How To Check VRAM in Windows 11 (3 Ways)

Overview – VRAM in Windows 11

VRAM (also called Video Random Access Memory) is basically the amount of memory that the graphics card possesses. The computer will start slowing down once there is not enough space for the graphics card to store new frames. At this point, it will need more VRAM in order to keep up with processing what’s being displayed on your screen, especially while gaming and performing graphics extensive tasks such as creating motion graphics, 3D Modelling, etc.

vram as a component of gpu [illustration] — VRAM is one of the components of GPU [illustration]

It appears that your device is running slow and you’re experiencing frame drops, so, you want to inspect the available VRAM on your device and ensure whether or not it’s causing some issues.

By the end of this article, you’ll be able to check VRAM on Windows 11 for any graphics card including Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA:

Using Windows Settings

Using DirectX Diagnostic Tool

Using Third Party Software

1. Check VRAM using Windows Settings

Step 1: Open the “Windows Settings” from the Start menu or press the ‘Windows Key + I’ Key Combination Shortcut.

windows setting app in windows 11 — Windows Settings App

Step 2: Select the ‘System’ option from the sidebar and click the ‘Display’ option.

go to the display settings in system tab in windows 11 settings — Display Settings

Step 3: Scroll and select the ‘Advanced Display’ option under the Related Settings section.

select advanced display option — Advanced Display

Step 4: Select the ‘Display Adapter Properties’ option and your graphics drivers and display properties panel appear in a new window.

Step 5: In the properties dialog box, you’ll see the Dedicated Video Memory listed on the right side.

check dedicated video memory (vram) — Check Dedicated Video Memory (VRAM)

Note: If you’re using a multi-monitor setup, use the dropdown menu in the top bar to pick the display for which you need to check the “display and graphics” properties.

check VRAM of second monitor — Check VRAM of Second Monitor

2. Check VRAM using DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DXDIAG)

Step 1: Press the ‘Windows Key + R’ key combination to open Windows Run and search for ‘dxdiag’ (without quotation marks).

DirectX Diagnostic Tool Icon (dxdiag)

Step 2: The DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag tool) will appear in a new window. Click the ‘Display’ tab on the top bar. Under the device section, you’ll find the ‘Display Memory (VRAM)’ option.

check display memory in display tab in directx diagnostic tool — Display Memory

3. Check VRAM using Third Party Software – CPU-Z

Step 1: Download CPU-Z software compatible with your version of Windows from the official website.

CPU-X Logo

Step 2: Select the ‘Graphics’ tab from the top bar. Under the Memory section, you’ll find the approximate VRAM size on your computer.

check vram size in graphics tab in cpu-z software — Approximate VRAM Size

Is VRAM a graphics card?

No, the VRAM is not the graphics card; rather, it is closely related to the graphics card’s functioning since it interacts with the graphics processing unit (also called GPU) for tasks involving a high amount of rendering.

What is the difference between GPU and VRAM?

The VRAM is responsible for storing and rendering more detailed graphics. The more the VRAM, the better processing and rendering. The VRAM is one of the essential GPU specifications and components out of several more.

Do games use RAM or VRAM?

Both RAM and VRAM are used in the games. The RAM is responsible for increasing the frames per second (FPS) for smoother performance, whereas the VRAM is responsible for improving the rendering extensively tasks including 3D design, motion graphics, hardcore gaming, and many more.

Does more RAM make GPU faster?

No, more RAM doesn’t make the GPU work faster. A high amount of RAM doesn’t increase the graphics performance but can be used to increase the frames per second (FPS) and allocate more RAM.

Next Steps

We’ve covered how to check for VRAM on your PC as well as the most frequent skepticism related to it.

Overall, we can consider that adding additional RAM doesn’t substitute the VRAM and doesn’t make the GPU operate at a faster rate. The RAM is responsible for improving the processing rate and the VRAM is one of the components of Graphics Card playing a significant role in its working by performing rendering-extensive tasks.

How To Check VRAM in Windows 11 (3 Ways)

Overview – VRAM in Windows 11

1. Check VRAM using Windows Settings

2. Check VRAM using DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DXDIAG)