Total Available Graphics Memory [Read to Unveil All 2024]

Written By Farhan Max

On a lovely weekend morning, you sat on your gaming chair to play Guardian of the Galaxy. While playing, you got kicked out of the game due to a lack of VRAM. Holy moly!

After checking, you found out you have a decent amount of total available graphics memory. Then what on earth caused your game to crash?

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Let me explain to you precisely the total available graphics memory in your system and its purpose. While gaming or rendering videos, you may face crashes or lags due to insufficient VRAM. The total available graphics memory combines all the other graphics memories in your system.

Don’t mix up VRAM memory with the total available graphics memory. Now, get your coffee and read till the end to know all.

What Constitutes Total Graphics Memory?

Total graphics memory combines system video memory, dedicated video memory, and shared system memory. These different parts of the available graphics memory merged to make the total graphics memory.  Whether you work or play games, your system will always pull from the total graphics memory.

While you can check how much RAM you have or the GHz of your processor core clock. Meanwhile, you can also check your total graphics memory capacity.

Just right-click anywhere on the desktop and select the Display option. Then go to the advanced display settings, and it will open a new window for you where you can see the total available graphics memory with a number. That number indicates your total graphics memory.

You will also see dedicated video memory, system video memory, and shared system memory. Just sum up the number of these memories, and the result will be the total available graphics memory. You may wonder when the number is more significant than your standard graphics memory.

If the device you are using has a dedicated graphics card, you might see a higher number of total available graphics memory. Your system will pull off GPU processing power from this memory pool whenever needed.

So, let me simplify the total available graphics memory for you.

Dedicated video memory = Memory dedicated for graphics only

System video memory = Graphics memory only available for programs

Shared system memory = Total available graphics memory – Dedicated video memory

Total available graphics memory = Memory available for graphics memory

Total available graphics memory comes from the dedicated video memory, also known as the iGPU or onboard memory, and shared system memory that indicates system RAM allocated with iGPU.

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What is the purpose of Total Graphics Memory?

Your computer won’t draw all the graphics memory at the moment. When programming, your computer gets the graphics processing power from the system’s video memory. While gaming, GPU processing power got all the juice from the VRAM.

Daily work, including browsing the net, typing some documents, and chatting with people through messenger, didn’t require a lot of GPU memory.

But you will need a lot of graphical processing power to play games. Games demand a lot of GPU memory to run a game smoothly. That’s why games pull the total graphics memory to get the job done and deliver the gameplay that shoots your eye.

Is VRAM a Crucial Part of Total Graphics Memory?

When you want to perform high graphics intensive work on your system, VRAM comes to play. VRAM is a crucial part of total graphics memory. VRAM helps your computer access the stored image data on the display when needed.

A program requires processing the image data to show you the perfect graphics on display. VRAM helps to process those image data as fast as it can. A system with a high amount of VRAM can process data much quicker.

total-graphics-memory

VRAM is a type of random access memory mainly used to store image data for a computer to display. It ensures the smooth execution of the graphics display. The most complex type of graphical processing and rendering goes through the VRAM. Graphics designers and video gamers use VRAM all the time.

Some programs require a lot of VRAM power, and some don’t. It depends on how much graphical power is required by the specific program. VRAM is the best option when you want to play high-end games and do graphical-based work. It will be better to choose your system with a strong VRM that can handle all your heavy workload.

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Dedicated or Integrated Graphics: Which one is better?

Do you have a system with a dedicated GPU? Try to compare it with a system that has only an integrated GPU. The performance will tell the story.

Dedicated graphics are always better than integrated graphics. A system with dedicated graphics will provide you with more overall graphics memory. In contrast, you will see lesser total graphics memory with integrated graphics.

The more you have, the better you will get. This principle genuinely applies to the amount of graphics memory available in your system. But in recent years, integrated graphics have developed so much that they can compete with any type of entry-level dedicated graphics card.

Switching to a dedicated graphics card is always a better option if you want more VRAM in your system. Upgrading to a dedicated graphics card will boost your gaming and rendering work performances.

dedicated-or-integrated-graphics

How to Increase Laptop’s VRAM?

It will be a nightmare when you think of upgrading your laptop’s graphics card. It’s quite an impossible task to do. The Laptop’s dedicated GPU comes sorted with the main board. So, how can you increase the amount of VRAM in your laptop? A question like this can poke into your mind.

There are internal options available to increase the VRAM in your laptop. To increase the VRAM, you will need to go to your laptop’s BIOS settings and look for the Advanced Features. You will find an Advanced Chipset Feature inside the advanced feature option.

From there, find the category called the Graphics Settings or other similar type of name. Keep in mind BIOS settings are different from one branded laptop to another. You can increase your laptop’s VRAM from here.

You can do this with another alternative method. By modifying the system’s registry value, you can increase the amount of VRAM you currently have. You are not adding an actual amount of VRAM to your system. Instead, you are tricking the system by changing the values.

By changing the value, you tell your computer that it has a decent amount of VRAM to play the games or perform other works, which was unplayable previously due to the shortage of VRAM.

Here are the steps to change the values from the registry editor:

  • Go to the registry editor by typing regedit into the Run dialogue box. Click on YES to go to registry editor settings prompted by UAC(User Account Control).
  • Now go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > INTEL. Create a new Key inside the INTEL folder and name it DMM or anything you want.
  • Right-click on the DMM key folder, create a new QWORD (64-bit) Value, and name it DedicatedSegmentSize. Now double click on it. (if you are using 32-bit OS, then create a DWORD (32-bit) value)
  • Input 512 in the value section (you can put a maximum 512 value in it) and hit the OK
  • Restart your computer to take effect. After restarting, recheck the graphics properties, and you will find that your Dedicated Video Memory has increased by a significant amount.

By following the upper steps, you can increase your Dedicated Video Memory. Try it out if you want to increase the capacity of VRAM memory.

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What Systems Make Use of VRAM?

Speaking frankly, VRAM is mainly used when gaming or doing graphical-related works in your system. VRAM is responsible for your gaming performance. This visual memory helps to give you a smoother gameplay experience.

We all know what exactly RAM is and its purposes. But while you are gaming along with RAM modules, VRAM plays the most crucial role. Your games won’t run or keep crashing if you don’t have enough VRAM to handle the game perfectly.

Games like Guardian of the galaxy, Cyberpunk, and Sniper Elite 4 require a high amount of VRAM. Games need to be adequately rendered. Hence, VRAM needs to be so powerful. If you try to play high graphics required games with a low amount of VRAM, prepare to be kicked out of the game.

You can also face stuttering, slow-down while gaming, lagging, or crashing when you have a low amount of VRAM.

VRAM is also required while performing graphical-related works. Animation maker artists, Video editors, and Illustration artists need a considerable amount of VRAM.

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FAQs

How much graphics memory do you need?

It depends on what type of work you want to do on your computer. For a gamer to play games in 1080p, you need a minimum of 6GB to 8GB graphics VRAM. But for video rendering and playing games in 4K, you need more than 8GB of VRAM on your system.

Can I use RAM as VRAM?

Yes, you can use RAM as a VRAM. While your GPU is under full load and out of VRAM memory, it uses the system RAM to continue the image data processing. For the lack of quicker VRAM, texture data from the system RAM can be transferred across the PCIe link.

Can you override the VRAM limit?

Overriding the VRAM limit is possible, and it won’t damage your graphics card. You can do this by using the system RAM as a VRAM when needed. But it’s not as fast as the VRAM. You will face lag or stuttering in the game when your VRAM uses the system RAM for more memory support.

Closing Thoughts

Finally, I can say that the total available graphics memory plays an essential role in gaming and all other graphics-intensive related works. Available video graphics memory is like a treasure for a hard-core gamer.

The most important thing is choosing your device wisely with a high amount of VRAM according to your needs. Don’t do upgrades that can improve a little amount of performance.

If you read this article from top to bottom, you should now have a better knowledge of the total available graphics memory.

Have any questions? Just ask me in the comment section below. See you at the next one.

Peace out.

About The Author
Farhan Max is a tech geek with a particular interest in computer hardware. He's been fascinated by gaming since childhood and is now completing his undergraduate studies while researching and testing the latest tech innovations. Alongside his love for all things geeky, Farhan is also a skilled photographer.

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