Forum Discussion

watts_jim's avatar
watts_jim
Helper II
3 years ago
Solved

Desktop app memory hog

I have a fairly simple dashboard; quite a few tables, but all very small - the largest is only a couple of meg, according to DAX Studio.  The PBIX is only 4MB.  However, it can take up to 4GB of RAM in total when refreshing.  1.5GB for PBIDesktop.exe, 500MB for SSAS, then hundreds of meg for a log of MashupContainer.NetFX45 processes, etc.

 

So - any way to identify what is using up the memory, or how to reduce it ?

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    3 years ago

    Hi watts_jim ,

    High memory consumption during data refresh in Power BI can be caused by poorly designed calculated columns or models. To identify the cause of high memory usage, you can follow these steps:

    1. Identify the entity or calculations consuming more memory: Analyze your data model and calculations to find any inefficient design or complex calculations that might be causing high memory consumption.

    2. Optimize your data model: Review your data model and remove any unnecessary columns, tables, or relationships. This can help reduce the memory footprint of your data model.

    3. Optimize your calculations: Review your DAX calculations and try to simplify them or use more efficient functions. This can help reduce the memory consumption during data refresh.

    4. Disable background data preview: In Power BI Desktop, go to File > Options and settings > Options > Data Load, and uncheck "Allow data preview to download in the background". This can help reduce memory consumption while opening the file, but it may increase the time and resources consumed when working in the query editor preview.


    Please note that these are general guidelines, and the specific cause of high memory consumption in your case may vary depending on your data model and calculations. It's essential to analyze your specific scenario to identify the root cause and apply the appropriate optimizations.

     

    Best Regards,
    Gao

    Community Support Team

     

    If there is any post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution  to help the other members find it more quickly. If I misunderstand your needs or you still have problems on it, please feel free to let us know. Thanks a lot!

    How to get your questions answered quickly --  How to provide sample data in the Power BI Forum

2 Replies

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    Not applicable

    Hi watts_jim ,

    High memory consumption during data refresh in Power BI can be caused by poorly designed calculated columns or models. To identify the cause of high memory usage, you can follow these steps:

    1. Identify the entity or calculations consuming more memory: Analyze your data model and calculations to find any inefficient design or complex calculations that might be causing high memory consumption.

    2. Optimize your data model: Review your data model and remove any unnecessary columns, tables, or relationships. This can help reduce the memory footprint of your data model.

    3. Optimize your calculations: Review your DAX calculations and try to simplify them or use more efficient functions. This can help reduce the memory consumption during data refresh.

    4. Disable background data preview: In Power BI Desktop, go to File > Options and settings > Options > Data Load, and uncheck "Allow data preview to download in the background". This can help reduce memory consumption while opening the file, but it may increase the time and resources consumed when working in the query editor preview.


    Please note that these are general guidelines, and the specific cause of high memory consumption in your case may vary depending on your data model and calculations. It's essential to analyze your specific scenario to identify the root cause and apply the appropriate optimizations.

     

    Best Regards,
    Gao

    Community Support Team

     

    If there is any post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution  to help the other members find it more quickly. If I misunderstand your needs or you still have problems on it, please feel free to let us know. Thanks a lot!

    How to get your questions answered quickly --  How to provide sample data in the Power BI Forum