When choosing a graphics card, one of the most important factors to consider is the amount of video memory, also known as VRAM. The VRAM determines how much data can be stored on the graphics card at once for rendering graphics and handling graphics workloads. But how do you determine what is enough VRAM for your needs? There are a few key factors to consider:
Resolution
Higher resolutions require more VRAM. At 1080p resolution, 2-4GB of VRAM is typically sufficient for most gaming purposes. At 1440p, 4-8GB is recommended, and for 4K resolution, 6-12GB provides headroom for modern games with high resolution textures. For extreme resolutions above 4K, 12-24GB may be desirable.
Game Texture Quality
The texture quality setting in games determines how detailed the textures mapped onto 3D models will be. Low quality uses less VRAM, standard/medium is moderate, and high/ultra quality requires the most VRAM. Running games on standard textures instead of max can save 1-3GB or more of memory usage.
Anti-Aliasing
Anti-aliasing smoothes out jagged edges and pixelation in games. Higher levels of anti-aliasing improve image quality but require more VRAM. Using lower anti-aliasing settings like FXAA/SMAA can save memory compared to GPU-intensive options like MSAA or SSAA.
Monitor Refresh Rate
Higher refresh rates allow for higher frame rates, and higher frame rates require faster VRAM to store the additional frame data. A 60Hz monitor won’t need as much VRAM as a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor running at higher FPS.
Game Visual Effects
Advanced graphics options like ambient occlusion, depth of field, motion blur, shadows and reflection quality can have a major impact on VRAM usage. Disabling some effects can reduce requirements for games that are pushing the limits.
Mods and Texture Packs
Game mods and high resolution texture packs can dramatically increase how much VRAM is needed to store all the additional art assets and effects. Vanilla games may run fine on 4GB, but heavily modded can require 6GB+ in some cases.
Future Proofing
Getting more VRAM than you need today allows room for games to grow more demanding over the life of your graphics card. An extra 2-4GB over today’s requirements helps ensure you won’t hit limits as quickly in the future.
VRAM Requirements by Card and Resolution
Here are some guidelines for how much VRAM is recommended for different cards at popular resolutions:
| Graphics Card | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
| RTX 3050/RX 6500 XT | 4GB | 4-6GB | 6-8GB |
| RTX 3060/RX 6600 | 6GB | 8GB | 8-12GB |
| RTX 3060 Ti/RX 6600 XT | 8GB | 8-12GB | 12-16GB |
| RTX 3070/RX 6700 XT | 8GB | 10-12GB | 12-16GB |
| RTX 3080/RX 6800 | 10GB | 12-16GB | 16-20GB |
| RTX 3080 Ti/RX 6900 XT | 12GB | 16GB | 16-24GB |
| RTX 3090/RX 6900 XT | 12-24GB | 16-24GB | 24GB+ |
As you can see, the right amount of VRAM scales up with resolution. Entry level cards can get by with 4-6GB for 1080p, while 1440p and 4K demand 8GB and up for modern games. High-end cards need 12GB or more for smooth 4K gaming. And past 4K, requirements enter the realm of 16-24GB for the highest fidelity.
These recommendations are for playing at max settings in the most demanding modern games. You can get by with less VRAM if you reduce quality settings, particularly texture quality. The demands also vary by game engine – some are far more VRAM hungry than others. But in general, these figures represent a good guideline.
VRAM Usage in Real Games
Let’s examine some real world examples of VRAM usage across a variety of today’s most popular games at different settings:
Fortnite
| Resolution | Texture Quality | VRAM Usage |
| 1080p | Low | 2-3GB |
| 1080p | Epic | 4-6GB |
| 1440p | Low | 2-4GB |
| 1440p | Epic | 6-8GB |
| 4K | Low | 4-6GB |
| 4K | Epic | 8-12GB |
Fortnite can run at 1080p on entry-level cards with as little as 2GB VRAM. But at max settings it starts to require 6GB or more at higher resolutions. Overall it’s on the lighter side for a modern game.
Call of Duty Warzone
| Resolution | Texture Quality | VRAM Usage |
| 1080p | Normal | 4-6GB |
| 1080p | Extra | 6-8GB |
| 1440p | Normal | 6-8GB |
| 1440p | Extra | 8-12GB |
| 4K | Normal | 8-12GB |
| 4K | Extra | 12-16GB |
Warzone is more demanding, requiring 6GB+ even for medium settings at 1080p. Its large maps and long draw distances can use over 8GB of VRAM at 1440p and 12GB+ at 4K when turning textures up.
Red Dead Redemption 2
| Resolution | Texture Quality | VRAM Usage |
| 1080p | Medium | 4-6GB |
| 1080p | Ultra | 6-8GB |
| 1440p | Medium | 6-8GB |
| 1440p | Ultra | 8-12GB |
| 4K | Medium | 8-12GB |
| 4K | Ultra | 12-16GB |
Red Dead Redemption 2 pushes up against the limits of VRAM, even at 1080p with medium textures using over 4GB. Its detailed open world uses 6GB+ at 1080p ultra and over 8GB at 1440p. In 4K, it can consume 12-16GB on max settings.
Control
| Resolution | Texture Quality | VRAM Usage |
| 1080p | Medium | 4-6GB |
| 1080p | High | 6-8GB |
| 1440p | Medium | 6-8GB |
| 1440p | High | 8-12GB |
| 4K | Medium | 8-12GB |
| 4K | High | 12-16GB |
Control is very effects heavy with detailed textures, consuming 6GB+ even at 1080p with medium textures. 1080p high uses over 8GB, while 4K high starts to push up against the 16GB limit of high-end GPUs.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
| Resolution | Texture Quality | VRAM Usage |
| 1080p | Medium | 4-6GB |
| 1080p | Ultra | 8-12GB |
| 1440p | Medium | 6-8GB |
| 1440p | Ultra | 12-16GB |
| 4K | Medium | 8-12GB |
| 4K | Ultra | 16-24GB |
Microsoft Flight Simulator has some of the biggest VRAM requirements of any current game. Its photorealistic global terrain uses 8GB+ even at 1080p maxed out. You need a muscular graphics card with 12-16GB of VRAM to handle Ultra texture settings at high resolution in Flight Simulator.
General VRAM Guidelines
Based on typical VRAM usage across today’s games, we can set down some general guidelines for how much graphics memory is recommended:
- 1080p Medium Settings: 4-6GB VRAM
- 1080p High/Max Settings: 6-8GB VRAM
- 1440p Medium Settings: 6-8GB VRAM
- 1440p High/Max Settings: 8-12GB VRAM
- 4K Medium Settings: 8-12GB VRAM
- 4K High/Max Settings: 12-16GB+ VRAM
6-8GB is the ideal VRAM capacity for 1080p gaming at high settings. 8GB meets the requirements for the majority of games, while 10-12GB provides more headroom.
At 1440p, 8GB is viable for medium settings, but you’ll want 10GB or 12GB+ for maxed out textures and post-processing.
4K gaming demands at least 8GB for medium settings. But for high fidelity, you’ll need 12-16GB to comfortably fit all those 4K textures at once.
These recommendations allow for future proofing as games become more VRAM hungry, especially at higher resolutions. Getting a card with 2-4GB more than today’s games strictly need helps maximize your card’s usable lifespan before hitting limitations.
Conclusion
Choosing a graphics card with ample VRAM prevents bottlenecks when gaming and ensures your card won’t be outdated as quickly. Here are some final tips for getting the right amount of video memory:
- Check VRAM requirements for your target resolution and settings
- Get at least 2GB more than recommended for headroom
- Higher textures, anti-aliasing and effects demand more VRAM
- VRAM needs scale up with higher resolution
- 8GB is ideal for 1080p, 10-12GB for 1440p, 12-16GB for 4K
Following these guidelines when selecting your next video card will help guarantee smooth performance on modern games. Going above the bare minimum VRAM required prevents slowdowns from swapping textures in and out of memory during gameplay. With memory prices low, it’s well worth investing a little more for the increased capacity.