How much VRAM do you need to play?

The importance of VRAM in today’s graphics cards is a topic that comes up quite often, given the many new video game releases that are always more demanding. The discussion regularly centres on working out the right amount of VRAM needed to achieve optimal performance—particularly when it comes to recent games. 

This article looks at the development of VRAM, its impact on gaming experiences, but above all the importance of understanding its implications in order to choose the graphics card best suited to your expectations and your needs in terms of gaming. 

The evolution over time of VRAM in graphics cards

Back in the days of the GTX 1070 graphics card, which was released eight years ago, NVIDIA introduced a revolutionary development in VRAM. This consumer graphics card came with an impressive 8 GB of VRAM and cost about £450 (quite a hefty sum for the time). 

Taking inflation into account, that would be roughly £600 in today’s money—about the price of an RTX 4070 Super.  

What about modern graphics cards?

Today, for £600 you can get a GeForce RTX 4070 Super with 12 GB of VRAM. Although that is an increase, it isn’t proportional to the growing VRAM needs of today’s games. 

For example, the RTX 4060 Ti, launched at £400, with just 8 GB of VRAM, has turned out to be limited for demanding games in QHD or UHD.

What impact does VRAM have on gaming performance?

Is 8 GB of VRAM really not enough?

The 8 GB and 16 GB versions of the RTX 4060 Ti clearly show that 8 GB of VRAM no longer suffices for high-end games at resolutions higher than Full HD.

The 16 GB model offers not only higher frame rates, but also a smoother gaming experience with fewer spikes in frame times.

A striking example is Horizon Forbidden West. With very high settings at 1440p, the 16 GB version of the RTX 4060 Ti is up to 35% faster than the 8 GB version, delivering a much smoother experience.  

8 GB vs 16 GB of VRAM: a drop in quality, a necessary trade-off?

Some games handle memory differently, which can make it harder to identify issues caused by insufficient VRAM. For example, in Halo Infinite, automatic texture and object-detail reduction helps get around VRAM limits, but at the cost of visual quality.

What are the VRAM requirements of modern games?

Horizon Forbidden West

At 1440p, the difference between the 8 GB and 16 GB VRAM versions is clear. The 16 GB model is not only faster, but also much more stable in terms of frame times.

Cyberpunk 2077

Optimised for 8 GB graphics cards, Cyberpunk 2077 shows that high-quality textures can be a weak point. However, at 1080p and 1440p, performance remains acceptable with the Ultra preset, but ray tracing pushes memory use beyond the limits of 8 GB.

Source: https://overclocking.com/cyberpunk-2077-phantom-liberty-quid-des-performances/

Other VRAM-demanding games

1. The Last of Us Part One: Needs more than 8 GB for Ultra settings at 1080p.
2. Avatar: Uses memory heavily, with frequent frame-time spikes when VRAM is insufficient.
3. Hogwarts Legacy: Requires at least 12 GB of VRAM for smooth performance at 4K.

What are the consequences of running short on VRAM?

Lower performance ...

When VRAM is insufficient, performance drops dramatically: frame times become less consistent, and textures may not load properly, making the game genuinely less enjoyable. 

Towards more efficient texture management?

Some games, like Forza Motorsport, manage memory better, but Ultra presets with ray tracing still require more than 8 GB of VRAM. Nvidia’s features — and in particular the addition of AI — should further highlight this issue in the years to come.

Optimise your settings for optimal VRAM usage

Adjust your settings

To maximise performance with an 8 GB graphics card, it’s often necessary to reduce quality settings such as textures. This flexibility, although it comes with a rather distracting visual trade-off, can help you keep your graphics card going for longer.

Consider buying a more powerful graphics card

For modern and future games, it would be wiser to invest in graphics cards with at least 12 GB of VRAM, or even 16 GB for peace of mind and optimal performance.

What should you remember about VRAM?

VRAM plays a crucial role in the performance of modern video games. 

With games becoming increasingly demanding on resources, it’s essential to have enough VRAM to avoid performance drops and texture-loading issues. 

When considering the purchase of future graphics cards, choosing models with more VRAM ensures a smoother and more immersive gaming experience.

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FAQ

Why is VRAM so important for modern games?

VRAM stores textures, models, and other data needed to render graphics in real time. More VRAM makes it possible to handle high-quality textures and higher resolutions without compromising performance.

How much VRAM is enough for today’s games?

For most modern games at 1080p, 8 GB of VRAM may be sufficient. However, for higher resolutions such as 1440p or 4K, and for using high graphical settings or ray tracing, 12 GB or even 16 GB of VRAM is recommended.

What are the consequences of insufficient VRAM?

Insufficient VRAM can lead to lower frame rates, stuttering, inconsistent frame times, and missing or low-quality textures, making the game less enjoyable.

Are graphics cards with 8 GB of VRAM still worth it?

For less demanding games or eSports titles at medium to low settings, an 8 GB graphics card may be enough. However, for modern AAA games with high graphical settings, it’s better to choose a card with more VRAM.

How can I optimise my graphics settings if my card doesn’t have enough VRAM?

Reducing texture quality, turning off ray tracing, and using lower resolutions are effective ways to optimise performance with a graphics card that has limited VRAM.

What’s the difference between VRAM and RAM?

VRAM (Video RAM) is specific to the graphics card and is used to store graphics data. RAM (Random Access Memory) is used by the CPU to temporarily store the data needed to run programmes.