How Much VRAM Do I Need For 1080p Gaming?

Whenever someone’s enthusiastic gaming desires go for having FHD games on their system, the VRAM is the most crucial factor to look for. As a matter of fact, if you have got yourself into the same situation and looking for the answer to how much VRAM do I need for 1080p gaming, you are on the right spot.

There are several things to ensure while selecting the exact range or type of VRAM for your new gaming rig. No doubt, you will be able to figure out all of them and find the best answer for yourself. That’s why I am here to guide you thoroughly.

So, make yourself comfortable, and let’s begin figuring out what this query contains inside it? And what you need to make sure while you are going to make such a decision.

How much VRAM do I need for 1080p gaming?

What is VRAM?

Before you decide how much RAM you exactly need for your system, the basic thing to know is what VRAM is and how many of its types are out there. Moreover, you must also know which one will fit your system accordingly. So, let’s have a look.

Visual Random-Access Memory, or VRAM, is a type of computer memory used for storing pixel data. It was used in the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is also used in some modern computers to provide integrated graphics with the main system memory.

The number of bits in VRAM determines how many unique colours (or shades of grey, if black and white are used) the image can contain. For example, 1-bit VRAM would only display 2 colours (typically black and white). In comparison, 8-bit VRAM would be able to display up to 256 colours. 64-bit VRAM would be able to display up to 16.8 million unique colours.

How do you differentiate VRAM from Regular System RAM?

Well, fundamentally, the purpose of RAM is the same, whether it be video RAM or system RAM. Both serve to store data that would otherwise take excessive time for the hardware to access from the main storage unit, usually a spinning disk drive.

In general, system RAM primarily serves as a cache for data that will ultimately be stored on the rotating hard drive. In contrast, video memory’s primary function is to house visual graphics data and data that will ultimately be sent to display devices such as a monitor or TV screen.

When it comes to graphics, video RAM is all the rage. GDDR SDRAM (Graphics Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory) is currently the best type of video RAM around because it is designed specifically for graphics processing.

DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory) is commonly used in most PCs. Still, it’s generally not good for graphics processing because it isn’t fast enough to support complex imagery like that, which you might find on today’s computer games or computer-aided design software.

So far, the most popular GPU memory standard is GDDR6. Architecture-wise, high-end gaming video cards still use HBM2 memory, but this will change soon. By the time NVIDIA’s next generation of consumer line GPUs are available in early 2020, you should expect that AMD has launched its successor to Navi with HBM2 or whatever its memory standard of choice for this product placement will be.

Which part of your system consumes more RAM?

Describing the difference between normal RAM and VRAM, let’s just specify which part of your system consumes more graphic RAM.

Generally speaking, pretty much every setting in PREY will use some extra VRAM. However, the most demanding setting is the resolution itself. For instance, increasing the rendering resolution (with Anti-aliasing and Supersampling both enabled) from 1080p to 1440p results in noticeably increased memory consumption. And if you’re playing at 4K instead, expect consumption to be ramped up even further.

However, it’s also true that most of the GPUs today come with 8GB to 12GB of GDDR6 RAM; this means there is nothing to be worried about the low VRAM issues.

Since the more VRAM on your card, the more texture information can be held onto graphics. If you have an older graphics card with less memory, lowering the resolution for materials may give you some breathing room if you’re noticing problems, especially in-game performance.

Additionally, the LOD distance level is also fairly significant when it comes down to open-world games. While other settings such as SSAO and some types of anti-aliasing might take up less VRAM than others, they typically use more GPU power than they do VRAM.

So, exactly how much RAM do I need?

The resolution is the biggest factor in choosing how much VRAM you need for your system to run it on 1080p for your favourite games. Let’s make you decide how much you need and what would be best for it.

Now, we’ve already mentioned that these latest graphics cards support up to 8 GB of VRAM — and while you might think this means you should just buy whatever card offers the highest amount without regard for anything else — for the sake of your wallet and your back, it might be time to reconsider.

Suppose you want a passthrough card that will still be relevant five years from now when 4K gaming becomes relatively widespread. In that case, 8 GB is almost certainly what you need.

However, 4 GB will barely get you by 2023 if you plan on really pushing your GPU to the limit with a high-resolution setup. There are extremely few reasons for becoming a keyboard-memorizing homebrew owner of a 4 GB graphics card any way other than sheer budgetary constraints or reluctance to upgrade to a 1440p monitor anytime soon.

That’s true that there are some other options also available. For instance, the GTX 1660 Super includes 6 GB of RAM, and that’s not surprising because the normal GTX 1660 only comes with 3 GB of memory.

However, we should also mention that high-end model such as the GTX 1080 Ti and the RTX 2060 Ti come equipped with 11 GB of RAM. Still, the difference in performance between these units isn’t simply due to their respective amounts of memory. What makes one card faster than another is usually a combination of hardware components rather than just one.

For example, the 6 and 8 GB variants of Nvidia and AMD budget GPUs perform better than their 4 and 8 GB counterparts in 1440p. While it’s true that 2GB more memory does improve performance in games, we can clearly see that in most cases, added memory does not directly correlate to any substantial performance gain.

It is crucial to point out that while additional video RAM helps deliver a smoother experience when playing games on max settings with textures at high resolutions, it’s by no means a reliable indicator as to whether or not you’ll enjoy the good performance when paired indirectly with other hardware, e.g., CPU and motherboard (GPU Boost 3 technology is utilized by both companies and regulates its performance).

Frequently Asked Questions

How much VRAM do I need for gaming?

Gaming is a very personal activity, so it is difficult to state the exact amount of VRAM you need. It depends on your preferences and budget also. All you need to do is find a card that fits your budget and has the VRAM you want. If your budget is limited, then you may consider getting a used car. Just make sure that the card is compatible with your motherboard. Also, make sure that you buy a card that has sufficient power to run the game smoothly.

Is 4gb VRAM enough for 1080p?

4GB of VRAM is enough to run games at 1080p with high-quality settings. However, other factors can affect how many VRAM games are actually used, so 4GB of VRAM may not be enough for certain games.

How much VRAM do I need for 4k resolution?

To get 4Kor Ultra HD gaming, you need a graphics card with three times the video memory (VRAM) of a standard 1080p resolution monitor. That means a video card with at least 3 GB of graphics memory. You can also get a graphics card with 4 GB or 6 GB and still get 4K, and it will be even smoother and with less lag. It is not recommended to try and get 4k with a graphics card with less than 4 GB of VRAM.

If you don’t want to go 4K, you can still get a graphics card with less than 3 GB, but with a 1080p monitor, you will get better results with a higher VRAM. If you want to play games at higher resolutions, you will also need a bigger monitor.

The graphics card will not increase the size or quality of the monitor, but it will make the image look sharper. A bigger monitor will be easier to see pixels even if the resolution is higher.

How much VRAM do I need for streaming?

If you’re a streamer, then you’re going to need a high-end GPU. The GeForce GTX 680, 780, 780 Ti, and Titan, as well as the Radeon HD 7970, R9 290X, and R9 290, all support Twitch streaming out of the box. Additional Information: Stream at 4K/60fps. 8 GB RAM.

How much VRAM do I need for the Warzone?

You should get 8GB – 16GB of VRAM for Warzone because Warzone is an extremely graphics-intensive game. You need to remember that other video games don’t need to load the graphics, so they can run even if you don’t have a graphics card.

But Warzone is not like other video games, so here you must have a good graphics card, or you can’t play Warzone. You should remember that both CPU and graphics card are equally important for playing Warzone. Once you get above 8GB of VRAM, you will see the difference in the game.

How much VRAM do I need for video editing?

Well, this is a tricky question. You need not really question VRAM since it’s the total amount of memory in the system that matters. Rather, you should ask yourself how much memory your camera has. If you have a 4K camera with a lot of data, then a 4-6GB VRAM should do fine. On a standard 1080P camera, a VRAM of 2GB should do it.

The VRAM speed also matters. You can check the speed of the VRAM by selecting it in the BIOS. It’s the last number in the product number. So, for example, if you have a 4GB VRAM with a speed of 2400MHz, then the speed will be 2400MHz.

Another thing to look for is the GPU that’s powering your system. You might have a cheap power VRAM with a cheap GPU that doesn’t have much processing power. So, you should look for a cheap system with a cheap VRAM with a powerful GPU.

Summary:

Thanks for reading our post about how much VRAM do I need for 1080p gaming? We know that you have a lot of options for choosing a GPU, and we hope that this article was able to help you make a more informed decision about what is right for your PC.

If you have any other questions about buying a new GPU, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime. We’ll be sure to get back to you promptly with a solution. Thank you again for reading, and we hope to hear from you soon!