Higher download rate causes uTorrent memory usage to spike

[alphanumeric]

I am using uTorrent 1.6 474 and I recently upgraded my internt service from 2mbit/256kbit to 10mbit/512kbit. Since I have been able to download at much higher speeds I have had alot of issues with uTorrent. First I was getting alot of 100% disk overload errors, which I believe to have solved by using the following Disk Cashe settings:

Override automatic cache size.. (unchecked)

Reduce memory usage.. (checked)

All disk write settings (unchecked)

All disk read settings (checked)

Previously my download speed would top out at 200KB/s, but now anything over 400KB/s and the memory usage of uTorrent begins to increase until it uses up all my memory and crashes. The faster the download rate, the faster the memory gets used up. The first time I realized this was happening a torrent finished and my whole computer crashed, when I rebooted none of the data was actually there.

I'm running a laptop with WinXP Pro, P3 850MHz, 20GB HDD, 250BG HDD External. I don't have any incompatable software. My external HDD is only connected through USB 1.1, not sure if this would be an issue as it supports transfers up to 1.5MB/s and the highest download rate I've experienced so far as been 1.1MB/s.

If anyone has any ideas how to keep uTorrent's memory under control I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

[Switeck]

USB v1.1 may make 1.5 MB/sec file transfers possible -- but those are linear (beginning to end) copies, not random reads and writes at the same instant. For that, it's horrible!

You need to make µTorrent's cache alot bigger and always used.

[alphanumeric]

Ok, what exact setting do I need to adjust then? and how much bigger would you recommend I make uTorrent's cache?

Because I tried overriding the automatic cache to 512MB and enabling caching of disk writes but that didn't help any. Thanks.

[Switeck]

In the cache settings, these should be checked:

1st checkbox

3rd

6th

9th (last checkbox)

All the rest should be unchecked.

That should at least reduce your disk overload problems.

Are you using a software firewall/security suite/antivirus/antispyware on your computer?

What settings are you using, as shown by Speed Guide (CTRL+G)?

[alphanumeric]

I checked/unchecked the boxes you recommended. What size cache should I use? I had 512MB, which seems excessive. I haven't had any disk overload problems, but uTorrent is still using up copious amounts of memory. Doesn't seem to be spiraling out of control like before, but still increasing at a steady rate.. even after downloading has completed.

I am using Windows Firewall (not blocking uTorrent) and AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition. These were both running while I was at 2mbit broadband with no issues though.

Upload Limit: 0KB/s

Upload Slots: 3

Connections (per torrent): 90

Connections (global): 250

Max Active Torrents: 140

Max Active Downloads: 4

[Ultima]

Erm... run the Speed Guide, as your upload limit should NOT be set to 0. Increasing memory usage after downloading completes is not abnormal -- it just means the disk cache is still getting filled with data for reading.

[alphanumeric]

I've run the speed guide at set my upload to 47KB/s. I set my cache to 32MB, but have had to check 'Reduce memory usage when the cache is no needed' because just normal operation/seeding was causing memory to steadily increase to no end.

[Ultima]

Hm, a cache size of 32MB might be a tad bit low for your connection... Try 64MB or something. If it's growing non-stop on automatic cache size mode, you should uncheck the last checkbox that says to increase on disk thrashing.

[Switeck]

And even your line cannot handle more than a TINY fraction of the max torrents you allow!

That's quite likely a major contributor of your memory problems right there if you really DO have nearly that many active torrents at once.

Speed guide recommends only 3 active torrents at once for your connection.

Use the advanced features as well to let (queue.dont_count_slow_ul and queue.dont_count_slow_dl) to manage additional torrents instead.

[alphanumeric]

Have changed cache size to 64MB.

queue.dont_count_slow_ul and queue.dont_count_slow_dl were already set to TRUE.

I've set Max Active Torrents: 4. I only had it to 140 because sometimes if I have it set to 4, then it will Queue all but 4 seeds. If that makes sense. I know I shouldn't have to, but sometimes that's the only way I can get uTorrent not to Queue most of my seeds.

[alphanumeric]

Hi guys, do you have any more ideas what may be causing this? Cause when I'm downloading I have to stay and carefully watch uTorrent the whole time. For example, I'm downloading a 700MB file that's split into 15MB rars. So the only way I can stop my memory from sprialing out of control is to just download 2 rars at a time, wait for 1 to finish and then start the next rar. Needless to say this is becoming very frustrating and I can't keep monitoring every download this way. And if it was in one 700MB file instead of split into rars I probably wouldn't be able to download it at all. Thanks guys.

[Switeck]

I'd say it's probably a software firewall or spyware that your internet connection is routing through that's causing low-level networking memory eating.

Nothing you said you had is likely to find spyware.