When exploring your system’s GPU settings, you may encounter various memory types that can initially be confusing. Terms like Total Available Graphics Memory, Dedicated Video Memory, System Video Memory, and Shared System Memory all play different roles in how your system allocates resources to your GPU. This blog will walk you through these concepts and explain how to view these memory stats on Windows.
What’s inside
- 1. Step-by-Step: How to View GPU Memory Information on Windows
- 2. The Four Types of GPU Memory
- Why Does This Matter?
- Conclusion
1. Step-by-Step: How to View GPU Memory Information on Windows
Here’s how you can view the different memory types in Windows:
- Right-click on your desktop and select Display settings, or search Display settings in the Windows Search bar.
- Scroll down and click on Advanced display in the Related Setting.
- Select the display you would like to view if you have multiple displays.
- Select Display adapter properties for the monitor connected to your GPU.
- In the pop-up window, you’ll see the four types of memories: Total Available Graphics Memory, Dedicated Video Memory, System Video Memory, and Shared System Memory.
Now, let’s break down what each memory type means.
2. The Four Types of GPU Memory
2.1 Dedicated Video Memory (VRAM)
Dedicated Video Memory is the actual amount of physical memory built into your graphics card. This memory is dedicated to handling graphics tasks, and it is much faster than system RAM. In the case of the NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, this is typically 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM.
- Purpose: Dedicated VRAM is used for storing textures, frame buffers, shaders, and other graphical assets that need to be accessed quickly by the GPU.
- Performance: VRAM is faster than system memory because it’s physically located on the GPU itself. The higher the amount of VRAM, the better the GPU can handle graphically intensive tasks like 4K gaming or 3D rendering.
For the RTX 4060, you will see 8GB of VRAM listed under Dedicated Video Memory in Windows’ “Display Adapter Properties” window.
2.2 System Video Memory
This is a legacy concept that refers to a portion of system RAM specifically allocated for the GPU. Modern systems, especially those with discrete GPUs like the RTX 4060, typically do not use System Video Memory anymore. Instead, system memory is dynamically shared (see Shared System Memory below).
In older systems or integrated GPUs, this would represent a fixed amount of system RAM pre-allocated for graphics tasks. In modern systems, this is often set to 0 MB.
- Purpose: Previously used to ensure the GPU had some memory available when dedicated VRAM was insufficient.
- Performance: This memory is much slower than dedicated VRAM because it is part of system RAM, which isn’t optimized for graphics processing.
On modern systems, this field will usually show 0 MB for dedicated graphics cards like the RTX 4060.
2.3 Shared System Memory
Shared System Memory refers to the portion of your computer’s system RAM that the GPU can “borrow” when its dedicated video memory (VRAM) is full. This memory is not reserved but is dynamically allocated as needed.
In your RTX 4060 example, the system may report something like 8GB of shared system memory in addition to the 8GB of dedicated VRAM. This means that when the GPU exhausts its 8GB of VRAM, it can borrow up to an additional 8GB of system RAM to handle graphics tasks.
- Purpose: To provide extra memory when the dedicated VRAM is full, preventing crashes or errors in memory-heavy applications.
- Performance: Shared memory is slower than VRAM because it is regular system RAM, which is not as fast as VRAM in terms of data access. Using shared system memory can lead to performance issues such as stuttering or frame rate drops in demanding applications.
In Windows, this shared memory will be listed as part of the “Total Available Graphics Memory.”
2.4 Total Available Graphics Memory
This is the sum of dedicated video memory and shared system memory. On Windows, the system reports this value to give you an idea of how much total memory is available for graphics tasks. For the RTX 4060, if you have 8GB of dedicated VRAM and 8GB of shared system memory available, the total graphics memory would show up as 16GB.
- Purpose: This value gives an overall picture of the memory that the system can use for graphics processing. It is not all VRAM but includes both fast dedicated memory and slower shared memory.
- Performance: It’s important to note that even though this figure might be high, the performance is dependent on how much of that memory is dedicated VRAM vs. shared system memory. The GPU’s performance will degrade if it has to rely heavily on shared system memory.
In the RTX 4060 example, you would see something like:
- Dedicated Video Memory: 8 GB
- Shared System Memory: 8 GB
- Total Available Graphics Memory: 16 GB
However, the performance of that “extra” memory (shared system memory) is not as good as the 8 GB of dedicated VRAM.
Why Does This Matter?
Understanding the difference between these memory types is essential for knowing how well your system can handle certain tasks:
- Gaming: Games that rely on high-resolution textures, detailed 3D models, and complex visual effects will benefit most from a higher amount of dedicated VRAM. If the GPU runs out of dedicated VRAM and starts borrowing shared system memory, the game may experience slowdowns, stuttering, or even crashes.
- Creative Work: Applications like video editing, 3D rendering, and CAD design similarly benefit from having more dedicated VRAM. While these applications may use shared system memory when necessary, performance will be significantly reduced.
- Everyday Use: For less graphically intensive tasks like web browsing, office work, or watching videos, your system may rely more on shared memory, and the differences between dedicated and shared memory may not be as noticeable.
Conclusion
Understanding the four types of GPU memory is key to getting the most out of your system’s performance, especially when dealing with demanding applications. Here’s a quick recap:
- Dedicated Video Memory (VRAM): Fast, exclusive memory on the GPU, crucial for performance.
- System Video Memory: A legacy feature that is mostly obsolete in modern systems.
- Shared System Memory: A backup pool of system RAM that the GPU can use when it runs out of VRAM, though much slower.
- Total Available Graphics Memory: The combination of VRAM and shared system memory, but performance is highly dependent on how much VRAM is available.
For high-performance tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or video editing, always prioritize GPUs with more dedicated VRAM. While shared system memory can help, it’s not a substitute for fast VRAM.
If you want to check your system’s memory allocation, simply follow the steps to view the GPU memory stats in Windows, and you’ll have a better understanding of how your system manages graphics memory.
Anjing