Question5080 not enough VRAM?
Question5080 not enough VRAM?
I've been testing various titles such as Cyberpunk PT and Spider-Man 2 RTX in 4K resolution. Although the Task Manager indicates only about 10-12 GB of VRAM usage, Steam reports a need for 15.5 GB or more. This discrepancy becomes clearer when considering shared GPU memory combined with dedicated GPU memory. It seems the system is quite constrained with 16 GB of VRAM, which could explain the stuttering I experience, especially when Steam Overlay displays the VRAM at its maximum. My GPU typically uses around 2.3 GB of DGPU memory outside of gaming.
This setup doesn’t appear to be optimized for these high-resolution games, even though I’m not aiming for native 4K playback. I’m using DLSS Performance and still exceeding the 16 GB threshold as shown by Steam.
CPU: 7800x3D
CPU cooler: Noctua NH-U12A
Motherboard: MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM5
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL36
Storage: SanDisk SSD PLUS 1 TB 2.5" SSD
SSD/HDD: Sabrent Rocket 512 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME
Western Digital Red Plus 10 TB 3.5" HDD
GPU: MSI GAMING TRIO OC GeForce RTX 5080 16 GB Video Card
Power Supply: Corsair RM1000x (2021) 1000 W, 80+ Gold Certified, Modular ATX
Case: Fractal Design North XL
Operating System: Windows 11
Display: KTC M32P10 4K 32", 32" 1440p, HP B095JY7LP9 16.1", 144Hz
BIOS: 3.7 (installed 6/24/2025)
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
Include the PSU age along with its make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this time.
As someone who owns a 5080, the 16GB of VRAM has often been a point of concern. The 5080 should have come with at least 24GB, and the 5080 Super, 32GB would have been even better. Even if it matched the VRAM of the 5090, there’s still a noticeable performance difference. I recommend installing ASUS GPU Tweak III and turning on OSD. It provides real-time VRAM usage data. I suggest adjusting your game settings to reduce VRAM consumption. In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, when I play in Ultra mode and depart from JFK International, my VRAM usage reaches close to 15GB, causing stutters. Lowering the global settings to High End brings VRAM down to 10.5GB, eliminating stutters and restoring smooth performance.
Sorry, others mentioned 16 GB was sufficient for 4K and that extra space wasn't really needed because games only consumed around 12 GB of VRAM. Now I'm wondering if they were right, since there are many other tasks a PC uses VRAM for besides gaming. I might definitely need to upgrade next generation unless I'm mistaken.
Adjust the settings to observe reduced VRAM consumption. Certain options may cause significant performance drops with minimal impact on graphics quality. DLSS also consumes VRAM, just like that information.
In reality, 16GB for 4K has been its weakness. Having 16GB of VRAM works better for 2K nowadays. I only play MSFS 2024 in 4K.