2GB VRAM or 4GB?

[Mattiewagg]

I currently have an NVIDIA GeForce 860M GTX with 2GB of VRAM. I play Skyrim, heavily modded, as well as several other games. I also am looking to get into modeling with 3DSMax, and perhaps animation.

 

Because of my video card, I can't use that many graphics mods on Skyrim. I know Skyrim is very badly optimized partially because it's a console port and partially because of it's ancient engine. However, I'm wondering - for future games, and modeling and animation, will 2GB be enough or should I get 3 or 4? I know no computer can truly be Future-Proof, but this is a relatively new computer and I'd like it to last for the next few years. So what is your recommendation?

[bojanni]

I think the new minimum is 4GB of VRAM, when you look at the recently released nVidia Cards (970 / 980) and released games. For example Evil Within: recommended 4GB. Shadow of Mordor asks for 6(!!!)GB of VRAM if you want ultra textures!

[FMod]

Doesn't matter.

Any card that won't slow down to a crawl with anything that would take advantage of more than 2GB VRAM, already has more than 2GB.

 

Also, is your 860M even removable anyway?

[Mattiewagg]

Doesn't matter.

Any card that won't slow down to a crawl with anything that would take advantage of more than 2GB VRAM, already has more than 2GB.

 

Also, is your 860M even removable anyway?

No, but I'm in a state where I can return it and get another computer.

 

The main issue is Skyrim - I play it alot, mod it a lot, and would like to get the most out of it. And the next TES/FO games.

[FMod]

Well, like I said, don't even bother looking at VRAM - any card you'll get has enough for itself. Especially on laptops, they cram VRAM in there like it's on sale.

 

860M is ~equivalent to real 750Ti, which is not all that much of a card, and its slightly cheaper sister 750 comes with just 1GB.

[yudhi108]

I think the new minimum is 4GB of VRAM,

 

This.

 

I have 3gb gtx 780 cuz was gunna sli another one but skyrim doesn't support sli so i'm screwed cuz 3gb isn't enough. I'm trying to sell my 780 now so i can buy a titan (6gb) or something. I suppose if i get the TITAN, i'll SLI another TITAN into my rig next year or so.

[FMod]

Skyrim does support SLI. Poorly, and it's CPU bound, and 780 is too powerful a card for it already, so using two at 1920x1080x60 would maybe add 3% to the performance, but it does.

 

And Skyrim is incapable of using more than 3GB VRAM anyway. It will leak memory to fill the entire 3GB, but its DX9, 32-bit engine lacks a way of usefully accessing more.

And SLI doesn't increase the amount of available VRAM anyway.

 

IDK what you heard, where, why you think you need more VRAM, and why you want an obsolete card instead of GTX980, but you've most likely been misled.

[Amyr]

More VRAM will help you if you don't have enough VRAM for the things you want to do. If you already have enough, having more VRAM won't do anything. You just have to check your VRAM usage and decide do you need more or not.

If you want ultra quality textures for recent and future games, and heavily modded Skyrim, I can honestly say that anything below 3GB won't be enough for you.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Amyr

[Boombro]

Skyrim can always make use of more vram, if you have access to more, then way not?

[FMod]

Skyrim isn't DX11, its already high crash rate goes up fast between 2GB and 3GB VRAM usage, and 3GB is said to be the realistic limit. 4GB is a hard limit, but it would have to spend 0 RAM for everything else, so won't get ever close to there.