Runtimeerror: cuda out of memory. tried to allocate

One of the often common error that encountered of developer in CUDA programming is:

Runtimeerror: cuda out of memory. tried to allocate

The cuda out of memory. tried to allocate error typically occurs if your GPU runs out of memory while attempting to allocate memory for a tensor.

In this article, we will discuss what this error means, its causes, and most importantly, how to resolve it.

Causes of the Error Cuda Out of Memory Tried to Allocate

The following are the causes of the error Cuda out of memory tried to allocate:

  • Large model size
  • Large batch size
  • Large image size
  • Insufficient memory usage
  • Poor memory management
  • Inefficient Memory Usage

Why does this error occur?

This error message occurs because your GPU has run out of memory and it cannot allocate the required amount of memory for a tensor.

For example:

If you have encountered the “cuda out of memory” error, you may see the following error message:

RuntimeError: CUDA out of memory. Tried to allocate x.xx GiB (GPU x; xx.xx GiB total capacity; xx.xx GiB already allocated; x.xx GiB free; xx.xx GiB cached)

Solution to solve the cuda out of memory. tried to allocate

Time needed: 3 minutes

Here are some solutions to solve the error Runtimeerror: cuda out of memory. tried to allocate.

  • Solution 1: Reduce batch size

    Reduce batch size will be able to resolve this error.

    Reducing the batch size is the simple and most effective solution to reduce memory usage.

    Also, by reducing the batch size, you reduce the amount of memory needed to store the gradients for backpropagation.

  • Solution 2: Reduce model size

    The other way to solve this error is by reducing model size.

    Reducing the number of parameters in your model will be able to help reduce memory usage.

    This can be done by reducing the number of layers or by using smaller filters in convolutional layers.

  • Solution 3: Use smaller images

    Using smaller input images can also help reduce memory usage.

    If you can reduce the resolution of your images without sacrificing too much efficiency.

    You can necessarily reduce the amount of memory required to store them.

  • Solution 4: Use mixed precision training

    Using the mixed precision training it will help to reduce memory usage.

    Mixed precision training involves using lower-precision floating-point numbers for certain parts of the computation.

    Which can necessarily reduce memory usage without sacrificing too much accuracy.

  • Solution 5: Using gradient accumulation

    Another solution to solve this error is to use gradient accumulation.

    The gradient accumulation involves accumulating gradients over a lot of batches before updating the model’s parameters.

    This can help reduce memory usage by reducing the number of gradients that are required to be stored in memory.

  • Solution 6: Use data parallelism

    Using data parallelism can help to solve this error.

    Because data parallelism involves splitting the batch across several GPUs and computing the gradients independently on each GPU.

    This can help reduce memory usage by distributing the memory usage across multiple GPUs.

  • Solution 7: Use model parallelism

    Using the model parallelism can help you to solve this issue.

    Because model parallelism involves splitting the model across multiple GPUs and computing the forward and backward passes independently on each GPU.

    This will help to lessen the memory usage by distributing the memory usage across multiple GPUs.

  • Solution 8: Use checkpointing

    By using checkpointing involves storing intermediate activations on disk instead of in GPU memory.

    This can help reduce memory usage by reducing the amount of memory needed to store intermediate activations.

  • Solution 9: Upgrade to a GPU with more memory

    Upgrading to a GPU with more memory is the most easiest way to increase the amount of memory available to your model.

Best Practices to Avoid this Error

Here are the following best practices to avoid the error cuda out of memory tried to allocate:

  • Monitor memory usage
  • Use memory profiling
  • Use smart algorithms
  • Use transfer learning
  • Use data augmentation

Additional Resources

The following are the additional resources that will help you to understand more about CUDA:

Conclusion

In conclusion, the “Runtimeerror: cuda out of memory. tried to allocate” error can be frustrating, but there are multiple methods to fix and avoid it.

By following the solutions and best practices outlined in this article, you can optimize your memory usage and set your models more efficiently.

Frequently Ask Questions(FAQs)

How do I know if my GPU is out of memory?

You can use the nvidia-smi command to check the memory usage of your GPU.

What is mixed precision training?

Mixed precision training involves using lower-precision floating-point numbers (e.g., half-precision instead of single-precision) for certain parts of the computation.

What is data parallelism?

Data parallelism involves splitting the batch across multiple GPUs and computing the gradients independently on each GPU.

What does “RuntimeError: CUDA Out of Memory. Tried to Allocate” mean?

The error message shows that the program has run out of memory on the GPU and cannot allocate any more memory.