Insufficient Memory Error

Fix 'Insufficient Memory Error' in Valorant on Windows

Software – Games & Drivers Beginner 👁 1 views 📅 May 29, 2026

This error pops up in Valorant when your PC runs out of RAM or the game's memory limit is too low. We'll show you how to fix it from quick to in-depth.

What's Going On With 'Insufficient Memory Error' in Valorant?

You're in the middle of a ranked match, and suddenly Valorant freezes and slaps you with an 'Insufficient Memory Error.' It's frustrating, I know. This usually happens when your computer doesn't have enough free RAM for the game or when a memory leak in Valorant or the Riot Client eats up all available memory. It can also pop up if your page file (virtual memory) is set too low. I've seen this on Windows 10 and 11, especially on systems with 8GB of RAM or less, but even 16GB machines can hit it if you've got Chrome or Discord hogging memory.

Let's fix it. Start with the quick fix below—it might take 30 seconds.

Simple Fix (30 Seconds): Close Memory-Hogging Programs

This is the first thing I try when a user calls in. Open Task Manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and look at the 'Memory' column. Sort it by clicking on the 'Memory' header so the biggest hogs are on top. If you see Chrome using 3GB or Discord using 1GB, close them. Right-click the program and hit 'End Task.'

After you do this: The memory usage should drop significantly. Launch Valorant again. If the error is gone, you're done. If not, move to the next fix.

Moderate Fix (5 Minutes): Increase Virtual Memory

When Windows runs out of physical RAM, it uses hard drive space as 'virtual memory' (page file). If that's set too low, you'll get this error. Here's how to bump it up:

  1. Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter.
  2. Go to the Advanced tab. Under 'Performance,' click Settings.
  3. In the Performance Options window, go to the Advanced tab again. Under 'Virtual memory,' click Change.
  4. Uncheck 'Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.'
  5. Select your C: drive (where Windows is installed).
  6. Choose Custom size. For 'Initial size (MB),' put 4096. For 'Maximum size (MB),' put 8192. (That's 4GB to 8GB.) If you have 16GB of RAM, you can go higher—try 8192 to 12288.
  7. Click Set, then OK on all windows. Restart your PC.

After restart: Launch Valorant. The error should be gone. If it's not, or if you still crash, try the advanced fix below.

Advanced Fix (15+ Minutes): Clean Reinstall of Riot Client and Valorant

This is for when the error keeps coming back, especially if you suspect a corrupted game file or a memory leak in the Riot Client. I've seen this fix work for users who tried everything else.

First, uninstall Valorant properly:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps on Windows 11 (or 'Apps & Features' on Windows 10).
  2. Find 'Riot Client' and click Uninstall. Confirm if asked.
  3. Find 'Valorant' and click Uninstall. This removes both the game and the launcher.

Next, clean up leftover files:

  1. Open File Explorer and go to %localappdata%\Riot Games. Delete the entire folder.
  2. Go to %appdata%\Riot Games. Delete that folder too.
  3. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Warning: Be careful here—only delete what I tell you. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Riot Games. Right-click the 'Riot Games' key and select Export to back it up. Then delete the key. Close regedit.

Now reinstall:

  1. Download the latest Valorant installer from the official Riot Games website.
  2. Run the installer. It will download and install both the Riot Client and Valorant. This takes a while—grab a coffee.
  3. Once installed, log in and test the game.

After reinstalling: The error should be gone. This wipes out any corrupted files or settings that were causing memory issues.

Still Getting the Error?

If none of these fixed it, you might be dealing with a hardware problem. Run a memory test: press Win + R, type mdsched.exe, and press Enter. Choose 'Restart now and check for problems.' Let it run—it can take 20 minutes. If it finds errors, one of your RAM sticks is bad and needs replacing.

Also check for Windows updates—some updates fix memory management bugs. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. Install any pending updates, restart, and try Valorant again.

That covers it. Start with closing programs, then virtual memory, then reinstall. One of these will get you back in the game.

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