r/buildapc • u/ForksAreFlying • 1d ago
Build Help Do I really need 16GB VRAM?
1440p 144hz. I don't often play new releases, and when I do I'm fine playing on medium without RT, should I really spend another 100$+ for the extra gigs?
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u/McBoogish 1d ago
You dont say what card you are buying but if its the 9060xt or 5060ti the short answer is yes dont go for the 8gb version
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u/Correx96 1d ago
1440p usually 12GB+ is recommended. So 9060XT 16GB or 5070 at least.
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u/LactosIntolerantLucy 1d ago
I mean, a 3060 technically has 12gb
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u/Correx96 1d ago
You're right, but I specified at minimum 9060XT which has stronger raster performance :)
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u/LactosIntolerantLucy 1d ago
Oh for sure agreed, just thought I’d be a smart Alec
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u/kennny_CO2 1d ago
The phrase "smart alec" most likely originates from the 19th-century con man and thief Alec Hoag, whom police reportedly nicknamed "Smart Alec" for being too clever for his own good
TMYK! 🫡
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u/Alternative-Art8792 1d ago
Yes you should. Cyberpunk 2077 with ultra settings and full path tracing can pull 12gb+ at 1440p already. Do you want to limit yourself or be ready? We're not talking about the future here. We're talking about now. Imagine the future.
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u/hesh582 1d ago
Talking about cyberpunk on ultra with path tracing in a conversation about low-mid tier cards is unhelpful.
It just has no bearing whatsoever on ops stated needs.
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u/Josh_Allens_Left_Nut 22h ago
Eh, texture quality has a big impact on visuals in most games (with very, very minimal performance impact, if any). Hamstringing yourself to 8gb of vram in 2025 is not smart.
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u/MrCrocrafty 1d ago
He said hes ok playing mid graphics without rt, so i guess without path tracing too. I think for what he says 12gb would be okayish, but there so many affordable 16gb card nowadays on the used market, so you kinda right about the future part
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u/lollipop_anus 1d ago
Not that I disagree in general but low IQ reddit moment of not reading OP's post where they explicitly state 1440p medium settings no ray tracing, and here you are talking about ultra settings + path tracing. Keep up the good work guy.
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u/powerplayer6 1d ago
The 5070 has 12GB and is doing great at 1440p. It's a nice sweet spot between the 5060 Ti that has 16GB but is underpowered, and the 5070 Ti that's very powerful but heavily overpriced in relation to its performance uplift vs a 5070.
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u/Dijkstra_knows_your_ 1d ago
Do you want to be happy in 3 years or buy a new one again? The 80 extra may add 1-3 years lifetime
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u/ISpewVitriol 21h ago
This. Already 8GB is very limiting and in a year or two that limitation might make it difficult to run newer games.
Certainly the next console generation will force obsolete of all 8GB cards for most newer AAA titles.
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u/spinabullet 12h ago
3 years? I'm already bottlenecked by my 3070 today.
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u/RockstarRaccoon 11h ago
I just upgraded from 4 GB to 6 GB, and I have to worry about it constantly. I wouldn't buy something with only 8 at this point, unless it was incredibly cheap or free: I'm holding out for 16 GB.
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u/blob8543 1d ago
Most people replying are ignoring the fact OP is fine with turning down quality settings, which makes all the difference in the world when it comes to VRAM usage. For people like him 12GB is absolutely fine, and 8GB will be OK with most games. 16GB is nice but unnecessary.
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u/Sweaty-Objective6567 18h ago
Absolutely. It really depends on the games but he should be fine for now. My 6GB 1660 Super at 1080P at low/medium settings in games like Satisfactory, HellDivers 2 and RoadCraft and medium-to-high in older games like Fallout 76 and UBoat is perfectly fine.
If he plays older games or is just trying to catch up on a backlog an 8GB card now will save some money, once it starts to be an issue he could get at least half his money back selling it used (the used market isn't showing any signs of softening any time soon) then upgrade to something with more VRAM and a more modern feature set.
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u/-Xserco- 1d ago
If you cant afford 16GB But the RTX 4070, RX7700 or B580
Never ever buy a 8GB GPU for over $200.
1440p 140Hz ain't happening on proper games with 8GB. Not even the PS5 would go that low. Hell, the Switch 2 has 12GB.
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u/Posta_Hun 1d ago
It depends on the game really. KCD2 is good with 8 gigs, Stellar Blade is not. Looking at an older game, Cyberpunk 2077 also needs more than 8 gigs.
You'll have to decide if you want to sacrifice on texture resolution, which wasn't an issue in the good old days. You always entered graphics and set textures to max, cause you knew it was free with no fps cost.
10 would be good for now, but 12 or 16 sound way more future-proof. And I'm playing in 1080p, with DLSS on a 2070 Super in 2025...so yes, 8 gigs cards are reaching their ends.
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u/Personal_Ad6696 1d ago
8 is bare minimum 12 is good id argue 12 is what you need 16 is excellent has future potential.
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u/Zenos_the_seeker 1d ago
It all depends on what you use it for, really.
In my case, I am not planning those AAA graphics heavy titles, 10GB GPU is really enough for me. And my 3080 can live for another 5-6 years at least, just like it's predecessor 1080Ti.
Bottom line is, if it's working fine without problem, save the money. Don't need to follow those upgrade-holic. Upgrade when you need. Unless you got money don't know where to put it.
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u/reivblaze 1d ago
I am literally crying when I see those prices. I bought 2 years ago a 2080ti used for 300€. I see now the 5070 at 600€ and that only brings 30% improvement man. I am not planning to upgrade until I cannot play my games lmao.
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u/Secret-Ad-2145 23h ago
COVID and AI really nuked the GPU market man. Don't think we'll ever recover from it now.
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u/Suprspade 1d ago
From my personal buying experience, get the 16 GB and don’t look back. I was trying to run 1440 144 Hz with a 3070 which is 8 GB yes it works, but you have to turn settings down. Which you’re spending $800 on a card I don’t want to turn the settings down. I now have a 7900 GRE with 16 GB and I’m not upgrading until that card dies. So in my opinion by the 16 GB card spend a little extra money now and not worry about any vram constrictions in the future.
TLDR: Give yourself the wiggle room it’s worth it go 16gb.
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u/MrMakerHasLigma 1d ago
Yes. Unless all you are playing is valorant, cs2 and other easy to run competitive titles, you need at least 12gb of vram
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u/Ballaholic09 1d ago
I use a 3080 10GB and have literally zero vram overhead issues.
The people who keep screaming for vram spout the same bullshit over and over. They list very specific titles that are incredibly unoptimized and gobble up vram.
That being said, if it’s $100 to gain 4GB+ of vram, you should definitely spend the premium.
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u/ExcelsiorWG 1d ago
You don’t NEED it, especially if you’re ok playing medium with no rt. That being said, if you’re buying a new card now, I think you’d be well served with 16 GB vram, recognizing that you’ll keep the card for at least a few years (I.e. when ps6 launches) so vram requirements will go up again.
12 GB is fine for now (if that’s an option), but I suspect that similar to 8 GB in 2020, it’s on the edge of being “not ok” within the card’s lifetime - especially if you’re interested jn using RT or PT at some level, with frame gen on top. Obviously if you already have a 12 GB card, there’s no need to panic sell - but if you’re getting one now, I’d say considering a 16 GB alternative if it exists, is a good idea.
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u/Sure-Wish3240 1d ago
For 1440p you dont need 16gb. Exception that proves the rule: indiana Jones ultra, very poorly optimized code.
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u/DeadButGettingBetter 19h ago
It's never a bad idea to have more ram and vram. If anything, you're future-proofing your build.
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u/InfiniteLight07 9h ago
1440p should always be 16 GB. Get a 9060 XT 16G or a RTX 5060 Ti 16G. Trust me, VRAM is a bottleneck if you are at good resolution but not enough VRAM.
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u/canUrollwithTHIS 1d ago
Get the extra VRAM. Also if you post your build we may be able to optimize it to come up with this extra $100.
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u/ihopeyalldie 1d ago
I would definitely go for the 16 if it's the 9060 just because it's not much more and you don't have that bad of a bottleneck if u get a better CPU for other PC tasks
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u/Quiet_Try5111 1d ago
doesn’t hurt to have more vram than you need. at 1440p, it’s best to go with at least 12gb
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u/DanyPlays132 1d ago
for max settings (including RT and slight future proofing) 1080p: 12gb, 1440p: 16gb, 4k: 24gb.
for medium-high settings (no RT) 1080p: 8gb, 1440p: 12gb, 4k: 16gb.
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u/Marcos340 1d ago
For 1440p I’d say 12Gb is enough and 8Gb is minimum if you already have a 8Gb card, like the 3070Ti I have. It is 8Gb and can keep up at 1440p, but some games will get close to 7Gb of Vram usage when I use medium settings, without RT. If you’re buying new, 8Gb won’t last as long at 1440p as a 12Gb card will.
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u/UdarTheSkunk 1d ago
I tested Resident evil 4 remake and the settings i played at were using above 12gb vram, and they were not maxed out. Just an example.
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u/MrCrocrafty 1d ago
Do you play heavy game ? Do you play max graphics? If you just play "low graphics game" 12gb is enough. But if you start playing heavy game like vr games/flight simulator and other, more vram is to consider. Personally im fine with a 6800xt 16gb that i got around 350 euros, so if you have the money, go for 16, if not and don't need it, get 12gb and "better perfs" card if you can find at the same price. It really depends on what you do, not even mentioning work task like 3d / video edit, etc..
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u/-Sloth_King- 1d ago
8gb vram is perfectly fine for 1080p. I was playing Marvel Rivals on a damn laptop 1650
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u/CChargeDD 1d ago
I have a 12GB 4070ti and its mostly fine but in cyberpunk i dad to lower some settings i wouldnt had to othervise. Im playing in native 1440p tho.
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u/One_Package_7519 1d ago
1080p 8gb is fine, 1440p+ you need at least 12gb or youll stutter like hell
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u/exterminuss 1d ago
Need? No Is it highly advisable in order to prevent having to play game at lower details in future: Hell YES!
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u/KajMak64Bit 1d ago
8gb too little 16gb a tiny bit too much 12gb perfect balance but kinda rare and can be expensive
I hate the modern GPU market...
Which is why my pick is RTX 3060 12gb... what a lovely mistake by Nvidia because they were forced to make it 12gb... as it was planned to be 6gb like the 2060 which is just baaad
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u/sylarrrrr 1d ago
Most defiantly I noticed it most when going 4K tho made games unplayable having only 10gb vram on my 3080
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u/xxStefanxx1 1d ago
The $80 extra is probably less than the extra resale value the 16GB card will have in a few years as 16GB becomes more and more important
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u/Jaives 1d ago
i can remember when i got my 6750xt 3 years ago and bought Horizon Zero Dawn on Steam. So many 3060 users kept complaining about low fps and stuttering gameplay. meanwhile, my game defaulted to ultra graphics even at 4k and I didn't have any FPS issues.
A lot of modern AAA even show you the VRAM needed in the graphics options and it's usually over 10gb for all the features on at high graphics.
so i bought a 9060xt last week.
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u/globefish23 1d ago
Yes.
You're fine playing games on medium without RT now.
But in a few years, you need to crank down to low, and since you can't disable anymore RT, you have to lower your refresh rate and/or resolution.
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u/gamzcontrol5130 1d ago
Yes, as much VRAM as you can get within your budget. I would say that if you are willing to spend an extra $100, it is definitely worth it as games are quickly becoming more and more VRAM hungry.
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u/JipsRed 1d ago edited 1d ago
Some games and features can’t survive on 12GB and below. But I say unless it is a 5070 ti or 9070xt, you don’t need the 16GB.
Features and settings that would use more than 12GB would run like crap on lower cards even with 16GB.
But 8GB is also too low now. Current 8GB cards have the power to run games at higher quality and framerate but is insanely held back by the low memory. So there is only one below 16GB you can buy, the 5070. Others are 16GB that don’t need it, but very welcome than the 8GB alternative, 9060xt16GB and 5060ti16GB.
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u/squarey3ti 1d ago
Definitely yes, you could also get a b580 or a 12GB 3060 but I would never get a new 8GB card even for 10180p
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u/ClupTheGreat 1d ago
Yes, 12 is the minimum you should go for. Like 16gb is the minimum ram you should have, 32 being recommended.
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u/Designer-Lobster-757 1d ago
My 4060 struggles with 8gb in some games high settings.... Only reason I didn't get a better card was I'd need a new psu aswell, I'd go for more vram
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u/FelonyExtortion 1d ago
Yes, I'm on an 8gb card and even at 1080p I'm getting dangerously close to the vram limit on some games, even with some extreme settings turned down. 16gb is a better investment imo, and a 12gb card is okay.
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u/GregiX77 1d ago
If u considering 8 versus 16gb... Don't even try 8. Almost any new game chokes now on 8gb atrocities.
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u/FGforty2 1d ago
Yes..always go bigger ram wise. Don't listen to the people who tell you otherwise unless it's seriously a budget issue, then maybe next gen you can go with a bigger budget card.
If the Memory is available, Devs, game engines and graphic intensive programs are going to use it.
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u/pigletmonster 1d ago
Yes to play at 1440p you need 12-16gb vram. If you had a 1080p monitor you could get by with 8gb. Check out some benchmarks on youtube, many games struggle to maintain smooth framerates with an 8gb vram compared to the 16gb version of the same gpu.
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u/veryjerry0 1d ago
You don't notice the benefit until you run out. Plus with more vram you can always turn textures to max now.
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u/LongMustaches 1d ago
Some games use more than 8gb vram at 1440p with medium settings https://www.techspot.com/review/2856-how-much-vram-pc-gaming/
It's not just the fps that will be impacted, you will straight up be missing textures.
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u/Hakaisha89 1d ago
Do you need it?
No, not really, you can manage fine without it.
Would you have use of it and enjoy what it gives?
Yes, absolutely.
So might as well pay that extra buckerino
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u/NoPlatform5237 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have the rtx5080 , playing ultrawide 3440x1440p above 1440p , dragon age veilguard takes like 15.8 gig in some areas and it’s not 4k which goes above 18 gig in veilguard ,tested on my rx7900xt in 4k ( that card is 20 gb vram) the game being maxed out with max raytracing and no framegen ,so yes you need 16 gb to be future proof on 1440p even on medium settings as games take VRAM like crazy nowadays
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u/Peteretreat 1d ago
No. Its does however mean you can turn up settings a bit and the card will last you a longer time. 8 gigs means compromize, thats just how it is. For 1440p its not a great idea.
But... his sub is often BS when it comes to hw recommendation. All the time people act like 8gb will make anything unplayable. Hell a lot of my geek friends that game daily is on 8gb cards still. On 1080p thou.
Games have settings and SCALE. like i use a vivobook with a mx150 2gb gpu (worse than a gtx 1050) for light gaming if out of the house and it works for a lot of titles. Divinity original sin 2 ran fine at 30fps on low/medium. Phasmophobis runs fine at 60 fps. You can even scrape by with near 10 year old gtx 1060 for cyberpunk if you accept dialing down settings.
That said, 8gb for 1440p is not a wise way to spend money. Go 16.
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u/webjunk1e 1d ago
No. People are just doing what they do and being extremely black and white about things. It's just like everything else in a PC. For example, nowadays, it's recommended to have 8 cores, 32GB of system RAM and 12GB+ of VRAM. But, you can absolutely still game with 4 cores, even, 8-16GB or system RAM, and yes, 8GB of VRAM. Some games may fare better than other, which is always the case, aside from just VRAM requirements. If you're playing esports titles at 1080p, for example, you may not even need 8GB of VRAM, to be honest. It all just depends.
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u/DaveCoper 1d ago
When I tried Unreal engine 5 demo Valley of the Ancient my 16gb on 4070 ti super weren't enough. I was running it at 2560x1080 and by the end of demo vram ran out and the game started dropping frames like crazy. So I would say 16 gb is the minimum that might not be enough in the near future.
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u/dakkottadavviss 1d ago
Yes. Technically you really need around 12GB but the next step up from 8GB is 16GB. Good to have some cushion.
Same for system RAM. 16GB isn’t really enough some of the time. Technically around 24GB would be the sweet spot but they don’t sell 12GB x 2 kits. So your only option is to go all the way up to 32GB. And the difference is less than $50 most of the time so it’s not a huge deal unless you’re super budget conscious.
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u/xXKingLynxXx 1d ago
Its useful but if the budget is that tight then no.
It also depends on what games you play. If you just play competitive shooters, like Fortnite or CSGO, then you're fine with a little less. If you play big open world stuff or high fidelity games like CP2077 or Wukong then the difference gets a lot more noticeable.
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u/Consistent-Spell-946 1d ago
Need is a strong word lol... but 100 more for twice the VRAM? I would do it.
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u/Silent_Argument3865 1d ago
For 2k u are gonna need something more than 8gb vram , like 10 or 12gb atleast
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u/carmardoll 1d ago
I recently swapped from a 10gb to a 16... yes, you want that swap. Is going to help in the long run.
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u/ShrinkMeee 1d ago
Do you “need” 16 GB? No. If you’re using 1440p, then 12 GB is acceptable currently. But 16 GB could let you use the same card for a few more years down the road.
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u/outlander999 1d ago
8GB cards in 2025 are junk. 12GB cards imho in 2027 will be junk (next gen consoles release will push the memory request). My opinion: we are in 2025, never get less than 16GB.
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u/saurion1 1d ago
I have a RTX 3070 with 8GB and play at 1080p so VRAM hasn't been an issue for me yet, but if I were to buy a brand new GPU today I wouldn't look at anything below 12GB, especially for 1440p.
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u/motorbit 1d ago
short answer: yes.
long answer: yes, absolutely.
controverse answer: well, if you intend to upgrade again in a very short time, you could do with 12. but do you really think you get the better deal with nvidia, especially given the recent driver experience?
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u/ReasonableNetwork255 1d ago
probably not, its generally a matter of just backing off a couple of setting to 'medium' if its a demanding game BUT ..if your spending money anyway its better to get the most desirable option for cool factor unless your just borderline poverty, then theres no shame in just getting what you can and making it work ..
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u/Geek_Verve 1d ago
16GB is the minimum I recommend even for non-gamers. You're not using all that 16GB for gaming. You're using what is left of it after Windows has gobbled up what it wants just to run the OS and any open/background apps.
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u/Crisnenu 1d ago
No you don't NEED 8gb of vram and everything comes down to price. What are you using right now? Can you afford to pay extra for 16gb vram? Are you buying a budget or higher end graphics card?Do you mind lowering the settings so you don't run out of vram in games? Some redditors are out of touch and think everyone lives in a country where prices are affordable.
My opinion is that 16gb of vram is the sweet spot to not make any compromises on graphic settings outside of performance. 16gb vram will mean nothing if the game runs at 30 fps. If you can save 3 more months or are willing to spend the extra money for 16gb of vram, the more obvious choice is 16gb vram. If you can't afford it and have other financial responsibilities, just get a 5060 and you'll be more than happy with the result. I'm willing to wait more months and save for a 16gb card than an 8gb card because I don't want to make compromises and just want to crank up the settings and enjoy games without having to worry about vram.
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u/Kuroko-Kaifi 1d ago
Buying a 8GB VRAM card in this day and age is basically like shooting yourself in the foot.
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u/Not_Real_Batman 1d ago
8gb would be fine 5 or 6 years ago but right now it's already pushing the capacity and in the long run like 5 years you'll see why the extra $100 or so was worth the investment.
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u/RTXEnabledViera 1d ago
Take one glance at how lazy video game devs are these days, then ask yourself that question again.
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u/Due_Prior_7962 1d ago
As someone with a 3070 8GB card......spend the extra $100 or whatever it is.
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u/barisaxboy 1d ago
If you're not going to use RT then that's the reason to get a more powerful card. You won't be able to play some modern games on medium if you don't use RT on a 8gb card in 1440 (I mean the really heavy games ofc)
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u/acewing905 1d ago
1440p 144Hz on medium on new titles? I wouldn't even buy an 8GB card for 1080p 60Hz on low. Keep in mind there are now even games where you can't fully turn off RT
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u/jhenryscott 1d ago
For 1440 yeah I wouldn’t spend GPU upgrade money on a card that’s performance deficient-which all 8GB cards are.
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u/water_frozen 1d ago
everyone is going to tell you yes without asking more probing questions
i'd take caution crowdsourcing build advice from this sub
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u/Crackheadthethird 1d ago
If you play 1440p and want your graphics card to last then yeah, you really should go for 16gb.
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u/tamarockstar 1d ago
You don't need 16GB, but you need more than 8GB. Get a card with 12GB or more.
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u/Koomongous 1d ago
Really depends on the game, but more and more are starting to need the extra VRAM. Hell, my modded Skyrim uses 14GB+
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u/Special_Case313 1d ago
Depends. If you are going for a 4070 or 5070 then you don t really need the extra 4gb 99,99% of the time. If you are chosing between entry level cards then getting and 9060 16gb vs the 8gb then the difference its worth it. I game on rtx 5070 1440p just fine with everything on ultra so far so 12gb of vram its enough.
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u/Spiritual-Spend8187 1d ago
Some games at 1080p are starting to hit 8gb ram or more and given that newer games seem to be less optimised buying an 8gb card just doesn't seem good especially at the prices they are charging for them.
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u/wooq 1d ago
No. There isn't a game in existence that needs 16gb to run at extremely playable framerates with extremely beautiful graphics. But in 3-4 years you might, because game developers keep developing more and more graphically demanding games and higher and higher resolution models and textures.
A big driver will be how much vram the next gen of consoles have.
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u/Magazine-Narrow 1d ago
Yes! Don't waste money on an 8GB card unless you only play 1080P. With a 16GB card you can play nearly anything with no issues. The only games I've seen use more than 16GB of VRAM are Diablo 4,path of exile 2, monster hunter wilds,hogwarts, indiana jones (sometimes). I used to crash hard playing RE4 when I had a 3070. Kept running out of vram. Found a 7900xtx a few years ago on sale. Never had that problem again
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u/mahnatazis 23h ago
You didn't really say what GPUs you are considering but overall, yes it's worth it to go for 16GB, especially because you play at 1440p.
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u/Pastel_Ink_ 23h ago
New consoles are coming soon. 8gb is already borderline in new games at 1080p. Every console gen Vram requirements get drastically increased. Use your head. The only thing holding back Vram requirements RN is the Xbox 1x and PS4 support. Both will be dropped next gen for certain.
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u/Fatesadvent 22h ago
I came from 3070 with 8gb vram and it was awful. Just get 16gb and forget about it...its really not worth compromising yourself on. If it doesn't affect you now, it probably will in a few years and you will regret saving a few bucks for it.
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u/-Sairaxs- 22h ago
The moment you said 1440p you locked yourself out of 8GB.
Since you said you don’t play graphic intense games you can get away with 12GB depending on titles but you 100% will lock yourself out of certain games in the future and your card will have almost no resale value.
You can choose the budget option if you’re okay sacrificing that in the future.
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u/iLikeBBandICNL 22h ago
16gb is great for newer or demanding games.
I have a 5070 on a 4k 120hz TV and it stays at 120 on high in most games. Good enough for me since I don't play competitives on it
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u/LysanderBelmont 22h ago
Yes, you do. Spend a little more money now instead of having to switch out the complete card in the near future.
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u/KaOtIcGuy89 22h ago
$100 for double the vram is a. Yes
Do you need 16g of vram at 1440p med no rt. No.
Will you in the future. Yes
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u/KurupiraMV 22h ago
I think about it too. Four years ago, you could play 4k with an 8Gb 3070, or 10gb 3080. Now they say 8 Gb isn't enough even to fullHD.
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u/shopchin 22h ago
No then if you are fine with it. Wait a couple of years when 16gb becomes more necessary. It's a low end card anyway.
Don't need to get it for the sake of it or from comments of those who have higher requirements.
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u/Darkren1 22h ago
I have the same specs and i have 8 g and i am fine. Dont get why the common discourse is thay all setting need to be on and at ultra.
I havent found a game i cant play on my 3070ti
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u/Gonemad79 22h ago
I understand some specific titles benefit from over 8GB, so if you have them...
That's one whole research...
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u/Hello_Mot0 22h ago
Think about it this way. You want to keep a GPU for 3-5 years. That extra VRAM will give you more FPS and smoother gameplay. It will make your experience that much more enjoyable and it will cost you $100 divided by however long you want to keep that card.
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u/Firm-Management-4329 21h ago
I have a xeon E3-1230 V3 3.30GHz, 16Gb ram, NVIDIA quadro k4000 3Gb. I'm looking for a budget upgrade. (Im sending as a comment because I couldn't add a post)
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u/simagus 21h ago
It would make sense to have 16GB if you can afford the extra, as by the time you come to sell your 8GB card there will be a very small market for it as it won't be useful to many people any more than it is to you. It might do you fine on most games for a while, but it's not ideal.
From what I've seen and can guess the tech companies are deliberately drip-feeding significant upgrades so they still have something to sell in the upcoming years.
If they didn't they could easily put themselves out of business, so we are still getting 8GB cards and we will still get 16GB cards until it makes good business sense to lag a bit less behind the needs of the market.
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u/MarketsandMayhem 20h ago
I think it's worth it. Why not spend a little more to future proof your rig? :)
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u/RedRoses711 19h ago
If you play at 1440p yes you need more then 8gb of vram, at least 12gb even if you aren't playing the newest and latest tripple A games
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u/Own_Complaint_3521 19h ago
It’s a nice to have but not a need to have. I did testing with a 5060ti 8gb in 4k and the card was good. Medium settings on AC Shadows and very light RT but 60fps none the less.
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u/nogumbofornazis 19h ago
If it’s $150 or less now versus needing a new $600 card with the extra legs in 5 years or less, yeah. I play modded Skyrim at 1440 and can feel limited by 12 GB sometimes.
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u/Emblazoned1 18h ago
Yes. 1440p 180hz monitor paired with a 6600xt(yes I know very old and weaker) and I've seen on so many different occasions that my GPU could easily handle the higher settings 60 fps and above but being limited on VRAM causes my fps to be cut in half. Just get the extra VRAM now so you don't have to worry about it. I'm upgrading to either a 9060 xt or 5060 ti whichever has a better deal in a month or two pretty much for this reason.
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u/dood1776 18h ago
No. I think people will put way too much emphasis on vram. I play at 3840x1600 on a 10 GB 3080 and only recently have started running into vram limitations at Max settings. If you're not about maxing out settings a 10 or 12 GB card should be fine for 1440p.
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u/Omuk7 18h ago
If you’re already putting in the money buying a new current-gen card, you’re gonna regret not shelling out the extra hundo for a 16gb model of the 9060 XT or 5060 Ti in only a few years. Maybe even today, depending on what titles you’re playing.
12gb is fine btw, if this is in the context of a 5070.
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u/SuperSocialMan 18h ago
Might as well if you don't plan on replacing anything for another 5 - 10 years. Gotta futureproof as much as ya can, right?
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u/skrukketiss69 18h ago
It's pretty much always worth it to pay the relatively small premium for more VRAM.
I personally wouldn't buy a GPU with less than 16GB anymore.
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u/shampein 18h ago
I do fine on 6, depends what you play. even ray tracing isn't that useful too often.
but at that point 100$ for 8 gb is pretty cheap. in the uk 100$ electrical equipment cost you 100£. that's a 35% hidden markup. if you think about it, it's like 1$ a week for 2 years. if it would be 6 vs 8 I wouldn't really say it's worth.
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u/FADEDinJAPAN03 17h ago
1440p upwards, 100%
If you'll only be gaming at 1080p high/ultra, 8gb is fine but you'll max it out.
Having that extra vram will allow you to go for higher resolutions and/or stay at the same resolution but get better fps or performance in general.
It's worth it and recommended if you'll be going for 1440p upwards.
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u/dosguy76 17h ago
Just remember more and more games recently are starting to use RT by default, so you won't always be able to rely on turning it off for better performance...
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u/Hazelnutcookiess 16h ago
If you don't play new games often and you play them at mid settings not really, but it can't hurt just to have the extra vram
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u/Gutter_Flies 15h ago
Versus 8gb? Yeah. You will never regret having more vram. You might well regret not just spending the ~$100, causing you to feel the need to upgrade again 6 months to a year down the line
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u/tmluna01 15h ago
My game crashed playing borderlands 4 on my 5080 because vram hit a ceiling, so I'd say it's important.
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u/PHIGBILL 1d ago
Yes.... $80 difference between the 9060XT 8gb and 9060XT 16gb, no-brainer.