Does Upscaling and DLSS Lower VRAM Requirements?

As I understand it, you’ll need less VRAM compared to running the high resolution natively. But you will require more than just playing at a lower resolution. So, it’s a balancing act.

While upscaling can reduce VRAM demands, it’s still going to use more VRAM than if you played natively at a lower resolution. For me, having 12GB is the bare minimum; I manage okay, but I hit VRAM limits often. Upscaling from 1440p to 4K requires less than running pure 4K, yet it still consumes more than just 1440p.

Locking your FPS can also help manage VRAM usage if you face constraints, even if it’s not directly about upscaling or DLSS.

Most AI methods like frame generation can actually increase VRAM usage. I've seen videos from Hardware Unboxed suggesting this too. However, upscaling tends to use less VRAM than playing at native resolution. For example, with DLSS in performance mode at 4K, the game runs at around 1080p, so it only consumes the VRAM that a 1080p game would, plus a bit more for DLSS usage itself, making it significantly less than native 4K.

It's a bit tricky. If native 1440p VRAM cost is X, then 1440p with upscaling would cost X plus whatever extra VRAM the upscaling requires. So, in theory, it should be less than the VRAM needed for native 4K, but I'm just speculating here.