VRAM size - what about the other specs?

[ninjag]

Was just wondering about VRAM and the focus tends to be on the amount of VRAM being priority. But can a lesser amount of VRAM be ok if the memory interface width and bandwidth is higher?

For example, 8GB VRAM with a 256-bit interface and 448.0GB/s bandwidth vs 12GB VRAM with a 192-bit interface and 360.0GB/s bandwidth. Which would perform better, does application matter etc?

 

[Ch3m1c4L]

it somewhat depends on application, but the main problem is fitting everything into the amount of VRAM. the point is that at a certain point all the current needed textures etc dont fit into 8GB, so you have to have 12GB.
The fast 8 gb vs slow 8gb would be better for when the engine can stream in higher res textures, but its still going to be reliant on your storage subsystem/system RAM for this.


Just look at AI performance. if it fits into your VRAM it tends to run image generation/text that is counted in seconds, or minutes. As soon as it can't fit into VRAM and needs to swap things in and out, that goes up to hours/days

 

[Smeghead]

Assuming you're talking about gaming, I think there are too many variables to purely look at the GPU specs on paper to evaluate a card's performance. The overall system, from CPU, RAM, hard drive/SATA SSD/nvme and the application/game optimisation and single core vs multi core performance etc. all collectively makes a GPU's raw specs a somewhat useless metric.

That being said, I think one card's slightly bumped up compensation specs with less VRAM is unlikely to give you a huge difference compared to the one with more VRAM. Probably in the single percentile differences. I'm kind of pulling that out of no where though, so happy to be corrected on this.

 

[BigBANGtheory]

basically (according to my understanding)...
- the VRAM amount effects the performance ceiling i.e. you run out of VRAM and performance drops off a cliff presumably because it has to load it in from system RAM or storage
- bandwidth and speed really comes into play the higher the resolution you go or conversely the lower the resolution the less it matters where you really notice a difference is powering the render resolutions for high end PCVR

 

[Hotwired]

There's a lot of frothing about 8GB cards existing and youtube channels have been baiting views by doing videos showing that if you try to use more than 8GB of memory on an 8GB card it won't run as well. Cutting edge research.

Since the dawn of time, gamers have been aware that graphics settings can be lowered to improve game performance. Apparently in 2025 this is now an alien concept.

However if making the workload suitable for the card is not an option then ideally you magic up some more money and get a card with enough memory to suit the workload.

 

[SpudMaster]

Ok so I feel like all the previous answers have just over complicated what is a relatively simple answer.

The card with the faster VRAM and bus etc will perform better than a card with slower VRAM/bus even if it has more vram providing the cards vram capacity is not exceeded. Once VRAM capacity is exceeded then performance will drop considerably. Faster VRAM and larger bus will not allow for more data to be stored in the same about of VRAM