If you want to play on 1440p displays and widescreen panels, then you need a GPU with 6GB or 8GB of memory – 4GB just won't cut it. If you're interested in 4K gaming, you need at least 8GB of graphics memory. That amount is included on most of AMD and Nvidia's high-end GPUs.
In conclusion, while 8GBs of VRAM GPUs can get simple gaming and productivity workloads done in a pinch, they aren't good enough in terms of longevity. As games become more graphically intensive, the demand for more VRAM increases.
NVIDIA confirms 8GB of VRAM isn't enough to run some games at 1080p max settings.
Modern graphics cards use a version of SGRAM called GDDR6. GDDR6 stands for Graphics Double Data Rate 6, and is similar to DDR4 or DDR5, which is used as system RAM in modern computers. GDDR6 is the successor to GDDR5 and features increased capacity and bandwidth compared to its previous version.
Overall, 8 GB of VRAM should be sufficient for most 1440p gaming scenarios if you use a mid-range or high-end graphics card.
Essentially 8GB of VRAM is good enough for modern games on low to medium settings and some older games on higher ones. This means it's good enough for 1440p but likely not 4K.
Having that in mind, we can determine that spending more the $850 for the 3080 Ti to play games at 1440p is overkill. And the proof lies in the fact that there is not much of a difference between the results achieved by the 3080 and the 3080 Ti at this specific resolution.
Great card for the best price on the planet
I've had the card for almost 6 months now without issue. It plays all the newest games at the highest settings at 1440p. While it doesn't always max out my 144Hz G-sync monitor, it still stays well above 60fps.
8GB will suffice if you want decent performance on the less demanding titles. However, 16GB is what you need for the latest hits. For streaming and Twitch then go for 32GB, which you'll find on many gaming PCs.
This will depend on your intended use. For most 1080p gaming applications, 8 GB of either GDDR5 or GDDR6 VRAM is more than enough. However, for doing professional work, such as 3D GPU Rendering, High-Poly Sculpting, or 4K Video Editing, you'll see fewer slowdowns with more than 8GB of RAM.
Essentially 8GB of VRAM is good enough for modern games on low to medium settings and some older games on higher ones. This means it's good enough for 1440p but likely not 4K.
So, there you have it: Even when pushing the Radeon RX 7600's memory in some of the most strenuous titles available today, AMD's affordable new GPU still delivers fantastic 1080p gameplay. That 8GB is indeed enough for mainstream 1080p gaming.
You can play most games, even most modern games, with 8GB of VRAM, so really that should be the lowest you go if buying a new graphics card. However, modern games that are built for the Xbox Series X/S and PS5, regularly exceed 8GB of VRAM even when playing at 1080p.
16GB. 16GB is the recommended amount of RAM for playing most games and will provide a noticeable increase in performance from 8GB. You will also be able to run applications in the background without affecting gameplay.
So does a bigger RAM affect FPS? Yes, but not fully. A bigger RAM is effective only in so far as the games you play and the apps that you run in the background. If your games aren't demanding and you don't run apps while playing, then an 8GB is enough storage.
Speed: GDDR6 is faster than GDDR5, offering higher memory bandwidths and transfer rates. GDDR6 has a maximum data rate of 16 Gbps, while GDDR5 has a maximum data rate of 8 Gbps. Power Efficiency: GDDR6 uses less power than GDDR5, which makes it more power-efficient.
While 8GB might be enough to play many (but not all) games in 2023, it certainly isn't enough for heavy productivity tasks.
The increased capacity that 16GB of RAM provides over 8GB makes it the clear winner. 8GB of RAM may be suitable for basic functions, but it quickly seizes up when multiple programs try to operate at the same time. You might not always need 16GB of RAM but you'll be happy to have it when push comes to shove.
8GB: Typically installed in entry-level laptops. This is fine for basic Windows gaming at lower settings, but rapidly runs out of steam. 16GB: Excellent for Windows and MacOS systems and also good for gaming, especially if it is fast RAM, though some games still need more.
Yes the 3070 is an overkill for 1080p, but still let the benches come out... maybe hold out for the 3060 psyph3r Skilled Sep 6, 2020 #3 Ideally for that tier of gpu's, you should be upgrading to a 1440p monitor as well but our market has limited options and the decent ones are overpriced.
RTX 3060 Ti Specs
This is what makes it such a great offering compared to its lower-end competitors like the RTX 3060 and 6600 XT: it comes with a high-end GPU and yet is sold at a decidedly midrange price. In fact, it only has about 1,000 fewer CUDA cores than the 3070, and it has just eight fewer RT Cores and SMs.
It natively set the resolution to 4k and I put the refresh rate at 144 and have had no issues.
When it comes to gaming performance, the RTX 3060 can run most modern games at 1440p with high-to-ultra settings at 60 fps or higher. This makes it a great option for gamers who want high-quality graphics and smooth gameplay without needing to invest in a top-of-the-line graphics card.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
We consider the best GPU for 1440p 144Hz gaming to be the RTX 3070. This GPU offers the best performance in its price range. It doesn't cost you too much, but it will give stunning results mainly thanks to its DLSS upscaling and ray tracing abilities.
We said in the RTX 3080 review that it's a card primarily designed for 4K gaming, and that it starts to hit CPU bottlenecks at 1440p. That applies even more at 1080p with medium settings.