VRAM Checker: is your video memory enough?
Pick your graphics card, resolution and ray tracing setting. We compare it with the VRAM that 23 popular games used in published tests, and tell you which are comfortable, tight, or short.
Drop texture quality one notch first: it frees the most memory for the least FPS. Turn off ray tracing and frame generation if you still stutter.
What the tests say
Maximum quality (RTX 4090 peaks): 10.5GB / 11.5GB / 14GB; 4K native with frame generation 20GB. Ray tracing is mandatory.
Best Doom The Dark Ages Settings PC & Optimiza (2025)Doom: The Dark Ages, 36 GPU Benchmark (2025)
Drop texture quality one notch first: it frees the most memory for the least FPS. Turn off ray tracing and frame generation if you still stutter.
What the tests say
Ultra without RT: ~11GB at 1080p/1440p, 12GB at 4K. With RT (Ultra): 12GB at 1080p, 13GB at 1440p, 16GB at 4K maxed; rt_extra = 1440p delta (13-11).
Hogwarts Legacy Optimization Guide (2024)Hogwarts Legacy GPU Benchmark: 53 GPUs Tested (2023)
Drop texture quality one notch first: it frees the most memory for the least FPS. Turn off ray tracing and frame generation if you still stutter.
What the tests say
Without ray tracing: 1080p and 1440p 7-8GB (recorded 8), 4K native 'under 10GB' (recorded 10); Medium/High textures ~8GB at 4K. With path tracing 1080p/1440p 10-12.5GB; 4K Very High RT >13GB. rt_extra = 12.5 minus 8 (upper ends of the two quoted ranges).
Best Settings for Black Myth Wukong PC (2024)Instantly Obsolete: Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 8GB Rev (2025)
Drop texture quality one notch first: it frees the most memory for the least FPS. Turn off ray tracing and frame generation if you still stutter.
What the tests say
8GB covers 1080p and 1440p Very High; 4K Very High peaks at 10GB (measured on a 24GB card, partly allocation). Texture detail can be dropped to cut VRAM. Game also runs on 4GB cards at low settings.
Counter-Strike 2 Optimization 2024-2025 (2024)Counter-Strike 2 (retr)
Drop texture quality one notch first: it frees the most memory for the least FPS. Turn off ray tracing and frame generation if you still stutter.
What the tests say
Epic's own 'Epic Quality Presets' spec asks for 8GB VRAM or higher, so 8GB is the stated ceiling for maxed settings. Nanite adds up to ~50% VRAM at 4K per the outlet. Performance mode uses very little VRAM (TechSpot).
Fortnite Optimization Guide (2024)What are the system requirements for Fortnite (retr)
Drop texture quality one notch first: it frees the most memory for the least FPS. Turn off ray tracing and frame generation if you still stutter.
What the tests say
Ultra (Vulkan): ~7GB at 1080p and 1440p, ~10GB at 4K. DirectX 11 uses about 2GB less VRAM (up to 8GB at High, 6GB at Low at 4K). Upscaling saves 500-800MB at 4K. Game is CPU-limited. Larian's Steam page: '4GB+ of VRAM' min, '8GB+ of VRAM' recommended.
Best Baldur's Gate 3 Settings & Optimization G (2024)Baldur's Gate 3 (retr)
Room to spare.
What the tests say
Peaks 'under 6 GB' at 1080p/1440p Epic (recorded as 6 = upper bound) and 7.2GB at 4K highest. Same outlet says maxed textures need a 6GB buffer at 1080p/1440p and 8GB at 4K. Steam page lists GPUs only, no VRAM.
Room to spare.
What the tests say
Only 1440p Epic figure found: 'over 6GB'. Lowest quality 4-5GB. Each resolution step adds roughly 750MB-1GB (outlet's own statement), so 1080p/4K are not stated and left null. July 2024 data; the game has had major updates since.
Palworld optimization: every graphics setting (2024)Palworld (retr)
Room to spare.
What the tests say
Legacy version at Max: 5.5/5.8/7.1GB. GTA V Enhanced (2025 upgrade, adds ray tracing): 1080p 6GB raster / 7.2GB with RT; 1440p 6.5 / 7.7GB; 4K <8 / 9GB. rt_extra is the Enhanced 1440p delta (7.7-6.5). 8GB is fine except Enhanced 4K RT.
GTA 5 Optimized Settings for PC (2024)GTA 5 Enhanced PC Optimized Settings (2025)
Room to spare.
What the tests say
At Maximum with ray tracing Maximum: 1080p <5GB, 1440p slightly over 5GB, 4K <8GB (highest-quality settings up to 7.5GB). Ray-tracing VRAM delta not quantified by the source.
Room to spare.
What the tests say
Very light. Riot only states a 1GB dedicated-VRAM floor. Measured 'High' preset figure applies to both 1080p and 1440p; 4K figure is for 4K UHD. No ray tracing in the game.
Valorant PC Settings Optimization Guide (2024)Minimum & Recommended PC Specs (retr)
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
What the tests say
Source reports ~18GB (1080p), 18.4GB (1440p), 20GB (4K) at Ultra on a 24GB RTX 4090, 'regardless of settings' (lowest preset 17GB at 4K): this is clearly engine allocation, not a minimum, so treat as low confidence.
Star Wars Outlaws Optimization (2024)Star Wars Outlaws GPU Benchmark (2024)
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
What the tests say
Single outlet reports >14GB at 1080p/1440p on higher quality settings and >16GB at 4K High+; Medium <12GB; lowest <10GB at 4K. A second page from the same site says an RTX 3060 (12GB) averaged >11GB at 1080p/1440p, i.e. it fills the card.
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
What the tests say
Highest 'Supreme' preset (not High): >13GB at 1080p and 1440p, up to 15GB at 4K; Very Ultra textures ~13GB and Ultra <12.5GB at 4K; even the lowest preset up to 10GB at 4K. Path tracing 17GB at 1440p native (rt_extra = 17 - 13 = 4), 18.6GB at 4K.
Indiana Jones & the Great Circle PC Settings O (2025)Instantly Obsolete: Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 8GB Rev (2025)
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
What the tests say
Latest-update figures (Jan 2026): 4K 12-13GB, 1080p/1440p 11-12GB (upper ends recorded; preset not named). At 1440p, Medium textures/graphics 9.5GB and Low 8.4GB, so 8GB is only comfortable around Low. Single source, measured on a 24GB card.
Ark Survival Ascended PC Settings Optimization (2026)ARK: Survival Ascended (retr)
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
What the tests say
Ultra preset: 4K >12GB, 1440p 11.3GB, 1080p 'maxes out under 11GB' (recorded 11). High/Medium presets 10-11GB; lowest <8GB. At 1080p Ultra with frame generation 9.5-10GB; disabling Lumen gives 8.5GB, SSGI 7.7GB, after which the outlet says an 8GB card is fine.
Marvel Rivals PC Optimization & Settings Guide (2024)Marvel Rivals (retr)
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
What the tests say
Figures are for the top 'Extreme' preset (1080p/1440p: 10-11GB, recorded at the 11 upper end; 4K Extreme up to 15GB). 'Ultra' preset is 10GB and 'Balanced' >7GB at 4K, so 8GB works on Balanced/lower texture presets.
Call of Duty Warzone Optimization (2024)Call of Duty: Warzone (retr)
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
What the tests say
Source reports >11.5GB at 4K and 10.66GB at 1440p on a 24GB card, but also says the texture streaming budget (a user setting) is what drives VRAM, so these are likely allocation and an 8GB card can be run by lowering the streaming budget.
Apex Legends PC Settings Optimization Guide (2024)Apex Legends (retr)
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
What the tests say
TechSpot (launch build, Apr 2023): 1080p High just below 10GB; 1440p High ~10GB (game's own estimate up to 11.3GB); 4K High and any Ultra preset >12GB (recorded 12 as lower bound); Ultra at 1080p >12GB.
The Last of Us Part I GPU Benchmark (2023)How Much VRAM is Enough for PC Gaming? (2024)
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
What the tests say
'Extreme' preset: over 10GB at 1080p and 1440p, over 11GB at 4K (lower bounds); 'Ultra' 9GB; 'Balanced' 6.2GB; 'Basic' 5.22GB. 8GB is therefore fine at Balanced and below, tight at Ultra. Measured on an RTX 3080 Ti (12GB) so Extreme is near-allocation.
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Optimized Settings (2024)Is 8 GB VRAM enough for modern games? We teste (2025)
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
What the tests say
Raster Ultra: ~8GB at 1080p, 8.7GB at 1440p, 9.64GB at 4K. With RT: 10GB / 10.6GB / ~15GB (rt_extra = 1440p delta 10.6-8.7).
Cyberpunk 2077 PC Settings Optimization Guide (2025)How Much VRAM is Enough for PC Gaming? (2024)
The reported figure comes from a high-VRAM card where the game takes what it can. Real need is lower; lower textures one notch if you see stutter.
What the tests say
At 'Ultra': 1080p 7-7.5GB, 1440p 7-8GB, 4K 8-10GB (upper ends recorded). Outlet says 8GB is sufficient at 1440p and advises dropping textures to High on an 8GB card at 4K. The game's own texture menu suggests 10GB Ultra / 8GB High / 6GB Medium / 3GB Low.
Helldivers 2 PC Settings Optimization Guide (2025)Helldivers 2 for PC (retr)
How to read this
Figures are the peak VRAM reported in published tests at each game's top preset without ray tracing, then adjusted for ray tracing where a test measured it. Most were recorded on 24GB cards, where games allocate more than they strictly need, so we mark those as possible over-estimates. Treat a "tight" result as a prompt to lower textures, not a verdict that the game won't run. Several outlets' charts could not be read for this page, so coverage is not complete, and figures can change with patches.
FAQ
Is 8GB of VRAM enough in 2026?
For esports, older and most 1080p games, yes. At top settings, with ray tracing or in the newest heavy games, 8GB can run out: expect stutter and low 1% lows before you see low average FPS. Lowering texture quality one notch is the usual fix, and it costs little frame rate.
How much VRAM do I need for 1440p?
12GB is a comfortable target for 1440p at high settings in new games, and 16GB gives headroom for ray tracing. Reviewers now describe 8GB as an entry-level 1080p tier.
Why do games show more VRAM use than my card has?
Many engines allocate memory freely when it is available. Numbers measured on a 24GB card are therefore upper bounds, not strict requirements. This tool marks those figures, and a game that reports 11GB on a 24GB card can often run well on 8GB with lower textures.
What happens when I run out of VRAM?
Textures pop in late or look blurry, the game stutters when it swaps data, 1% lows collapse, and in the worst cases it crashes. Average FPS may look fine while the game feels bad.
Does ray tracing or frame generation use more VRAM?
Yes. Tests add roughly 1 to 4GB for ray tracing in the games measured, and frame generation adds more. That is what pushes many 8GB cards past the limit.
Does more VRAM mean more FPS?
Only if you were short of it. Once a game fits, extra VRAM adds nothing. The GPU's speed decides the frame rate.
Related: GPU Lifespan Checker, Upgrade Path Advisor, Is 8GB VRAM enough? The full guide.