Question about GPU RAM usage

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CrazyCanuk

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Jan 6, 2014
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Two times in the past month I received a warning that system memory is low while playing BF4. Don't get me wrong even with the warning I don't notice any drop in performance the card is maxing out my FPS on High settings.
My GPU is an asus HD7870 DC2 2GB but the GPU monitor showed it was using 3.6 GB.

So my questions -

(a) Does that mean my graphics card is using 1.6 GB of my systems memory?

(b) If this is the case, my system memory is 12GB corsair XMS3 9-9-9 1333mhz so because my graphics card is using 1.6 GB (almost half of the total it uses while playing) would I get even better performance upgrading to a card with more VRAM?

(c) If so what kind of "real world" difference would it make.

Thanks for your time
 
Solution
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Essentially, yes. It is used as a buffer for the VRAM and for storing non-critical data.

(b) If this is the case, my system memory is 12GB corsair XMS3 9-9-9 1333mhz so because my graphics card is using 1.6 GB (almost half of the total it uses while playing) would I get even better performance upgrading to a card with more VRAM?
Click to expand...
Depends on what screen resolution you play at. For 1080p or below, 2GB is fine. For 1440p, in some games, you might have 4-5% higher frame rate with 3GB or more. For higher than 1440p, more VRAM won't make much of a difference because in most modern games, the GPU wouldn't be able to process the huge amount of data fast enough...
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Essentially, yes. It is used as a buffer for the VRAM and for storing non-critical data.

(b) If this is the case, my system memory is 12GB corsair XMS3 9-9-9 1333mhz so because my graphics card is using 1.6 GB (almost half of the total it uses while playing) would I get even better performance upgrading to a card with more VRAM?
Click to expand...
Depends on what screen resolution you play at. For 1080p or below, 2GB is fine. For 1440p, in some games, you might have 4-5% higher frame rate with 3GB or more. For higher than 1440p, more VRAM won't make much of a difference because in most modern games, the GPU wouldn't be able to process the huge amount of data fast enough for the VRAM to be a bottleneck.

(c) If so what kind of "real world" difference would it make.
Click to expand...
Very little to none, unless you plan to run two 7870s in crossfire.
 
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CrazyCanuk

Honorable
Jan 6, 2014
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10,510
Thanks guys Player Two answered everything I was asking and suspected I really just wanted to make sure I was understanding what my GPU monitor was telling me...

@ speeddemon after investigating further into that warning I believe it is my hard drive and my misunderstanding of what that warning was talking about led me to investigate my RAM usage which in turn made me want to ask about what I was seeing.

@cst 1992 I am at work away from my computer for the next couple days so won't be able to post a screen shot but along with the ASUS GPU tweaker thing a ma jig the monitor box is where I got the info it gives me all the temps im running at, core speeds, voltages, and also DDR used max and mins during sessions and thats where I saw it using 3684 MB
 
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