DaVinci Resolve "GPU Memory Is Full" Error

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Lower the working resolution

   Copy steps
   1. Open Playback > Timeline Proxy Resolution and choose Half, then Quarter
   2. This does not change your source clips
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Find the heavy effect

   Copy steps
   1. Duplicate the timeline and set an In/Out range around the failing frame
   2. Disable noise reduction, retiming, Super Scale, AI tools, Fusion and adjustment clips one at a time until the error stops
   3. Lower the temporal radius or use Render in Place (right-click the clip) on the heavy clip
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Check the GPU settings

   Copy steps
   1. Open DaVinci Resolve > Preferences > System > Memory and GPU
   2. Confirm your dedicated GPU is selected; set GPU Processing Mode to Auto or to CUDA/OpenCL/Metal manually
   3. Save and restart Resolve
   Did this fix it? Yes No

4. 4. Update the graphics driver and close other GPU apps

   Copy steps
   1. Install a current vendor driver, change one thing at a time
   2. Close browsers, games and other apps using VRAM
   Did this fix it? Yes No

5. 5. Clear stale cache

   Copy steps
   1. Playback > Delete Render Cache > Selected Clips first
   2. Cache deletion does not add VRAM, it only removes stale files
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

A "GPU memory is full" dialog appears during playback, grading or render; playback stops or the viewer goes black.

Why it happens

• Timeline or footage resolution too high for the card's VRAM
• Heavy GPU effects (temporal noise reduction, Speed Warp, Super Scale, Magic Mask)
• Oversized stills or deep Fusion branches
• Resolve running on integrated graphics or the wrong GPU
• Driver or compute API (CUDA/OpenCL) fault, common on Linux with hybrid GPUs

This guide also covers

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The same problem in other apps

All not loading, error messages & connection guides →

• Premiere Pro Error Compiling Movie (Adobe Premiere Pro)
• CapCut Not Working: No Internet Connection Error (CapCut)
• LumaFusion 'There Was an Error Reading Media in Your Project' (LumaFusion)

Other DaVinci Resolve errors

• DaVinci Resolve Media Offline Error
• DaVinci Resolve Crashing on Startup
• DaVinci Resolve Playback Choppy or Laggy
• DaVinci Resolve Render Job Failed Error
• DaVinci Resolve No Audio on Linux (AAC Codec)
• DaVinci Resolve "Unsupported GPU Processing Mode" Error
• DaVinci Resolve Keeps Crashing or Freezing
• DaVinci Resolve Studio License Activation and Transfer