Hi. GPU out of memory problem… trying to figure out where and what?

(Resolution Size: 3240x 5760) 9:16 ratio to render

This is just to show how the project looks like and how much is involved. (Older render of my project. Couldn’t render anymore… At least I have this old one I guess…)

There is:

• school_lunchroom (MAIN)
  • school_lunchroom_building
  • school_lunchroom_furniture
  • school_lunchroom_misc
  • school_lunchroom_members
    • school_lunchroom_members_priest02
    • school_lunchroom_members_marek
    • school_lunchroom_members_student01
    • school_lunchroom_members_student02
    • school_lunchroom_members_student03
    • school_lunchroom_members_student04

In school_lunchroom_members.blend, there is a collection called:

School Lunchroom | Members: Scene 3

And every single time I link that collection to my main scene file school_lunchroom (MAIN).blend, and I try to render it, it says “Out of GPU memory” whereas all of the other collection links don’t take up as much GPU memory. I’m still learning the backend of Blender as Blender Artist and it’s still confusing to me. Because the people in the school_lunchroom_members (student01, student02, student03, student04, priest02, marek) are all instances (I think, because I hit ALT+D when duplicating the students). The only ones that are unique are priest02 and marek.

school_lunchroom_members.blend is kind of disorganized… and I do not know what’s causing “Out of GPU memory.”

WHEN IT STARTED HAPPENING

It was fine before! This happened AFTER I went to school_lunchroom_misc and duplicated the candle lights on the table (one area, one point light) for better lighting. Then, I went to school_lunchroom_building, and the ceiling and walls used to share texture but I added a new texture for the ceiling. school_lunchroom_members.blend was untouched!

Appreciate the help. This was a project I been working on lately… and I couldn’t figure out what. I suspect if it were the other blend files I tampered with like adding a new texture and ALT+D making instances of lights of the candles, then how come my GPU is working well when I remove the link from the school_lunchroom_members.blend?

I really would like to understand this. If this question is confusing, I can edit it… but I think I said what I needed. Thanks!

school_lunchroom (MAIN).blend

school_lunchroom_members.blend

school_lunchroom_furniture.blend

school_lunchroom_misc.blendschool_lunchroom_building.blendschool_lunchroom_lighting.blend

Thank you very much for your help. Truly. I’ve halted on this project for some time. Couldn’t figure it out…

https://mega.nz/folder/55NwgTgT#uF0KPq0PD106lLWKkpn16g

UPDATE: OMG THIS IS REALLY STRANGE……………… actually- I used an older backup of my scene file school_lunchroom (backup).blend and even though it has the same number of meshes and lights (except the cameras) and linking to the same collections per file – i can render it! school_lunchroom (MAIN).blend has more cameras though. Aside from that, now it doesn’t throw me an “Out of GPU memory” message!

It is as if blend files can get corrupted. Is that a thing?