nUI memory usage

Flinger · 05-04-09, 05:28 PM

I've installed the nUI 5.3.01+ and have been having severe performance issues while raiding. My fps's have always been low, but it was getting impossible to play. I decided to install FU_performance and was shocked with what i saw: nUI was using a ton of memory, but the worst was the increase rate, measured In Megabytes.

I atached a few prints with and without nUI.

first pick, during combat.
Second pic out off combat with nUI
Third pic out of combat without nUI.

After i disabled nUI the performance improved a lot. For what i was able to see, with nUI on, the game was invoking the garbadge dump every few seconds, while without nUI it wasn't needed.

The prints may not be the best. When i have time i'll do a fresh install and try it again.

spiel2001 · 05-05-09, 01:19 PM

Flinger -- the memory usage issue is not really an issue except for the fact that the garbage collector does clearly have non-trivial problems since WoW 3.0

That said... my top priority now, aside from finishing the detachment of the configuration data from the layout engine, is cleaning up nUI's memory usage to reduce the load on the borked garbage collector.

However... it is *very* important that you understand the problem is *not* nUI. This post is a perfect illustration of the issue... http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/th...03572404&sid=1 -- raiders everywhere have been having endless FPS issues even in otherwise "lightweight" configurations.

Do know I am working on improving nUI's footprint.

Flinger · 05-05-09, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by spiel2001

Flinger -- the memory usage issue is not really an issue except for the fact that the garbage collector does clearly have non-trivial problems since WoW 3.0

Yes, i am aware of that.

Originally Posted by Flinger

For what i was able to see, with nUI on, the game was invoking the garbadge dump every few seconds, while without nUI it wasn't needed.

I noticed that the problem was in the garbage collector, and i supose, correct me if i'm wrong, that it is triggered by the amount of memory being used. I also know that isn't under your control, execept for trying to reduce the amount of memory/garbage used/generated by nUI.

I'm glad you are aware of the problem, and working on minimizing it.

Originally Posted by carz

For what i was able to see, with nUI on, the game was invoking the garbadge dump every few seconds, while without nUI it wasn't needed.

I'm also aware of that, and i must agree it was a litle unfair from me to just comparing both performances, with and without nUI. I should compare nUI with other addons doing the same work. I believe the Unit frames alone must use a lot of memory.

I will be making a non nUI raiding interface, and will post any relevant data i may come across. Though i love nUI, the diference, as slight as it may seem, is huge on such a low performance system as mine. Hope you can improve it soon, so i can get back using it.

todd0168 · 05-08-09, 08:30 AM

Yeah, I have been having the same issue whenever I raid or run instances. I pretty much have no problems when just solo questing but once I get into an instance/raid the whole thing borks out on me. One thing that I have done to help alleviate the situation is to set a macro for a garbage dump on a hot key so whenever my fps tanks I can just hit the garbage dump macro and poof I'm back in business sooner than just waiting it out.

spiel2001 · 05-08-09, 08:37 AM

Well... the problem here is that I'm kind of between a rock and a hard place... the issue is that there's a problem that is not unique to nUI. It is impacting a LOT of mods out there ever since 3.0 and appears to be even worse in 3.1 -- I'm working to alleviate the problem as much as I can by reducing how much garbage nUI generates, but I don't know that I can truly fix it. Even very lightweight UIs are having FPS issues.

Given Bliz's new addon development policy, if I were a conspiracy theorist I would suggest it wasn't by accident. However, I do believe it to be just coincidence. The problem, however, is fixing it.

/sigh

This thread is a good example of the FPS issue in play for people who are using mods other than nUI... http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/th...03572404&sid=1

Petrah · 05-08-09, 09:34 AM

Could there be a memory leak in some of those instances? They had a pretty severe one in that one cave where you do the daily quest, Slaves to Saronite (I remember the huge posts on that in the bug reports forum). Blizz fixed that one though. The FPS drops in that cave were pretty bad and would cripple even the best gaming systems.

Bluspacecow · 05-09-09, 01:50 AM

Originally Posted by spiel2001

Given Bliz's new addon development policy, if I were a conspiracy theorist I would suggest it wasn't by accident. However, I do believe it to be just coincidence. The problem, however, is fixing it.

Can you replicate the same problems these people have been having Mr a Bagel and Coffee every day man ?

>_>
<_<

I wonder if there's anything in badaddons.wcf in the affected users Wow folders -_-

Carz · 05-05-09, 01:22 PM

its does that all the time there no need to worried its goes from 10mb to about 25mb if I'm not raiding about 25mb to 35mb when i am but it drops back down because it is the garbage that nUI is throwing when it working just like any other addon just have to remember that its a standalone coded UI

Flinger · 05-08-09, 12:35 PM

Well, it is true i can't do much testing in Raids, otherwise my raid leader will kicking my butt big time, but i supose some testing can be done in battlegrounds. AV is perhaps the perfect place for it.

Originally Posted by Carz

its goes from 10mb to about 25mb if I'm not raiding about 25mb to 35mb

Were you refering to nUI alone, or to all the addons together? Because nUI alone, in my test, was using over 40 MB.

I am currently trying to improve my system's performance, resorting to all kind of tricks i can remember. Possibly i'll have to increase the memory, from the current 2GB to 4GB, though it will require a big investment as my computer only works on ECC registered RAM.

Petrah · 05-08-09, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Flinger

I am currently trying to improve my system's performance, resorting to all kind of tricks i can remember. Possibly i'll have to increase the memory, from the current 2GB to 4GB, though it will require a big investment as my computer only works on ECC registered RAM.

Did you check out the System Performance Guide, 3.1 edition sticky over on the Tech Support forum? There might be something that can help you there.

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/th...71909544&sid=1