What is VRAM?
VRAM (video random-access memory) is the memory a graphics processor works from. On a dedicated graphics card it's a set of fast memory chips on the card itself, next to the GPU. It holds the frame buffer (the image being drawn and sent to the display), textures, 3D models and other data for rendering, video playback and GPU computing.
The name started as a specific type of dual-ported memory chip on older video cards. Today VRAM simply means graphics memory, whatever technology it uses.
Types of graphics memory
- GDDR (graphics double data rate): GDDR5, GDDR6 and later versions are the usual memory on consumer and workstation graphics cards. They're built for high bandwidth and are separate from the DDR system RAM on the motherboard.
- HBM (high bandwidth memory): stacks of memory dies placed right next to the GPU on the same package, used on some high-end and data center cards.
- Shared memory: integrated graphics, built into the CPU, has no VRAM of its own. It borrows part of system RAM, and BIOS/UEFI may let you set how much is reserved.
How much VRAM do you need?
Games and graphics-heavy apps such as video editors and 3D or CAD software list a minimum or recommended amount of VRAM in their system requirements. Needs rise with screen resolution, texture quality, the number of monitors and the size of the project. When a game runs out of VRAM, the GPU has to pull data from slower system RAM, which shows up as stuttering, textures loading late, low frame rates or crashes. Lowering resolution or texture settings is the usual workaround. Adding system RAM doesn't add VRAM to a dedicated card.
In Windows, Task Manager's GPU page shows dedicated GPU memory and shared GPU memory separately.
VRAM vs. virtual memory vs. VM memory
| Term | What it is | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | Graphics memory used by the GPU | Chips on the graphics card, or shared system RAM for integrated graphics |
| Virtual memory | Disk space the OS uses as overflow when RAM fills up | The page file (pagefile.sys) on Windows, swap space on Linux and macOS |
| vRAM in virtualization | Memory assigned to a virtual machine | Part of the host's physical RAM |
Upgrading one doesn't help the others: a bigger page file won't fix a game that needs more VRAM.
For the CompTIA A+ exams
VRAM (video random-access memory) is on the Core 1 (220-1201) acronym list. Core 2 (220-1202) objective 1.10 covers checking an application's system requirements before installing it, where a dedicated graphics card and a minimum amount of VRAM are typical graphics requirements. Know that integrated graphics share system RAM while a dedicated card has its own VRAM, and don't confuse VRAM with virtual memory.