Video RAM is the buffer between the CPU and GPU that ensures a smooth gaming experience. Video memory also supports graphics-intensive applications to run without lagging or crashing. But before installing such software on your system, you may want to check the video RAM on your computer.
To check the video RAM on your system, click the Start menu and type “dxdiag” in the search box to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. Click the “Display” tab, and you will find the video RAM next to the “Display Memory (VRAM)” section.
We took the time to write a guide to find how much video RAM you have on your system by utilizing a few easy methods. Each method will show straightforward steps to assist you without any difficulty.
Checking the Video RAM
Are you asking yourself how much video RAM you have on your system? Our 3 step-by-step methods will help you find that out in no time.
Method #1: Using the Display Properties
The Windows 10 and 11 operating systems have new interfaces and shortcuts allowing users to check video RAM by following these steps.
- Open the Start menu.
- Click Settings.
- Go to “System” > “Display” > “Advanced Display”.
- Click the “Display adapter properties for Display 1” to open Graphics Properties.
If you have multiple GPUs installed on your PC, the Windows Settings app will show the video RAM separately in the “Display 2” option for the second GPU.
The video RAM will be mentioned in megabytes next to “Dedicated Video Memory”.
The Shared System Memory is the video RAM of the onboard display chip. In contrast, the Dedicated Video Memory denotes the actual VRAM offered by your graphics card.
Method #2: Using the Diagnostic Tool
The DirectX Diagnostic Tool allows checking video RAM on every version of Microsoft Windows by following these steps.
- Press the Windows button to open the Start menu.
- Type “dxdiag” in Windows search and press the Enter key to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
- Click “Yes” to allow DirectX Diagnostic Tool to scan hardware.
- Under the “DirectX Diagnostic Tool” panel, click the “Display” tab.
The video RAM installed on the system will be shown next to the “Display Memory (VRAM)” section.
Make sure the correct display drivers are installed on your system so the DirectX Diagnostic Tool can access the actual Video RAM of your computer.
Method #3: Using the CPU-Z Application
The CPU-Z is a third-party application that can check the video RAM on your computer system with these easy steps.
- Download and install the CPU-Z software on your computer system.
- Run the software and wait for it to detect your system’s hardware.
- After the scan completes, click the “Graphics” tab.
- Under the “Memory” section, video RAM will be mentioned in MBs.
VRAM Recommendations for Gaming and Designing
The video RAM requirements can differ based on the type of software you’re running on your computer system. It may vary based on the capability of other hardware components such as CPU and system RAM.
Graphics Designing
The minimum video RAM requirement for animation designing, 3D modeling, or graphics designing is 4 to 6 gigabytes with GDDR5 support. If you have a mediocre processor, go for at least 6 gigabytes of GDDR6 GPU.
Gaming
Video memory impacts gaming performance as well. For a stable 1080p gaming experience, it is recommended to go for a 6 gigabytes GDDR5 graphics card. But if you’re looking for a 4K gaming experience, choose 8 to 10 gigabytes of GDDR6 GPU, which will give you higher pixel resolution.
A low-end CPU with a high-end GPU may cause a bottleneck as your graphics card’s full resources won’t be used.
Summary
In this guide on how much video RAM you have, we presented some practical methods to help you find out the dedicated video memory installed in your system. We also shared helpful information on video memory requirements for performing various tasks on your PC, such as graphics designing or gaming.
Hopefully, you now know the dedicated video RAM your system is carrying and can download software that can work best with the installed video RAM.
Frequently Asked Questions
The computer monitor’s video resolution can impact video memory consumption. Higher screen resolution will consume more video RAM.
No, the GPU video memory is not dependent on GDDR. However, upgrading from GDDR5 to GDDR6 can bring significant performance differences, even if the video RAM is the same in the figures.
Dedicated memory refers to the video RAM of your graphics processing unit, which is why it is much more efficient than the system memory. We can say that 4 gigabytes of System Video Memory are equally capable of 1 gigabyte of Dedicated Video Memory.
