If OBS memory keeps climbing during a long YouTube stream, first find out whether it is system RAM or GPU VRAM, then identify what activity makes it rise. A growing graph alone does not prove OBS has a memory leak. Scene sources, rendering or encoding strain, network trouble, and output restarts are different clues that need separate tests.
First identify what is growing
Record whether the increase is in system memory (RAM) or graphics memory (VRAM), and note when it starts. A useful record includes the OBS version, operating system, GPU and driver, encoder, active plugins, scene collection, elapsed time, and whether output was streaming, reconnecting, or stopped and restarted.
Take timestamped readings at startup and at regular intervals. The goal is to reproduce the same long-session conditions that trigger the rise; a short test may not reveal a problem that appears only after hours or repeated reconnects.
- System RAM: note the OBS process’s memory use and whether it falls after hiding a source, stopping output, or leaving OBS idle.
- GPU VRAM: record graphics memory separately. Do not treat a VRAM increase as equivalent to a system RAM increase.
- Trigger: mark whether growth begins while OBS is idle, during active output, after scene changes, or after output stop/start cycles or reconnects.
Separate memory growth from performance and connection problems
Rendering or encoding strain
Rendering lag, encoding lag, and overload are not the same as a memory leak. OBS’s encoding performance troubleshooting guide, dated 2021-06-12, explains how GPU workload and scene complexity can constrain rendering and encoding. Keep the OBS Stats dock and logs available, and record rendering or encoding lag separately from memory use.
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Dropped frames or disconnections
Dropped frames and intermittent disconnections point toward a connection or ingest stability problem, not by themselves a memory leak. Follow OBS’s stream connection troubleshooting guide, dated 2024-09-30, if those are the main symptoms. Keep network observations distinct from RAM and VRAM readings.
Isolate sources and scene workload
Test one category at a time so you can tell whether a change affects the memory trend. OBS recommends reducing resource-heavy scene workload, including browser sources, filters, and overly large scene collections. Its performance guidance suggests minimizing browser-source dimensions, using static image or media sources where suitable, reducing filters, and keeping scene collections focused.
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- Test browser sources. Temporarily disable overlays, animated pages, and other browser sources. If practical, test each source separately rather than removing several at once.
- Test filters and unused sources. Disable heavy filters, then unused sources or scenes. Compare the memory trend after each change.
- Test a focused scene collection. Reduce the test setup to the scenes and sources needed for the stream. Keep the other conditions unchanged.
- Repeat the full trigger. Run the test long enough to include the original symptom, such as the same elapsed time, scene activity, or reconnect pattern.
If a change does not produce a repeatable difference, restore it before testing another variable. That avoids attributing a one-off fluctuation to a source or setting.
Test whether output restarts are the trigger
Compare OBS with the same scenes open but no stream output against a run with output active. If memory rises only after repeated output stops, starts, or reconnects, document that pattern precisely.
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OBS Studio issue #13656 describes a particular NVENC VRAM surface-pool retention symptom after output stop/start cycles, with growth reported across reconnects. It is a narrow issue report, not an official general diagnosis and not proof that every NVENC user—or your setup—has the same defect. Check the issue’s current status and the OBS and graphics-driver versions involved before drawing a conclusion.
Run controlled comparisons and report reproducible results
- Write down the baseline configuration and the time at which memory begins rising.
- Change one source category or condition, leaving the rest of the setup alone.
- Repeat the long session or reconnect sequence that originally triggered the symptom.
- Compare the memory trend and note any rendering lag, encoding lag, dropped frames, or disconnections separately.
- If the increase persists with a minimal scene and no relevant plugin or source, preserve logs and report the exact reproduction steps to OBS support or the maintainer of the relevant plugin or driver.
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