Windows / NVIDIA RTX 3070 8 GB: device lost after ~20 areas because retired pools are kept (RX_VK_KEEP_RETIRED=0 fixes it) #1057

Closed

opened 2026-11-09 08:36:29 +00:00 by blushOFF · 3 comments

blushOFF commented

2026-11-09 08:36:29 +00:00

(Migrated from github.com)

What happens

On Windows with an NVIDIA RTX 3070 (8 GB), a long session that visits many areas ends in a device lost. Since 3f5b0aa,
retired pools are kept on Windows, and after ~20 areas the kept imports reach several GB:

vk: imports: 274 live (7216 MB), 255 retired still imported (6800 MB), 0 retired given back (0 MB)

The next area (the Forest Temple, both times) loses the device (vk: submit ... failed (-4)).

With RX_VK_KEEP_RETIRED=0 the same tour finishes every area:

vk: imports: 308 live (9024 MB), 27 retired still imported (1008 MB), 362 retired given back (9072 MB)

How it was measured

Build: origin/main fa439391 (2026-11-09), Windows 11, RTX 3070 8 GB, i7-14700KF, 32 GB RAM.
A scripted tour with the debug teleport (7133c1a2): from a Kokiri Forest save, the teleport destinations in order,
20 s in each (Death Mountain Crater and the Fire Temple left out because the heat kills child Link, and the Haunted
Wasteland because the screen stays black after that teleport). Same save, same tour, same settings; only the switch
changes:

Run	RX_VK_KEEP_RETIRED	Retired pools kept at the end	Device lost
1	default (kept)	233 (6176 MB)	yes, Forest Temple
2	default (kept)	255 (6800 MB)	yes, Forest Temple
3	0	27 (1008 MB)	no, all areas
4	0	9 (256 MB)	no, all areas

3f5b0aa was tested on an RTX 4060 Ti in Kokiri Forest only (39 retired pools, 944 MB): one area does not reach the
amount where keeping them matters.

Suggestion

Keep retired pools only on the GPUs where giving them back was shown to break (Intel Arc, issue 17; the AMD reports 309
and 571) and give them back on NVIDIA, or cap what is kept (for example, give back the oldest beyond 1-2 GB).
Possibly related: #1015 (Kakariko to Death Mountain Trail, device lost every time on an RX 6700 XT).

### What happens On Windows with an NVIDIA RTX 3070 (8 GB), a long session that visits many areas ends in a device lost. Since 3f5b0aa, retired pools are kept on Windows, and after ~20 areas the kept imports reach several GB: vk: imports: 274 live (7216 MB), 255 retired still imported (6800 MB), 0 retired given back (0 MB) The next area (the Forest Temple, both times) loses the device (`vk: submit ... failed (-4)`). With `RX_VK_KEEP_RETIRED=0` the same tour finishes every area: vk: imports: 308 live (9024 MB), 27 retired still imported (1008 MB), 362 retired given back (9072 MB) ### How it was measured - Build: origin/main fa439391 (2026-11-09), Windows 11, RTX 3070 8 GB, i7-14700KF, 32 GB RAM. - A scripted tour with the debug teleport (7133c1a2): from a Kokiri Forest save, the teleport destinations in order, 20 s in each (Death Mountain Crater and the Fire Temple left out because the heat kills child Link, and the Haunted Wasteland because the screen stays black after that teleport). Same save, same tour, same settings; only the switch changes: | Run | RX_VK_KEEP_RETIRED | Retired pools kept at the end | Device lost | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | default (kept) | 233 (6176 MB) | yes, Forest Temple | | 2 | default (kept) | 255 (6800 MB) | yes, Forest Temple | | 3 | 0 | 27 (1008 MB) | no, all areas | | 4 | 0 | 9 (256 MB) | no, all areas | - 3f5b0aa was tested on an RTX 4060 Ti in Kokiri Forest only (39 retired pools, 944 MB): one area does not reach the amount where keeping them matters. ### Suggestion Keep retired pools only on the GPUs where giving them back was shown to break (Intel Arc, issue 17; the AMD reports 309 and 571) and give them back on NVIDIA, or cap what is kept (for example, give back the oldest beyond 1-2 GB). Possibly related: #1015 (Kakariko to Death Mountain Trail, device lost every time on an RX 6700 XT).

NotRexed commented

2026-11-09 09:18:59 +00:00

(Migrated from github.com)

Thanks for the careful A/B measurements. Linking this to the VRAM tracker #993 (textures and memory over budget on 4-8 GB cards); the retired-pool default on Windows is the lead here.

NotRexed commented

2026-11-09 09:45:31 +00:00

(Migrated from github.com)

Thanks again for the measurements. In the next release, retired pools are given back on NVIDIA, which matches your RX_VK_KEEP_RETIRED=0 result. This issue will be closed when that release ships.

NotRexed commented

2026-11-09 15:16:19 +00:00

(Migrated from github.com)