 upgrade. I didn't know at the time that I would buy a whole new case and new components.

You lose 100 more internets for building a computer in 2013 with less than 16GB of RAM. I get that it was a budget build, but still. You were going to play games on it. You have to take the hit.

I have not seen one game that I wish to play on my computer that uses 16GB of RAM. Also, the budget part is the whole build's objective."Get what is needed, then done."

Finally, you lose 100 more internets for installing a 32-bit OS (XP, again) on a machine with more than 4GB of memory.

I did not know at the time that the Microsoft Store assumed that you wanted 32-bit if you used a 32-bit computer to buy the OS.

You're in the hole 300 internets here. It's ok, though, since you're only 12, and you have plenty of time to make it up.

I'll grant you back 150 internets for building your own system. That'll give you a good start.

Do I get internets for building my own system without parental guidance? I want my internets back. Geev.

[zekes]

Aw, i feel bad for you, I have 12 GB of ram so I never have this problem.

[godefroi]

That is because I had XP on the computer I planned to rebuild, so I bought the XP-to-8 upgrade. I didn't know at the time that I would buy a whole new case and new components.

Sorry, man, them's the rules. I don't make em, I just quote them. XP hasn't been an acceptable OS for a LONG time. One can be forgiven for skipping Vista, but not Win7.

I have not seen one game that I wish to play on my computer that uses 16GB of RAM. Also, the budget part is the whole build's objective."Get what is needed, then done."

The problem with buying the bare minimum (especially when it comes to RAM) is that if you ever decide later on that you need more, it's MUCH more expensive. RAM is always cheapest when it works with current architectures, and when it is replaced by the next type, it starts getting steadily more expensive. Expensive enough that it's cheaper for me to replace old computers with new ones than it is to upgrade them from 2GB to even 8GB now.

Also, it's not only about how much RAM the games take, you want to have a healthy amount left over for things like disk cache and SuperFetch.

I did not know at the time that the Microsoft Store assumed that you wanted 32-bit if you used a 32-bit computer to buy the OS.

Yep, that's a bummer.

Do I get internets for building my own system without parental guidance? I want my internets back. Geev.

You can have another 50 internets back for doing it on your own. Good on ya.

[xcorps]

You should give him back all his Internets.

A 12 year old upgrading from XP to 8 to play KSP is very likely going to be The One who saves us all. It would be smart to get in His good graces now.

[GDJ]

Hell, I'll give Naten his internets back. For a 12 year old, he did a man's job of building probably his first computer.

I'll bet his next one will be Kick-@$$

[Fithian]

Haven't used Anti Virus in 17 years of internet, and the internet used to be a lot darker in the pre-google days. Common sense is all you need.

I'm a Network engineer btw.

[Naten]

Haven't used Anti Virus in 17 years of internet, and the internet used to be a lot darker in the pre-google days. Common sense is all you need.

I'm a Network engineer btw.

I try to use both. Virus coders are getting much less creative now IMO, in the few years I've been fully self aware.

(age 9, 10, 11, 12)

[Naten]

Hell, I'll give Naten his internets back. For a 12 year old, he did a man's job of building probably his first computer.

I'll bet his next one will be Kick-@$$

My first computer was a Toshiba Satellite C655. I use it for taking a computer places.

My spoiled "friend" who is really just a colleague ordered a custom $1200 build with fancy shmancy crap like an overclocked 4.2 GHz CPU and an R9-270X GPU and 16 GB of DDr5 or DDr4 RAM... I think he kinda failed, though, because it gets around 60 FPS in Minecraft on high settings. When I got my dad's old office PC and poked around in it, I was like "I'm gonna rebuild this thing into moar powerful comput'r. first i`ll ad moar power." Then, I thought "no, only just enough, because I'm 12 and very poor to be building a "moar power" kind of computer." So, yeah. Just enough power is my goal, so I chose the 7790 as my GPU and my X4 Quad CPU for the budget.

[mikeyj02]

Man Im 12 to I accidently won my alienware laptop, I would totally buy you a 64 bit laptop but my parents wont let me

[waterlubber]

I feel your pain. I spent hours downloading, installing, bugfixing, patching and finally installing Ubuntu 13 on a repaired laptop.

Hmm, why is I lagging? *clicky* Nuu! 32-Bit.

Later that month I just spent about $350 to build my compy now. My GPU is as buggy as hell (GeForce 8400) but my CPU is very powerful, or just fast with quad-coreness. You can also sign up for DropBox, etc. to store files whilst you get rid of Windows 8 A.S.A.P.

*hint* it's not worth it...

And I'll have you know I'm 12 as well.

Never under estimate a 12 year old using Linux.

ON TOPIC:

My best bet with KSP would be to simply run it on Linux (Maybe LiveCD) and see how you like it. Then you can install Linux. The reason I recommend Linux is that it's footprint is very low---ESPECIALLY since you can run in a terminal session and get rid of those pesky GUI's.

Edited October 20, 2014 by waterlubber

[waterlubber]

I try to use both. Virus coders are getting much less creative now IMO, in the few years I've been fully self aware.

(age 9, 10, 11, 12)

I agree, half the viruses coded are the same thing: toolbar -> copy+paste -> toolbar (repeat).

Honestly, you get to figure out how to remove these thigns when your friend calls you up, you stop playing KSP to hear him say his computer his slow. You first tell him he's still running VISTA, not Linux, then you VNC to his computer, install Malwarebytes, and gape in horror at 2800 viruses found. all toolbars...

[peachoftree]

/me takes step back in awe of the sheer number of 12-year olds on this one thread.

Its almost as concentrated as frozen lemonade.

Just kidding:D If this were another form it might be true (I'm looking at you minecraft, yes you!). and @waterlubber, good on you for running linux!