How to Check VRAM on Windows
Checking your VRAM in Windows is simple but only if you know where to look. The details are often hidden away. Here’s how to check VRAM on Windows.
On the Windows search bar, type Settings. Click Display. Click Advanced Display. Click Display Adapter Properties for Display 1. If you have multiple displays and graphics cards, you may wish to check others. Next to Dedicated Video Memory, you’ll be told how much VRAM your graphics card has.
How to Check VRAM in More Than One GPU in Windows
If you have more than one GPU on your computer, a better way of checking VRAM is by using dxdiag. Here’s where to look.
On the Windows search bar, type dxdiag. Wait for it to open then click either Display 1 or Display 2 to view your other GPU. Under Display Memory, you’ll be able to see how much dedicated VRAM the GPU has.
How to Check VRAM in macOS
On a Mac-based system, checking VRAM is slightly different. Here’s what to do.
On your Mac, click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your desktop. Click About This Mac. Next to Graphics will be the name of the graphics card followed by how much VRAM it has. If you’re using an M1-based MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, this will not be displayed and it’s not possible to view how much VRAM is available as it is all built into the CPU/GPU. For more information, click System Report. Click Graphics/Display. Alongside VRAM will be listed how much VRAM is available.
Is 4 GB of VRAM Enough?
Whether you need 4 GB of VRAM or more depends on what you plan on doing with your PC or Mac.
If you plan on playing the latest games, you may struggle to be able to play them at anything above minimum quality. Some games will struggle to run at all with less than 8 GB of VRAM. It all depends on what games you plan on playing with older games or titles like Fortnite or Final Fantasy XIV more likely to scale appropriately with the hardware you have.
Video editors typically require a minimum of 8 GB of VRAM to be able to edit videos effectively. However, for general usage such as typing up documents or browsing the internet, no specific VRAM is required so you don’t need to consider upgrading to a different graphics card.
Is 128 MB VRAM Good?
No. 128 MB is very low compared to modern graphics cards and their capabilities. If you plan on playing games or editing videos, you need something with 4 GB as a very minimum although 8 GB is much preferable.
