GPU process memory counters report incorrect values in Windows

In today’s post, we will explore the symptoms, reproduce the issue and then provide the possible mitigation for the issue where the GPU process memory counters report incorrect values in Windows 11/10.

GPU process memory counters report incorrect values

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) process memory counters appear to show memory leaks for running applications in Windows 11/10. This issue affects the following counters:

• Performance Monitor: GPU Process Memory
• Task Manager, Details pane: Dedicated GPU memory

Some GPUs do not use dedicated GPU memory. In those cases, the Dedicated GPU memory counter is either not available or has a value of “0.” So the issue that this post describes does not occur.

If you want to reproduce the issue using Office application as an example, do the following.

Launch Task Manager. In Task Manager, select Details.

On the Details pane, right-click a column head, and click Select columns, and then select Dedicated GPU memory.

Click OK.

Start any Office application, create a blank document, and then maximize the application window.

Start any other application, and then maximize that application window in the same monitor as the Office application (so that the new application hides the Office application).

Wait approximately 30 seconds for the Office application to enter “Low Resource Mode.” In this mode, the Office application flushes its discardable caches, including the GPU resources.

On the Task Manager Details pane, check the Dedicated GPU memory value for the Office application. You should notice that the value has dropped by approximately 100MB.

Bring the Office application window back to the monitor foreground.

• Expected behavior: As the Office application re-creates its resources, its Dedicated GPU memory value should return to approximately the same value that it had the last time that the application was active.
• Actual behavior: On systems that are affected by this issue, the new Dedicated GPU memory value is larger by approximately 100MB (or more) than the last time that the application was active. Every time that you hide the Office application, wait for it to flush its caches, and then reactivate it, the value increases by another 100MB (or more). However, the Dedicated GPU memory value that is visible on the Task Manager Performancepane continues to show the expected value. Additionally, tools such as Windows Performance Recorder (WPR) and Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA) show the expected value.

According to Microsoft, this is a known issue in Windows 10.

To monitor dedicated GPU memory on affected systems, use the Performance pane of Task Manager, WPR or WPA.

Hope you find this post informative enough.