GPU memory usage
#1
Hi is there a way to monitor GPU memory usage?
I have made a custom build image for the Pi2... and now i want it to run on the Pi1 B+.
But the Pi1 memory is only 512.. so i need the mem split to be just right... i use a lot of artwork and addons.

Grz. Warez
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#2
bcmstat is useful for this.

512M is plenty for most uses. I'd suggest a gpu_mem of 160.
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#3
If i set it to 192mb gpu... play 1080p movie and scroll fanart in the background i only got 3 mb left... so i will set it to 200 mb?
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#4
It seems like Fanart is stored in the GPU Mem, is there a way to set it in SD Card cache?
<useddsfanart>fals</useddsfanart> <---- this will not work by the way Sad
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#5
(2015-05-30, 11:14)Warez Wrote: It seems like Fanart is stored in the GPU Mem, is there a way to set it in SD Card cache?

All artwork temporarily uses an amount of GPU mem whenever it is being displayed... not sure what you're proposing with "SD Card cache".

(2015-05-30, 11:14)Warez Wrote: <useddsfanart>fals</useddsfanart> <---- this will not work by the way Sad

useddsfanart isn't supported on the Pi/Pi2.
Texture Cache Maintenance Utility: Preload your texture cache for optimal UI performance. Remotely manage media libraries. Purge unused artwork to free up space. Find missing media. Configurable QA check to highlight metadata issues. Aid in diagnosis of library and cache related problems.
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#6
Hi

Im using bcmstat to monitor gpu mem usage as noticed few black outs on fanart etc which relate to not enough gpu mem.

I noticed that when a video is playing and i browse through gui movie fanart etc the GPU mem gets used up very quickly.

Now when a video is not playing and i do same browse gui movie fanart etc it uses very little GPU mem.

Whats reason for big difference in gpu mem usage? Is it because the video uses a lot of the gpu mem when playing?

Currently set gpu mem to 320 for rpi3. I like browsing through music videos when one is playing in background this causes issue of mem running down very quickly.

Thanks for any info

cheers millhouse for great bcmstat monitor
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#7
Yes, I can reproduce that here with my latest test build #0327 - play a movie, switch to window mode, browse movies library (Estuary list view type, showing poster and small fanart) and eventually GPU mem will be exhausted.

When bcmstat.sh started reporting 0% GPU free the artwork stopped being shown (black squares) so the measurement reported by bcmstat.sh is accurate.

When movie playback is stopped, all the GPU memory is released.
Texture Cache Maintenance Utility: Preload your texture cache for optimal UI performance. Remotely manage media libraries. Purge unused artwork to free up space. Find missing media. Configurable QA check to highlight metadata issues. Aid in diagnosis of library and cache related problems.
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#8
(2016-03-28, 00:37)Milhouse Wrote: Yes, I can reproduce that here with my latest test build #0327 - play a movie, switch to window mode, browse movies library (Estuary list view type, showing poster and small fanart) and eventually GPU mem will be exhausted.

When bcmstat.sh started reporting 0% GPU free the artwork stopped being shown (black squares) so the measurement reported by bcmstat.sh is accurate.

When movie playback is stopped, all the GPU memory is released.

Thanks millhouse for testing. So is this an issue that can be worked upon or is it just way kodi works?

With more ram this probably wouldnt be issue. Unfortunately rpi limited to 1gb.

cheers
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#9
I'm pretty sure it shouldn't behave that way, but @popcornmix would know for sure.
Texture Cache Maintenance Utility: Preload your texture cache for optimal UI performance. Remotely manage media libraries. Purge unused artwork to free up space. Find missing media. Configurable QA check to highlight metadata issues. Aid in diagnosis of library and cache related problems.
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#10
I've never actually used anything other than default configuration... never once had an issue on the RPi besides earlier builds (years ago) when playing 1080p with DTS. Overclocking solved that.
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#11
Any info on this issue @popcornmix please?

Thanks
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#12
(2016-03-29, 17:24)the_bo Wrote: Any info on this issue @popcornmix please?

I'm not sure there is anything that can be fixed.
A heavy skin with lots of posters displayed needs a lot of texture (gpu) memory.
If you try doing that while playing a HD video then there is more demand for GPU memory.

You can work around this by increasing gpu_mem in config.txt or by disabling "Use higher colour depth artwork".
Or just map the back key to stop so you don't have the library and player competing for resources at the same time.
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#13
(2016-03-29, 17:49)popcornmix Wrote:
(2016-03-29, 17:24)the_bo Wrote: Any info on this issue @popcornmix please?

I'm not sure there is anything that can be fixed.
A heavy skin with lots of posters displayed needs a lot of texture (gpu) memory.
If you try doing that while playing a HD video then there is more demand for GPU memory.

You can work around this by increasing gpu_mem in config.txt or by disabling "Use higher colour depth artwork".
Or just map the back key to stop so you don't have the library and player competing for resources at the same time.

Thanks for clarifying popcornmix.
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#14
(2016-03-29, 17:49)popcornmix Wrote:
(2016-03-29, 17:24)the_bo Wrote: Any info on this issue @popcornmix please?

I'm not sure there is anything that can be fixed.
A heavy skin with lots of posters displayed needs a lot of texture (gpu) memory.
If you try doing that while playing a HD video then there is more demand for GPU memory.

You can work around this by increasing gpu_mem in config.txt or by disabling "Use higher colour depth artwork".
Or just map the back key to stop so you don't have the library and player competing for resources at the same time.

I saw this with Estuary, and when I entered the movie library there was plenty of GPU memory available (~200MB), but as I scrolled through the library at a moderate pace (I didn't go crazy) displaying more and more artwork I could see the GPU memory being allocated with each new item of artwork - but never freed - until eventually all GPU memory had been allocated and artwork began to fail to display (and other odd GUI behaviour). The GPU memory was only freed once I ended playback of the video.

Perhaps it's an unlikely scenario and nothing to lose sleep over, but it does appear that something is tying up allocated GPU memory while a video is playing.
Texture Cache Maintenance Utility: Preload your texture cache for optimal UI performance. Remotely manage media libraries. Purge unused artwork to free up space. Find missing media. Configurable QA check to highlight metadata issues. Aid in diagnosis of library and cache related problems.
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#15
(2016-03-30, 00:22)Milhouse Wrote:
(2016-03-29, 17:49)popcornmix Wrote:
(2016-03-29, 17:24)the_bo Wrote: Any info on this issue @popcornmix please?

I'm not sure there is anything that can be fixed.
A heavy skin with lots of posters displayed needs a lot of texture (gpu) memory.
If you try doing that while playing a HD video then there is more demand for GPU memory.

You can work around this by increasing gpu_mem in config.txt or by disabling "Use higher colour depth artwork".
Or just map the back key to stop so you don't have the library and player competing for resources at the same time.

I saw this with Estuary, and when I entered the movie library there was plenty of GPU memory available (~200MB), but as I scrolled through the library at a moderate pace (I didn't go crazy) displaying more and more artwork I could see the GPU memory being allocated with each new item of artwork - but never freed - until eventually all GPU memory had been allocated and artwork began to fail to display (and other odd GUI behaviour). The GPU memory was only freed once I ended playback of the video.

Perhaps it's an unlikely scenario and nothing to lose sleep over, but it does appear that something is tying up allocated GPU memory while a video is playing.

Yeah that's the issue. Even when you go back to fullscreen video GPU mem doesn't get freed until video stops.
So if there is a playlist of videos playing and you occiasionly browse through GUI overtime the GPU mem usage will keep building up.
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