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Iracing Out of Memory Error

Getting the iracing out of memory error? This quick guide for iRacing drivers explains why it happens and shows step‑by‑step fixes to stop crashes fast. Today.

If you’re seeing the iracing out of memory error, the usual cause is your PC running out of RAM or VRAM because of high graphics or replay settings. You’re in the right place—below are quick, proven steps to stop the crashes and get you racing again.

Quick Answer: iracing out of memory error

The iracing out of memory error happens when the sim can’t allocate enough memory (system RAM, GPU VRAM, or Windows pagefile). The fastest fixes are: lower texture quality and cars drawn, reduce the replay memory size, ensure the Windows pagefile is enabled, and restart the sim/PC.

What’s Really Going On

iRacing loads a lot of textures and car models. Two memory limits matter:

  • RAM (system memory): used by iRacing, replays, and background apps.
  • VRAM (graphics memory): used by textures, shaders, mirrors, and high resolutions (VR/triples).

If either fills up, iRacing can crash with an out-of-memory message. High iRacing settings, large replay buffers, VR supersampling, and disabled Windows pagefile are the most common triggers.

Step-by-Step Fix

  1. Restart iRacing and Windows. This clears memory and stuck background usage.
  2. Lower heavy iRacing settings. In Options > Graphics:
    • Texture Quality: set to Medium.
    • Reduce Max Cars/Cars On Track drawn (try 20–25).
    • Disable High-Res cars in mirrors; lower Shadows and Particles.
  3. Cut replay memory. In Options > Replay:
    • Set Max Replay Size to 512–1024 MB. Large values can eat RAM fast.
    • Advanced: in Documents\iRacing\app.ini, set replayMemoryMB=512–1024.
  4. Ensure Windows pagefile is on. Windows Settings > System > About > Advanced system settings > Performance > Advanced > Virtual memory:
    • Check “Automatically manage…” or set a custom size (e.g., 4096–16384 MB).
  5. Update GPU driver and close background apps.
    • Update NVIDIA/AMD drivers.
    • Close browsers, Discord overlays, screen recorders, or anything using lots of RAM/VRAM.
  6. Rebuild shader cache (safe and quick).
    • Close iRacing, go to Documents\iRacing, delete the “shaders” or “shadercache” folders (if present). iRacing will rebuild them on next launch.

Optional for VR/triples:

  • Lower SteamVR/Oculus render scale to 100% or less.
  • Reduce resolution/antialiasing on triples.

Extra Tips / Checklist

  • Run iRacing Auto-Config once (in Graphics settings) to get a safe baseline, then tweak.
  • Watch VRAM/RAM usage with Task Manager (Performance tab) while in a session.
  • Avoid maxing mirrors; they duplicate textures and cost VRAM.
  • 8 GB RAM is marginal; 16 GB+ is recommended. GPUs with 4 GB VRAM can struggle in big fields.
  • If it only happens on certain tracks/cars, keep those on Medium textures and smaller Max Cars.

FAQs

  • Why does this only happen in big races? More cars = more textures and liveries. That spikes VRAM and RAM. Lower Texture Quality and Max Cars drawn for large fields.

  • Will lowering replays hurt my racing? No. It only limits how much replay footage is kept in memory. Your on-track performance won’t suffer.

  • Is this a graphics card issue? Not always. It’s often settings-related or a pagefile problem. Update drivers and trim iRacing settings first.

  • Do I need to reinstall iRacing? Usually not. Try the steps above. If issues persist, run the iRacing updater/repair and contact support with your dxdiag and app.ini.

Short Wrap-Up

Most iracing out of memory error crashes come from aggressive iRacing settings, large replay buffers, or a disabled pagefile. Dial back textures and cars drawn, trim replay size, and confirm the pagefile is on. Test again in a practice session before your next race.