PC gamers are familiar with this problem. Try starting a game that is a bit too demanding on performance so that the computer displays an error message. The problem can find more than one cause, but most often it is a lack of VRAM with an insufficient amount of available. VRAM for “video RAM” is a very specific type of RAM that is directly attached to your graphics card.
As the name suggests, it is entirely dedicated to image processing. Concretely, VRAM sends necessary information such as textures, animations or lighting effects to the GPU so it can model and display them on the screen. Because this portion of RAM is “just for this”, the GPU can access the data it needs faster, which speeds up computations significantly.
Why should you increase VRAM?
As seen above, VRAM is used by the GPU to speed up access to graphics information. Not having enough VRAM also means not being able to run some games that require significant performance. On the other hand, it means depriving yourself of better resolutions in newer games. For example, to play Assassin’s Creed Valhalla in 4K, several GB of VRAM must be available.
Your PC may not be able to open certain applications if your GPU does not have enough VRAM. However, if the game is running, it’s enough for the latter to be too greedy and the rest of the needs to be pulled directly from RAM for the VRAM to find itself saturated. If so, your computer may quickly have difficulty working properly. The FPS rate will suffer greatly, among other things.
How to check the amount of VRAM reserved
You can easily check your PC’s VRAM performance in Windows 10. In that:
- open them Settings Windows 10
- choose systemThen view
- click Advanced display settings
- If necessary, select the desired monitor from the drop-down menu
- click Video card specifications
So you will have access to all the data about your graphics card. You’ll find its name, GPU type, total memory available, and hence the amount of VRAM reserved.
How to increase VRAM with a new graphics card
Let’s be honest, the most effective way to increase the amount of dedicated VRAM is to buy a new graphics card. Some offer up to 24GB of VRAM, like Nvidia’s Geforce RTX 3090. Suffice it to say that if you are currently using an integrated GPU in your computer, you will increase your headroom significantly.
However, the solution has some flaws. The most obvious is undoubtedly the financial aspect. Graphics cards usually cost several hundred dollars, at least the ones that are really worth the investment. Additionally, while the option can run on a laptop, it’s far from ideal as it’s cumbersome and somewhat technical. Fortunately, there are other methods as well.
How to increase VRAM from BIOS
The first option is to go to the BIOS of Windows 10. Few methods allow this, here is the simplest:
- to meet Settings Windows 10
- choose Update and securityThen To get better
- in the section Advanced startupclick reboot now
- then click RepairsThen Advanced options
- choose Change firmware settings UEFIThen Restart
Once in the BIOS, you can change the amount of VRAM your computer uses. To do this, simply follow these steps:
- call the menu Advanced featuresor with a similar name depending on the version
- then click Graphics SettingsWhere VGA Share Memory Size. Again, names may vary.
- find the option that allows Increase GPU memory.
All you have to do is enter the result you want. For an integrated GPU you can increase this path from 128MB to 256MB or even 512MB if your graphics card allows. Note that not all computers have this option in the BIOS. If this is your case, you can refer to the method below.
How to Increase VRAM from Registry Editor
Most integrated GPUs, especially in laptops, adjust the amount of VRAM to immediate needs. As a result, the numbers displayed on the screen Video card specifications, the ones shown above are of little value as they are constantly changing. The latter is actually only used to indicate to the software a bogus data for those who request it. Based on this policy, it is possible to modify this data as you see fit.registry editor. Here’s how:
- open menu To start and write regedit
- Enter the following location in the search bar: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Intel
- Right click on the folder Intelthen click new > Key
- Rename this key GMM
- inside the file GMMright click and select New > 32-bit DWORD Value
- rename value Custom SegmentSize
- then choose To organise after right click
- Assign the desired value 0 to 512
- Restart your computer
This method is not sure to save you error messages when launching all games. But in some cases it can be effective and therefore worth a try. Let us know if this tutorial helped you in the comments or if you know of other ways to increase VRAM!
