GTX 780 3GB vs 6GB For Gaming & Video Rendering

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cmasupra

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Hello, everyone. I'm currently using a GTX 470 in my computer but want to upgrade to a GTX 780. I know that there are currently only 3GB models, but 6GB models are coming out soon and I'm wondering if I'd benefit from a 6GB model.

Here's what I use my computer for. I make gaming videos on YouTube, which means I'm often running a game or my editing software. However, I can't run both at the same time because I am limited by VRAM (not performance). I'd like to be able to run both at the same time with my new card, if possible.

My question is: I've read that 3GB on a GTX 780 is enough for max detail gaming at 1080p, but how close do games come to filling the 3GB? Games I play are War Thunder, Battlefield 4, SimCity, and Company of Heroes (2).

Each instance of my editing software takes about 300MB of VRAM if I'm not rendering, and about 500MB if I am rendering. If the GTX 780's performance allows me to, I'd like to be able to render 1 video while playing a game and recording another video at the same time. I see VRAM being the main issue there, though, which is why I'm making this thread. I already have to turn down the settings in some games with my GTX 470 just because it doesn't have enough VRAM (1280MB), and that's without any instances of my editing software running.

My CPU is an i7-4930k, so that won't be a bottleneck in any way.

My 2 screens are: a 1920x1080 main monitor and a 1440x900 secondary monitor. I only game on my main one while my second one is usually running a YouTube video and/or TeamSpeak.
 
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Bf4 doesn't use 2400 on ultra I barely see 1700.... Vegas uses a hardware accelerator and those programs preset a % of vram to display the ui. My settings were irrelevant it was to make a point that your GPUs vram isn't helping... Its not using 500mb its setting aside a % of vram.... Now if you want to combat me on this that's fine but I'm done trying to help you if you refuse to take advice.
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cmasupra

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Thanks for trying to help, guys, but I think you missed the point. Rendering a video does take GPU power and VRAM because I render to the H.264 codec in Sony Vegas. Like I said in my original post, each instance of Sony Vegas I have running will take about 300MB of VRAM if I'm not rendering and 500MB if I am rendering. If I'm rendering 1 video while playing/recording a game, that leaves me with ~2500MB of VRAM for the game and my second monitor. Would that be enough VRAM for running a 1080p game and my second 1440x900 monitor at the same time if I'm running one of the games I listed in my OP?

I fully understand and agree that 6GB is overkill, but there isn't exactly something between 3GB and 6GB, sadly. At least the cost for a 6GB isn't too much more than a 3GB. I'm really asking not because of price, but because I'd have to wait for a 6GB card.
 
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And I'm telling you I rendered video at the same speed between a and 6520g and a gtx 780 classified... The and has 512mbs the GPU is always using memory... You'll never see it at 0 because lots of programs use small amounts of rendering power even windows... So we didn't miss the point were answering your question and filling you in on proper information.
 
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cmasupra

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What you've rendered video at doesn't help me. Everyone uses different render settings and program settings. I'm telling you that when I'm rendering a video, I see ~500MB extra VRAM usage compared to when Vegas isn't running. When Vegas is just running and not rendering, I see 300MB extra VRAM usage compared to when Vegas isn't running. Vegas is definitely using VRAM.

I'm really looking for how much VRAM maxing out games at 1080p takes. For example, if BF4 takes 2700MB of VRAM when maxed out, I wouldn't have enough VRAM to be able to render a video while playing BF4 on a 3GB card, but I would on a 6GB card.
 
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Bf4 doesn't use 2400 on ultra I barely see 1700.... Vegas uses a hardware accelerator and those programs preset a % of vram to display the ui. My settings were irrelevant it was to make a point that your GPUs vram isn't helping... Its not using 500mb its setting aside a % of vram.... Now if you want to combat me on this that's fine but I'm done trying to help you if you refuse to take advice.
 
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cmasupra

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Alright. If Vegas is setting aside VRAM but not using it, isn't that still VRAM that nothing else has access to, or is it a lenient reservation of VRAM so that other programs can have access to it if they need it?

When you say you barely see 1700MB when playing BF4, I assume that's at 1080p? Any secondary monitors?
 
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I play on ultra at 1080p I run 3 monitors for multi tasking. It only sets aside what it wants if you open bf4 while you have a video rendering it will hurt your CPU your vram would be fine its the fact that rendering eats lots of CPU power hence why i7 and multi threaded and high core count CPUs are used and reccomended for video editing... Plus system ram goes quick too with video editing. Hence why theyvtypivally have 16+GB of ram.
 
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cmasupra

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Vegas actually uses very little RAM, I've noticed. The most I've ever used was 10GB, and that was when I was running 3 instances of Vegas and 1 instance of Photoshop at the same time. I've tried Adobe Premiere and that just gobbled up RAM like it was unlimited with just 1 project open.

When I render, it only uses about 50% of my overall CPU capacity, but it does use ~15% of my GPU capacity. With the 15% GPU usage, are you absolutely sure that Vegas isn't actually using VRAM in the render process? Will it give the VRAM up to a game if the game needs it and I'm rendering while playing/recording?

If you only use up to 1700MB with 3 screens while running BF4, 3GB will probably be enough. My only fear then is War Thunder since that's a very GPU-heavy and VRAM-heavy game.
 
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3gbs is overkill in this market. Yes I'm sure if you were using adobe after effects than yes it would use some vram Vegas is a poorly done video editing program. No offense. Ram is more used when rendering higher quality and resolutions as the video buffer gets stored on the ram. I plan to upgrade to the 6gb shortly but its because I work in true rendering working with millions and sometimes billion s of polus and uncompressed high resolution textures
 
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