{"id":538990,"date":"2023-01-10T17:00:41","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T14:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/buying-a-gpu-heres-why-you-need-a-lot-of-vram\/"},"modified":"2023-01-10T17:00:41","modified_gmt":"2023-01-10T14:00:41","slug":"buying-a-gpu-heres-why-you-need-a-lot-of-vram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/buying-a-gpu-heres-why-you-need-a-lot-of-vram\/","title":{"rendered":"#Buying a GPU? Here\u2019s Why You Need a Lot of VRAM"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a413d3c90350\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a413d3c90350\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/buying-a-gpu-heres-why-you-need-a-lot-of-vram\/#%E2%80%9CBuying_a_GPU_Heres_Why_You_Need_a_Lot_of_VRAM%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Buying a GPU? Here\u2019s Why You Need a Lot of VRAM&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/buying-a-gpu-heres-why-you-need-a-lot-of-vram\/#What_Is_VRAM_and_Why_Does_It_Matter\" >What Is VRAM and Why Does It Matter?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/buying-a-gpu-heres-why-you-need-a-lot-of-vram\/#Ray_Tracing_Is_a_VRAM_Hog\" >Ray Tracing Is a VRAM Hog<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/buying-a-gpu-heres-why-you-need-a-lot-of-vram\/#Texture_and_Asset_Quality_Is_Increasing_Rapidly\" >Texture and Asset Quality Is Increasing Rapidly<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/buying-a-gpu-heres-why-you-need-a-lot-of-vram\/#Consoles_Have_a_Smart_Memory_Advantage\" >Consoles Have a Smart Memory Advantage<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/buying-a-gpu-heres-why-you-need-a-lot-of-vram\/#VRAM_Matters_Beyond_Gaming\" >VRAM Matters Beyond Gaming<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/buying-a-gpu-heres-why-you-need-a-lot-of-vram\/#Overestimate_Your_VRAM_Needs\" >Overestimate Your VRAM Needs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CBuying_a_GPU_Heres_Why_You_Need_a_Lot_of_VRAM%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Buying a GPU? Here\u2019s Why You Need a Lot of VRAM&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-821974\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/nvidia-quadro-rtx-5000-workstation-gpu.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 workstation GPU installed in a computer.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/paris-france-feb-20-2019-latest-1318658024\">Hadrian\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s tempting to focus on the GPU power of a new graphics card and ignore how much VRAM it has, especially if you\u2019re not playing at 4K. However, modern <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> engines and technologies like ray tracing are changing this fast.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_VRAM_and_Why_Does_It_Matter\"><\/span>What Is VRAM and Why Does It Matter?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Video Random Access Memory (VRAM) is a type of memory used in graphics processing units (GPUs) to store and process the data needed to render images and graphics on a computer or other device. VRAM is specifically designed to handle high-bandwidth and high-performance graphics processing requirements. It\u2019s typically faster and more efficient than other types of memory, such as system RAM.<\/p>\n<p>The more VRAM a GPU has, the more data it can access and process at once, leading to faster rendering times and better overall performance. This is particularly important for gaming and other graphics-intensive tasks, which can significantly strain a GPU.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, VRAM is important for high-resolution displays, as it allows the GPU to store and process the larger amounts of data needed to render images at higher resolutions. This is why having a GPU with a lot of VRAM can be especially important for users who want to run games or other graphics-intensive <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lications on a high-resolution display, such as a 4K monitor.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ray_Tracing_Is_a_VRAM_Hog\"><\/span>Ray Tracing Is a VRAM Hog<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Ray tracing is becoming more common as an option in current games, and you can expect to see it in many games in the coming years. Ray tracing is a rendering technique used to create highly realistic graphics by simulating how light interacts with objects and surfaces in a virtual environment. It involves tracing the path of light rays as they bounce off of objects and calculating how they are absorbed, reflected, and refracted by the materials in the scene.<\/p>\n<p>Ray tracing requires a lot of VRAM since it generates a lot of data that needs to be processed, as each ray of light requires its own calculation. This data must be stored in VRAM so that the GPU can access it quickly and efficiently.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Texture_and_Asset_Quality_Is_Increasing_Rapidly\"><\/span>Texture and Asset Quality Is Increasing Rapidly<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Texture and asset quality can significantly impact VRAM requirements, as they affect the amount of data that must be stored and processed by the GPU.<\/p>\n<p>Higher quality textures and assets <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly require more VRAM to store and process, as they contain more detailed information and larger file sizes. For example, a high-resolution texture used to render a character\u2019s skin might be made up of thousands of pixels. In contrast, a lower-resolution texture might only contain a few hundred pixels. The larger the texture, the more VRAM it will take to store and process.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the size of the textures and assets, their complexity can also affect VRAM requirements. Complex assets with many\u00a0intricate details and shading will require more VRAM to render than simpler assets with fewer details.<\/p>\n<p>Modern games are rapidly requiring much more VRAM than you might expect. For example, 1440p is a popular resolution among PC gamers, and common wisdom has held that 8GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for game rendered at this resolution. Yet, the latest releases easily hit that limit at the highest texture quality settings and in combination with ray tracing, or when used with high-end VR applications, that VRAM amount is insufficient.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Consoles_Have_a_Smart_Memory_Advantage\"><\/span>Consoles Have a Smart Memory Advantage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the reasons PC gamers may need more VRAM than expected is because consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Series<\/a> X use a \u201cunified\u201d memory design. In other words, instead of the CPU and GPU each having their own dedicated pools of RAM, both have one central pool.<\/p>\n<p>This lets the console pull off several tricks that let it do more with its total memory allocation than a PC with the same amount of memory. For one thing, data that both the CPU and GPU need now only take up the space a single copy requires. In a PC, such data would have to be copied to VRAM and RAM and accessed separately.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, the console can dynamically allocate memory for graphics and non-graphics needs. So it can use 12GB of a 16GB total RAM for texture memory and the other 4GB for the operating system or other game functions. A PC with 8GB of RAM and 8GB of VRAM has a hard limit on VRAM that the console does not even though the total amount of memory is technically the same.<\/p>\n<p>So it stands to reason that if you want to play PC ports of consoles games, you should have as much VRAM as the console can realistically allocate. For the current generation of consoles, 12GB seems reasonable, but if you had a GPU with 16GB of VRAM you\u2019d be completely covered for console game ports.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VRAM_Matters_Beyond_Gaming\"><\/span>VRAM Matters Beyond Gaming<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While the main reason most people buy a powerful GPU with lots of VRAM is for gaming, having GPU memory to spare has utility for non-gaming and professional software as well. If you want to dabble in machine learning, video editing, 3D modeling, and other similar software, you need a decent chunk of VRAM. With 4K video slowly becoming the norm, even those looking for a GPU purely to help with video editing and rendering will want at minimum 6GB of VRAM, and if you\u2019re going to start layering in effects and complex transitions, that number will grow.<\/p>\n<p>A more recent application that\u2019s a surprising VRAM hog is AI image generation. For example, Stable Diffusion\u00a0requires at least 8GB of VRAM to generate a 256\u00d7256 pixel image. So if you want to get serious about local image generation, you\u2019ll have to aim for a GPU with 12GB or even 16GB of VRAM.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Overestimate_Your_VRAM_Needs\"><\/span>Overestimate Your VRAM Needs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>VRAM has rarely been a major concern for PC gamers over the years, since it\u2019s largely been seen as a worry for those who want to game at 4K, which is a small minority of PC players (at least for now). However, modern rendering techniques, asset systems, and game engines are becoming VRAM-hungry for reasons that aren\u2019t directly connected to output or even rendering resolution.<\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s always hard to recommend a specific VRAM amount for your next GPU purpose, we do have some practical advice. Look at the recommended VRAM requirements for modern games that you\u2019d like to play and consider buying a GPU with 50-100% more VRAM than that figure. If a game recommends 8GB of VRAM at the resolutions you play, make your next card a model with 12-16GB of VRAM.<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-box  \">\n<div class=\"product-img product-img-noaward\">\n<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/MSI-GeForce-RTX-3060-12G\/dp\/B08WPRMVWB\/?tag=lsmedia-13633-20\" onclick=\"fbq('track', 'Buy Button'); if (fb_t_convert){fb_t_convert();}\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51ClY8eDcpL._SL160_.jpg\" height=\"147px\" width=\"147px\" alt=\"\" role=\"presentation\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"product-add\">\n<div class=\"product-add-button\">\n<div class=\"product-share-links\">\n<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Shop for MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060\" aria-label=\"MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 - Amazon\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/MSI-GeForce-RTX-3060-12G\/dp\/B08WPRMVWB\/?tag=lsmedia-13633-20\" style=\"text-decoration:none\" onclick=\"fbq('track', 'Buy Button'); if (fb_t_convert){fb_t_convert();}\">Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-price\">$417.90 <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"12\" width=\"42\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/themes\/htg-responsive\/img\/amazon-prime.png\" alt=\"\" role=\"presentation\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><br \/><small><del>$459.99<\/del> Save 9%<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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Here\u2019s Why You Need a Lot of VRAM&#8221; Hadrian\/Shutterstock.com It\u2019s tempting to focus on the GPU power of a new graphics card and ignore how much VRAM it has, especially if you\u2019re not playing at 4K. However, modern game engines and technologies like ray tracing are changing this fast. What Is VRAM&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":538991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/nvidia-quadro-rtx-5000-workstation-gpu.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-538990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=538990"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538990\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/538991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=538990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=538990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=538990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}