General [CLOSED] Win11 lags? Adjust VRAM if not already done yet, to increase performance

[jwoegerbauer]

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How much graphic memory makes sense?​

I began to concern myself with this matter when I recorded ( i.e. copied ) on a low-budget laptop - what comes with an integrated GPU, as that's fact with all laptops, AFAIK - a video via XBOX ( Win + G ): A performance monitor get shown what listed Video RAM usage aside CPU & GPU & system RAM usage.

What Is Integrated Graphics?​

A CPU (or central processing unit) in a computer is responsible for executing the processes (through calculations) that are necessary to make your computer work.

A GPU (or graphics processing unit) works similarly to a CPU, except it mainly handles the processing of graphics-related data and instructions.

Integrated graphics refers to the scenario in which you find both a CPU and a GPU included on the same chip. So, when a processor has integrated graphics on it, that processor will be able to handle both normal CPU processes and GPU processes.

What Is Dedicated Video RAM (VRAM)?​

Video RAM (or VRAM, pronounced "VEE-ram") is a special type of RAM that works with your computer's graphics processing unit, or GPU.

The GPU is a chip on your computer's graphics card (also called the video card) that's responsible for displaying images on your screen. Though technically incorrect, the terms GPU and graphics card are often used interchangeably.

Your video RAM holds information that the GPU needs, including game textures and lighting effects. This allows the GPU to quickly access the info and output video to your monitor.

Using video RAM for this task is much faster than using your system RAM because video RAM is right next to the GPU in the graphics card. VRAM is built for this high-intensity purpose and it's thus "dedicated."

What Kinds of Tasks Need Video RAM?​

Before we talk about specific values for video memory, we should mention what aspects of games and other graphics-intensive apps use the most VRAM.

A big factor in VRAM consumption is your monitor's resolution (more specifically, the resolution you're running a game at). Video RAM stores the frame buffer, which holds an image before and during the time that device's GPU displays it on the screen. Higher-quality displays (such as a 4K HDR monitor) use more VRAM because higher-resolution images take more pixels to display.

Aside from your monitor's display, textures in a game can drastically affect how much VRAM you need. Most modern PC games let you fine-tune graphical settings for performance or visual quality.

You may be able to play a game from several years ago at Low or Medium settings with default VRAM settings. But High or Ultra quality, or custom mods that make in-game textures look even better than they normally do, will need lots of video RAM.

Beautification features like anti-aliasing (the smoothing of jagged edges) also use more VRAM due to the extra pixels required. If you play on two monitors at once, that's even more intensive.

Conversely, just allocating 2GB of VRAM is sufficient for playing PC titles from 20-plus years ago. Games back then had nowhere near modern amounts of RAM at their disposal.

Even if you're not interested in gaming, some popular software requires a fair amount of VRAM too. 3D design software like AutoCAD, particularly intense edits in Photoshop, and editing high-quality video will all suffer if you don't have enough VRAM.

How Much VRAM Do I Need?​

It's clear that there's no perfect amount of VRAM for everyone. However, here provided some basic guidelines about how much VRAM you should allocate to device's GPU.

• 1-2 GB of VRAM: This amount of VRAM is good if you want to play older games. Not recommended for video editing or 3D work.
• 3-6 GB of VRAM: Good for moderate gaming or somewhat intensive video editing. You won't be able to use ultra-insane texture packs, but you can expect to play modern games at 1080p with few issues. 6GB is a more future-proof option than something like 4GB.
• 8GB-12GB of VRAM and above: This amount of VRAM is for serious gamers. If you want to play the latest games at 4K resolution, you need this amount of VRAM.

However, you should take the above generalizations with a grain of salt. GPU manufacturers add the appropriate amount of VRAM to a GPU depending on how powerful the GPU is.

VRAM Allocation vs. VRAM Usage – What is the Difference?​

VRAM allocation is quite a bit different from actual VRAM usage, however, as allocation uses potentially all of the VRAM that is available to it to optimize a user's gaming experience. On the other hand, VRAM usage is the actual amount of VRAM that is required by a game to render a particular scene. The two parameters are quite different, and this has caused a lot of confusion among gamers simply because they are grouped under the same umbrella of “VRAM”. With more and more games adopting the technique of VRAM allocation, the industry needs to work out a way to differentiate the two in order to remove ambiguity and misinformation that is common right now.

How to Check Your VRAM Allocation in Windows 11​

You can easily view the amount of video RAM you have in Windows 11 by following these steps:

1. Open the Settings menu by pressing Win + I.
2. Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display. Then choose a display and click Display adapter properties.
3. In a new window, you'll see your current VRAM listed next to Dedicated Video Memory.

How to Adjust / Increase VRAM Allocation in Windows 11​

Use UEFI ( AKA BIOS ) to Make your Adjustments
You can reach your Win11 BIOS by making use of the Shift key while restarting.

1. On the sign-in or lock screen, press the Shift key on the keyboard and tap on the power button (or click on the Power option on the bottom right of the monitor). Then, choose the Restart option in the menu.
2. When Windows 11 restarts, you will be shown the Advanced startup screen (Choose an option).
3. Then, move to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings and press Restart.

1. In the BIOS menu, look for an option called Advanced Features. After that, look for Graphics Settings, Video Settings or VGA Share Memory Size options.
2. This section should give you the option to change the amount of memory allocated to your GPU. The default value here is 128 MB. If you have enough memory, you can increase this amount to 256 or 512 MB or whatever.
3. Finally, Save the changes and restart your computer.

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[TNSMANI]

MOD ACTION:

Thread closed at the request of the OP.