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There are graphics cards that only differ in the amount of RAM they have, e.g. MSI GTX770 Twin Frozr II Gaming OC 4GB and MSI GTX770 Twin Frozr II Gaming OC 2GB.

Is more RAM better for more monitors? If I only use 1 or 2 screens what is the advantage of having more RAM?

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  • I'm not quite sure how this question is "primarily opinion-based". Certainly there are many factors that affect how a system will perform with a multi-monitor setup. However, I think this question should be very answerable since it is strictly focused on the benefits of RAM alone. A question asking whether more RAM or faster GPU is more useful could qualify as subjective, (and yet, somehow that question is still open) but that's not what's being asked here.
    – Iszi
    Jul 26, 2013 at 18:53
  • I concur with @Iszi. This is pretty straightforward.
    – CyberSkull
    Jul 26, 2013 at 22:14
  • guys, sorry for my bad that i didn't check.. was at the shop and i need feedback urgently as i was assembling a new PC and it was my turn so i just hurry try to grab some help.. will not do it the next time..
    – myfriday13
    Jul 31, 2013 at 3:14

2 Answers 2

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More VRAM allows your computer to load more and higher resolution textures or 3D meshes onto your GPU, as well as render images at higher resolutions (multiple monitors is the same as having a higher resolution).

When your GPU does not feature enough VRAM, it will load its ressources onto the system RAM instead. However, due to the system RAM's distance to the GPU, it is a lot slower than VRAM.

If your GPU's VRAM is full during a game, chances are that you might see your FPS boosted a lot by upgrading your GPU's RAM (which is unfortunately not possible, since VRAM is soldered onto the graphics card)

This is partly the reason, why IGPs (Integrated Graphics Processors) are much slower than dedicated GPUs, since they have no VRAM and thus have to rely on the slower system RAM.


Edit:

Modern games nowadays try to use as much VRAM as is available.

Sometimes in an effort to reduce pop-ins by pre-loading assets that aren't visible on screen yet, sometimes in order to improve visual quality by increasing the number of foliage or other similarly decorative objects. This can lead to the VRAM being completely full at all times without necessarily impacting performance.

Because of that, even if your VRAM is full, there is no need to panic. You only need more VRAM if it is full, your GPU is mostly idle, and your framerate is bad.

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  • " However, due to the system RAM's distance to the GPU, it is a lot slower than VRAM." So which graphic card would be better at running modern games ,an old graphic card(radeon5450) with 2gb vram or new integrated gpu (8670d) with 700 mb ram(ram because it is integrated)?
    – Fennekin
    Jan 12, 2015 at 7:36
  • @Fennekin. For modern games, I'd say the Radeon 5450 with 2 GB VRAM is better than the IGP with 700 MB RAM, because most modern games will need more than 1 GB VRAM. With more RAM, a 8670D should be better than a 5450 according to pc-specs.com.
    – Nolonar
    Jan 12, 2015 at 15:32
  • so this means with integrated graphic i can run less memory consuming games at high and with 5450 high memory consuming games at low
    – Fennekin
    Jan 12, 2015 at 15:37
  • @Fennekin. The 5450 would be able to run games at 720p-1080p with low-medium graphics. The 8670D (notebookcheck.net) would be able to run the same games with medium-high graphics, but at a lower resolution and with low textures because it lacks VRAM. Be careful, though: IGPs tend to share RAM with the CPU, so you might have much less than 700 MB to work with.
    – Nolonar
    Jan 12, 2015 at 16:00
  • I am not an ultra gamer so i can play at even at 600p so i will only insert 5450 for games like assassin's creed unity, that may be a good choice.
    – Fennekin
    Jan 12, 2015 at 16:03
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More memory is for a larger data used in rendering of the scene, textures for example.

The second monitor doesn't require much more memory. So it won't differ much if you use 1 or 2 monitors, no major advantage of 4Gb over 2Gb in that particular aspect.

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