I find I can work well in 1024x1024 mode with no memory conservation if I unplug devices before changing their parameters. If I change a parameter without first unplugging the inputs, the CPU will turn on full and the interface will freeze for seconds or minutes, roughly proportional to the amount of time it would take to build the world to that point with full memory conservation.
There is a similar response when changing the world size. Last night I waited 6 minutes for the world size parameter to change from 1024x1024 to 2048x2048. I tried it again just now after selecting a device near the beginning of the network, and it changed instantaneously.
Soooo…what’s going on? Where are all those CPU cycles going?