I recently got a 9070xt graphics card that's supposed to have 16GB of VRAM. However, during gameplay, I'm seeing a usage of about 10GB, which is reported as 90% usage by the game. I'm not sure if this is a concern or just a misunderstanding on my part regarding how VRAM works. Is this something I should be worried about before my return window closes?
3 Answers
It could be that your GPU only has 12GB available due to some caching or allocation issues. If it's acting like it’s capped, it might be something to investigate further, but it could also just be a display issue and not a defect at all.
Hey there! You're right that the card has 16GB of VRAM, but keep in mind, not all games will utilize all that memory. Many games don't push it to 100% efficiency unless they're perfectly optimized. Poorly optimized games, like "Ready or Not" and "Squad," often run around 80% GPU load without any faults in your card. It's likely that there's nothing wrong with your GPU.
Totally get that! I checked my Task Manager and saw my VRAM is actually around 15.5GB. Appreciate the quick reply!
Exactly! That's why console games often run smoother; they’re specifically optimized for their hardware. PCs are trickier, given all the different components.
For a clearer picture, you can check VRAM usage via the Task Manager under Performance, then GPU, or better yet, use GPU-Z for the exact VRAM capacity. This will help confirm what's really going on with your system.
Just to clarify, it’s likely just how the VRAM is being allocated, with around 10GB in use as cache, not necessarily a hardware fault.