VRAM how much do you need 1080p?

[rob4001]

How much VRAM do you need in modern AAA titles at 1080p I ask because mid range cards have 2 options of VRAM

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I would not go with a card with under 4GB VRAM.

[MrJim]

I would not go with a card with under 4GB VRAM.

I think it also depends on image quality settings you prefer to play with, including such things as anti-aliasing. I've got a GTX 970 (which effectively has 3.5Gb of vram) attached to a 1440p monitor, & it plays most games pretty well on medium settings. Modern AAA titles are increasingly using very high res textures though, so if you want a degree of future-proofing, as CAT says, 4Gb is probably a good starting point.

[SUMMONER]

Depends on whether you want to play at high or ultra details settings.

According to TechDeals 3GB is good for 1080p/high detail on the GTX 1060. Apparently the card doesn't have enough grunt to play the latest games on Ultra settings @ 1080p, which is where the 6GB memory might have come in handy.

Have a watch of this video (GTX 1060 - 3GB vs 6GB - Which should you buy?)
and also this 2nd video (1080p Gaming - GTX 1050 vs 1060 vs 1070 - 23 Benchmarks).

[scaryjim]

The issue with looking at the GTX 1060 is that the 3GB version has less shaders than the 6GB version too.

Games are starting to be released that simply won't start, or will disable some settings, with < 4GB of VRAM.

Up to about a year ago I'd've said 2GB is adequate if you're playing at 1080p and don't mind turning all the details down, but games have started to come out that simply won't run, or will disable certain settings and option, if you don't have "enough" VRAM. Since that "enough" is rather arbitrary and is at the discretion of the game devs, I'd personally be inclined towards the most common amount of VRAM - and since 3GB is pretty rare, I'd go for 4GB as the safest option right now. Sure, you might be able to get away with less, but do you want to risk buying that one game then finding out that it just flat won't run with your card...?!

[badass]

Agree with CAT. I got bitten on the VRAM thing once before with a 320MB Geforce something or other. Reviews and therefore the entire internet said the 320GB card was just as good. Complete with bar graphs to prove it. What no one considered was future games. It had far more grunt than VRAM - in some games it would run silky smooth then in a slightly more complex scene it would become a slideshow. So I upgraded and will never skimp on VRAM again as I could have easily got another year or two out of it. I now have an RX 580 8GB

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

BTW,this also quite pertinent to the question being asked:

https://forums.hexus.net/pc-hardware...b-vs-32gb.html

Lower VRAM also means more system RAM usage - look at the GTX1060 3GB system RAM usage,its much higher than the 6GB version. I told people back when the GTX1060 3GB to avoid it.

[RaTTuS]

as much as you can afford, go >4GB if you can
unless you are dong something very specific with the stream processors then compromising on them to get more RAM may be the sensible way to go

[kalniel]

I now have a 1060 6GB, and I still run out of VRAM playing mass effect andromeda - but that's a hugely buggy game it seems, it's fine for everything else.

[EdHaddon]

HI, Rob4001 here is a chart of Graphics cards and VRAM and their performance hope this helps answer your question. Regards Ed.

2560x1440 (1440p) GTX 1060 3GB MSI GTX 1060 3GB GTX 1060 6GB GTX 970 4GB MSI RX 470 4GB RX 480 4GB RX 480 8GB
Assassin's Creed Unity, Ultra High, FXAA 32.4 33.5 37.4 32.7 29.6 31.0 33.8
Ashes of the Singularity, Extreme, 0x MSAA, DX12 41.3 41.6 41.2 35.9 40.1 40.7 42.7
Crysis 3, Very High, SMAA T2x 45.6 47.4 47.7 43.8 41.3 41.8 43.1
The Division, Ultra, SMAA 37.7 38.9 39.9 36.1 37.2 38.1 39.0
Far Cry Primal, Ultra, SMAA 42.7 43.9 45.0 39.6 39.2 40.7 42.3
Hitman, Ultra, SMAA, DX12 41.0 42.1 48.1 41.5 50.0 52.2 55.0
Rise of the Tomb Raider, Very High, High Textures, SMAA, DX1 47.8 47.8 49.2 46.1 43.2 45.0 45.8
The Witcher 3, Ultra, Post AA, No HairWorks 45.4 46.9 48.2 31.9 41.9 43.5 45.3

[Numpti]

A lot of new games will disable some settings if you have less than 4gb of VRAM, so I would aim for that minimum.