If OBS memory usage keeps climbing during a long YouTube stream, first determine whether system RAM or GPU VRAM is increasing, then identify what changes when the rise begins. A growing graph alone does not prove an OBS memory leak: scene sources, output restarts, rendering or encoding strain, and network trouble are different possibilities that need separate tests.
First identify what is growing—and when
Record whether the increase is in system RAM or GPU VRAM. Note the OBS version, operating system, GPU and driver, encoder, active plugins, scene collection, elapsed session time, and whether the stream was active, idle, stopped, restarted, or reconnecting. Take timestamped readings at startup and at regular intervals, and reproduce the long session or reconnect pattern that causes the symptom; a short test may not reveal it.
Keep the failure type clear as you investigate:
- Memory growth: system RAM or GPU VRAM rises over time. Watch whether it falls when a source is hidden, OBS is idle, or output is stopped.
- Rendering or encoding strain: rendering lag, encoding lag, or encoder overload points to workload or performance pressure. OBS’s encoding performance troubleshooting guide, dated 2021-06-12, discusses GPU workload and scene complexity as performance factors; it does not establish that a particular memory increase is a leak.
- Network trouble: dropped frames or intermittent disconnections are not proof of a memory leak. OBS’s stream connection troubleshooting guide, dated 2024-09-30, addresses connection and ingest stability.
Test whether the symptom depends on active output
Keep the same scenes open and compare OBS while output is stopped with OBS while the stream is active. Record memory at comparable intervals. If growth appears only after repeated output stops and starts or reconnects, include that sequence in your notes: it is a useful clue, not a diagnosis.
OBS Studio issue #13656 describes a specific report of NVENC VRAM surface-pool retention after output stop/start cycles, with growth across reconnects. It is a narrow issue report, not evidence that all NVENC users—or every long YouTube stream—have the same problem. Check the current issue status and the OBS and driver versions involved before treating it as relevant to your setup.
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Isolate scene and source workload
Test one category at a time, keeping the rest of the scene and the stream conditions as consistent as possible. OBS identifies expensive sources, browser sources, filters, and large scene collections as workload contributors. Its recommendations help reduce performance load; they do not by themselves prove or disprove a memory leak.
- Temporarily disable browser sources, particularly animated overlays or pages, and compare the memory trend.
- Test heavy filters separately. Disable them, then restore them one by one if the trend changes.
- Hide or remove unused sources and scenes for a controlled run. Keep the scene collection focused.
- Where suitable, replace a browser source with a static image or media source, and minimize browser-source dimensions.
- After each change, run long enough to include the original trigger. If the trend does not reproducibly change, restore the setting and test another variable.
Check performance and network symptoms separately
Rendering or encoding lag
Keep the OBS Stats dock and log context available. Record rendering lag and encoding lag separately from memory readings. A complex scene, GPU workload, or resource-heavy source may explain performance strain, but lag is not interchangeable with a memory leak diagnosis. Follow OBS’s performance troubleshooting guidance to investigate rendering and encoding workload.
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Dropped frames or disconnections
If the main problem is dropped frames or intermittent disconnection, investigate connection and ingest stability using OBS’s connection troubleshooting guide. Do not use network symptoms as evidence that RAM or VRAM is leaking.
Confirm a cause before calling it a fix
Repeat comparable long runs after each controlled change. A likely relationship is stronger when the same change consistently alters the memory trend under the original trigger. If memory still climbs with a minimal scene and no relevant plugin or source, preserve the logs and reproducible steps and report them to OBS support or the maintainer of the relevant plugin or driver. Do not assume a hardware upgrade or “PC cleaner” will resolve an undiagnosed software or source-specific problem.
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