As the future of virtual reality comes into focus, more powerful graphics cards are needed for maximum immersion. AMD recently released the Radeon VII as its latest flagship GPU with a whopping 32GB of VRAM that will allow users to play games at unprecedented resolutions and refresh rates. Nvidia has also stated it is working on new GPUs but nothing concrete yet.
The “8gb vram graphics card” is a type of graphics card that was released in the early 2000s. It has been replaced by other types of cards, but it still has its uses. The 3 best 6GB VRAM GPUs are the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, AMD Radeon RX 580 and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Ti.
Choosing the Best Graphics Cards with 6GB VRAM (GPUs)
When shopping for a new graphics card, many PC gamers wonder, “How much VRAM do I need?” And there isn’t a single correct response to this question.
The ideal quantity of VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) for you depends on a number of things. After all, you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a GPU with a lot of VRAM if all you’re doing is surfing the internet and playing Minecraft. You’d be overpaying depending on your real VRAM needs if you got a lot of VRAM. If your PC is primarily used for gaming, though, you don’t want to limit it with little VRAM.
The optimum balance between performance and pricing for GPUs in 2020 is found in the 6GB VRAM range. The majority of users play on a Full HD display with a resolution of 1080p. Here are the VRAM levels we propose for various resolutions:
- 2GB VRAM in 720P
- VRAM: 2GB-6GB at 1080p
- 4-8GB of VRAM at 1440P
- 8GB+ VRAM in 4K
You essentially get the best value for your money, and 6GB VRAM is more than enough for any game. Of sure, certain games will not operate at 200 frames per second on high to super graphical settings, but does it really matter for the majority of people? No, we don’t believe so. That’s why we’ve put up a list of three graphics cards with 6GB of VRAM, each with its own set of performance and cost.
Test Results: The Best Graphics Cards with 6GB VRAM (GPUs)
Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 comes in first.
- Performance is superior than the GeForce GTX 1070 Ti.
- Excellent for 1080p and even 1440p resolutions.
- It’s a lot colder than before.
- Overclocking is simple.
6GB VRAM Graphics Card (GPU) with the best performance
The Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 is a mid-range graphics processor designed for gaming laptops with a 15-inch display. Notebooks with this visual solution start at about $1200 at the time of testing and already provide a good performance.
The Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 is based on Nvidia’s latest Turing graphics processor generation, and it offers higher performance while using less power. The major application area for this graphics technology is mid-range laptops with a 15-inch form factor or greater.
The Geforce RTX 2060 has 2,944 shader units, a 192-bit wide memory bus, and 6 GB of GDDR6 graphics memory from Nvidia. In the Acer Predator Helios 300 test device, the core clock rate hits 1.545 MHz, with the overclocking profile “Extreme” reaching 2.040 MHz (according to GPU-Z). 336 GB/s is the memory bandwidth. Nvidia estimates the power usage to be between 80 and 90 watts in the technical data, implying a substantial heat generation. 15-inch laptops and bigger are the suggested case form factor, which is not undercut by the presently available devices.
DirectX
The Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 performs best in the DX12 range, according to the test findings. In Acer’s Predator Helios 300, it already scores 5,833 points in normal mode in 3DMark Time Spy, putting it just ahead of the Alienware 15 R3’s Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080. When you apply the maximum amount of overclocking, the score rises to 6,508 points, an increase of nearly 11%.
It lags behind the Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 in the Unigine Heaven Extreme test, but still manages a respectable 98 frames per second. The RTX 2060 performs 11 percent better when overclocked, achieving 108 frames per second.
OpenGL
Despite having inferior technology than the previously evaluated Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080, the RTX 2060 achieves a little better result with 2 fps faster performance. The Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 obtained 139 frames per second in this test, whereas Nvidia’s Quadro P2000 achieved 183 frames per second on laptops and mobiles.
OpenGL is a graphics programming interface (optimized, workstation CAD)
The Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 is not primarily built for professional usage in the CAD domain since it is a gaming graphics card. Regardless, depending on the program, it may at least get points in terms of performance in this context. Special OpenGL driver optimizations are avoided in DirectX apps, such as 3dsMax, and the pure computational power may reveal its benefits.
CAD, CAM, exploration, and a medical MRI are all covered under the SPECviewperf.13 benchmark. Optimized drivers aid programs like Creo, Siemens NX, and Solidworks in particular. This is where professional Quadro graphics cards shine. The Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 once again outperforms the Nvidia Quadro P4200 in 3dsMax, Maya, and Showcase. The Geforce RTX 2080 from Nvidia is always a little quicker.
Virtual Reality (VR) is a kind of virtual
The Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 has a VR-Ready logo on it. And with good reason. In the VRMark Orange Room, the graphics unit scores a very respectable 6,330 points, much above the VRRead standard of 5,000 points. This yields 7,042 points in the “Fast” overclocking mode. The overclocking mode “Extreme” in conjunction with the VRMark Orange, on the other hand, did not provide a useful result.
Conclusion: The best Graphics Card (GPU) with 6GB VRAM.
The Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 is a strong middle-of-the-road gaming graphics processor. The application is primarily meant for the 15-inch form factor or bigger because to the high performance and accompanying power consumption.
Overall, the Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 performs well in our tests. In FullHD quality, challenging games should be no issue. It can also hold its own against the competition in the CAD field using applications that uses the DirectX interface. The overclocking function on the Acer Predator Helios 300 allows the user to summon up roughly 11 percent extra performance if required. This is a nice bonus, and depending on the game, it may be the deciding performance margin.
Overall, the RTX 2060 is the best performing Graphics Card (GPU) in our test with 6GB VRAM.
AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (Radeon RX 5600 XT) is ranked second.
- Excellent 1080p video quality
- The best value-for-money
- Almost as quick as the RX 5700
- In certain games, it even outperforms the RTX 2060.
The best value-for-money Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) with 6GB VRAM
A closer look at the RX 5600 XT’s technical specifications shows a unique feature: It has 6.0 GByte VRAM, but all other contemporary AMD versions have 4.0 or 8.0 GByte VRAM.
The Geforce models, which are to be regarded the major opponents of the RX 5600 XT, all feature a maximum of 6.0 GByte video RAM, making this step presumably simpler for AMD thanks to rivalry from Nvidia.
In our tests, the Asus RX 5600 XT achieves almost identical performance as the RX Vega 56 without a BIOS upgrade, and so immediately outperforms Nvidia’s GTX-1660 series products. With a BIOS update, performance improves by around 4%, narrowing the performance gap to the RTX 2060 even further.
The competition from AMD in the shape of the RX 5700, on the other hand, is roughly 15% ahead of the RX 5600 XT with BIOS update and about 20% ahead of the values without BIOS update.
| GPU | RX 5600 XT | RX 5500 XT RX 5500 XT RX 5500 XT | RX 5700 XT (Radeon RX 5700 XT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip | Navi 10 | Navi 14 | Navi 10 |
| Production | 7nm | 7nm | 7nm |
| Clock | 1.375 MHz game clock, with a maximum of 1,560 MHz. | 1.717 MHz game clock, with a maximum of 1,845 MHz. | 1,755 MHz game clock, with a maximum of 1.905 MHz. |
| Shader | 2,304 | 1,408 | 2,560 |
| Memory for video | GDDR6 6.0 GB | GDDR6 4.0/8.0 GB | GDDR6 8.0 GB |
| VRAM timer | 12.0 GHz | 14.0 GHz | 14.0 GHz |
| Interface to the memory | 192 bits | 128 bit | 256 bits |
| Bandwidth of memory | 288 gigabytes per second | 224 gigabytes per second | 448 gigabytes per second |
| TDP | 150 watts | 130 watts | 225 watts |
Models of the RX 5600 XT, which, unlike the Asus card, have higher-clocked RAM, should see a five-percent bump in performance, making the RX 5600 XT comparable to the RTX 2060.
8.0 GByte VRAM vs. 6.0 GByte VRAM: When comparing the Radeon models with 8.0 GByte VRAM to the RX 5600 XT, which has 2.0 GByte less video memory, the gap widens only in 4K resolution, at least in our benchmark titles and in view of the average frame rate, whereas it remains relatively stable in the other two resolutions.
According to the test findings, 6.0 GByte video memory is (still) adequate for the Full-HD resolution officially planned by AMD with the RX 5600 XT, but the bigger VRAM pad for the future still implies 8.0 GByte VRAM.
The GPU clock rate: After the BIOS update, we recorded numbers in the region of 1.700 MHz under average gaming load in our open test setup; before that, it was roughly 100 MHz lower.
In contrast, our test specimens of the RX 5700 XT and RX 5500 XT achieve somewhat higher rates in the 1.800 MHz region, whereas Nvidia’s current graphic cards often get rates close to 2.000 MHz.
In terms of volume, the Asus RX-5600-XT model is unrivaled. Even when not in use, the three axial fans remain motionless, turning just approximately 30% of the time. As a result, the Asus card is the quietest in our test group.
Electricity usage
The RX 5600 XT is an extremely efficient graphics card, particularly without the BIOS update, but even with it.
The complete test system uses hardly more power than the Radeon RX 5500 XT without the BIOS upgrade, although having a noticeably greater performance.
The result for energy efficiency improves marginally with the BIOS upgrade, but the RX 5600 XT is still doing well in this area in one way or another.
Already prior to the evaluation of the Radeon RX 5600 XT, it was shown that AMD and Nvidia place a high value on the pricing environment: Nvidia lowers the price of the RTX 2060, while AMD releases BIOS upgrades for higher clock rates just before the launch.
Both the new RX 5600 XT and the RTX 2060, which has been on the market for a year, share a flaw: the RX 5700. It is somewhat quicker than both versions on our test course, but it is now just slightly more costly, and it also has 2.0 GB extra video RAM.
Conclusion: The best price-performance ratio. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) with 6GB VRAM
In the long term, 6.0 GBytes for Full HD may be adequate in most circumstances. In the price range of slightly over $300, which, according to AMD’s official emphasis, should remain accessible on the market, particularly because ray tracing is not (yet) a compelling argument for us.
Another opponent worth considering is the GTX 1660 Super, which is also worth discussing because to its current cheap pricing of about 230 dollars. On the road, the RX 5600 XT and RTX 2060 are roughly 15 to 20% quicker, but they’re also about 25% more costly.
In our opinion, the RX 5600 XT follows in the footsteps of the RX 5500 XT: performance and efficiency are on par, and the price, in particular, is quite competitive, giving the RX 5600 XT our Best price-performance ratio Graphics Card (GPU) with 6GB VRAM in this test.
Nvidia Geforce 1660Ti is ranked third.
- Excellent features and construction quality
- Priced reasonably
- Overclockable and efficient
- At 1920 x 1080, the picture quality is excellent.
- There are no ray tracing capabilities in RTX.
For a lower price, get a high-performing Graphics Card (GPU) with 6GB VRAM.
The Geforce GTX 1660 Ti is followed by the Geforce GTX 1660 sans the “Ti” addition a short time later, which we’ll look at in more detail in this review based on gaming benchmarks. It’s a Gigabyte Geforce GTX 1660 Gaming OC 6G – an Nvidia Founders Edition isn’t available (like in the GTX 1660 Ti).
The biggest difference between the GTX 1660 and the GTX 1660 Ti, as seen in the technical data below, is the decreased number of shader units and the usage of 6.0 GBytes lower clocked GDDR5 RAM (instead of GDDR6). Raytracing and tensor cores are only available on RTX models starting with the Geforce RTX 2060.
The GTX 1660 largely boosts the shader units when compared to the Geforce GTX 1060 from 2016, which used a Pascal instead of a Turing CPU. Apart from Turing functions such as the most effective utilization of shader units for increased performance without optical losses (“Variable Rate Shading”), the rest of the system is virtually unchanged.
The official price, according to Nvidia, is 225 dollars. For reference, the GTX 1060, which is presently on sale, costs between $200 and $220, while the GTX 1660 Ti costs at least 260 dollars.
In a comparable price and performance range, AMD offers the RX 580 for about 170 dollars and the RX 590 for around 230 dollars, both having 8.0 GByte VRAM.
In compared to Nvidia’s official specs for the GTX 1660, our Gigabyte test unit has a boost clock rate of 75 MHz higher. According to experience, the rates in games are, in fact, greater, but only slightly, since the chip still has air to the top, which varies depending on temperature and power consumption.
The GTX 1660 Gaming OC 6G has three 80 mm axial fans for cooling, thus the TU116 chip shouldn’t be a problem. On the rear, there’s a backplate, and on top, there’s a Gigabyte logo with RGB lights.
In our open test setup, the GTX 1660 Gaming OC 6G always clocks at about 1.995 MHz under gaming stress. As a result, it achieves somewhat faster rates than the Asus GTX 1660 Ti (1.950 MHz). However, because to more shader units and faster clocked GDDR6 memory, the 1660 Ti always has a ten to twenty percent edge over the GTX 1660.
The circumstances are comparable in the clash with the GTX 1060 predecessor, but the GTX 1660 is always faster. On the one hand, since the 1060 Founders Edition with radial fan clocks roughly 150 to 200 MHz slower under stress than the Gigabyte GTX 1660 Gaming OC 6G. However, since it has fewer shader units, it is slower (1,280 instead of 1,408).
Because the cooling system of the Founders Edition isn’t optimum, and modified manufacturer cards may undoubtedly achieve values in the region of 1.950 MHz in view of the clock rate, the advantage should be reduced in comparison to custom designs of the GTX 1060.
When the fans of the Gigabyte GTX 1660 Gaming OC 6G are not in use, they spin at about 1,800 revolutions per minute (respectively at 54 percent). In our tests, this resulted in a 40.9 db(A) that is just faintly audible and never bothersome.
Given the temperature, you could even turn the fans a little slower without causing any issues: In the open test configuration, we only detected a chip temperature of little around 63 degrees after a longer playing period. Due to the fan’s inactivity, the temperature remains at a comfortable 47 degrees in idle.
Even while the advantage over overclocked custom designs will be lower than in the Founders Edition of the GTX 1060, which is hindered by its cooling system, the Geforce GTX 1660 can easily hold its predecessor in check in the test.
Essentially, the GTX 1660’s major benefit remains the more shader units, therefore the upgrade isn’t beneficial for owners of the predecessor. Gamers that use older and slower versions like the GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 580 have a more difficult scenario.
Both the GTX 1060 and the RX 580 (and the RX 590) remain viable buying alternatives, while the slightly faster GTX 1660 is still a viable option – particularly if it falls into the $200 pricing zone sooner or later.
Conclusion: For a lower price, a well performing Graphics Card (GPU) with 6GB VRAM is available.
In this comparison, AMD’s Radeons have 2.0 GByte greater VRAM but have a worse energy efficiency. However, it’s impossible to say if 8.0 GByte will give significant benefits over 6.0 GByte in the Full-HD resolution that these cards are mainly designed for in a greater number of games in the near future – however, in our experience, this is only very seldom the case. On the other hand, Turing extras like Variable Rate Shading are the same.
Overall, the GTX 1660Ti provides improved performance to a pricing point of roughly $200, which is to be applauded. Overall, the GTX 1660Ti is a high-performance Graphics Card (GPU) with 6GB VRAM at a low cost.
How much video RAM is required for graphics memory and textures?
Even highly intensive games, four to six gigabytes of graphic RAM has shown to be adequate. However, some games now need 8 gigabytes of video RAM, with the texture pack for Middle Earth: Mordor’s Shadow requiring even six gigabytes. We’d want to discuss graphic RAM and textures, as well as take a deeper look at this progress.
Year after year, games get increasingly visually complicated, particularly in higher resolution options, which are often available in PC games. The graphics card is the most important component in meeting the requirements. As visual details get more complex, not only do the demands on the graphics card’s pure performance grow, but so do the demands on the graphics card’s available RAM.
512 megabytes of video RAM was generously dimensioned six to seven years ago, three years ago it was one gigabyte – now, four gigabytes is the current norm, and the latest graphics cards for the upper middle class already arrive into the stores with no less than six gigabytes. As a result, we’d want to discuss graphics RAM in a non-technical manner that’s accessible to even the most casual gamers and PC enthusiasts. A comprehensive conclusion is included at the end, as well as purchasing recommendations for contemporary graphics cards with two to four gigabytes of graphics RAM.
What is graphic RAM, exactly?
RAM is first and foremost a fast-access memory, or the short-term memory of a computer, in which data is loaded and stored from the hard drive and called up rapidly when required. The graphics RAM is the memory dedicated to storing data required for graphics calculations. Modern CPUs often have a built-in graphics unit that may be used in lieu of a graphics card and, depending on the processor type, is even capable of running older or less complicated 3D games.
The CPU graphics unit utilizes the PC’s usual main memory – the graphics memory for this CPU graphics unit is reserved for it. However, if you don’t want to play current game titles at low detail settings, you’ll need to invest in a separate graphics card, which costs about 90 to 100 dollars and plugs into the mainboard’s PCIe slot. Graphics cards with this feature have their own graphics RAM. This is also known as VRAM (visual RAM), and it is quicker than the PC’s regular main memory. GDDR5-RAM is utilized in today’s gaming graphics cards. The G stands for graphics, while DDR4 is the current working memory standard. The benefit is that the graphics card can directly access the required data, which is significantly faster owing to the fast RAM than if the data had to be obtained from the conventional working memory or even the hard drive. The utilization of visual RAM in games is mostly focused on textures, which we shall discuss on the following page.
Textures
In a metaphorical sense, a texture is essentially a sticker that is applied on a 3D object computed by the graphics card. The foundation is an image file with a diffuse pattern or precisely defined forms and colors as picture content, depending on the entity to which it belongs.
For a grey rock or stone, for example, a texture may be grey, but with multiple shades of grey, as well as black or brown patches if needed, or darker and lighter lines to represent fissures. This texture is then projected onto a 3D object that is meant to mimic a stone via the graphics card. In the computed graphic, this stone item would just be a smooth, monochromatic lump resting on the ground if it didn’t have texture. However, the texture, which includes quirks, cracks, and furrows, gives it the appearance of actual stone. If the stone were really cracked and dented as a 3D object, it would need a significant amount of computation time; however, the texture aids in making the stone seem more plastic and lifelike without requiring a significant amount of calculation time.
A home wall is another example of a strongly defined texture. In certain cases, this might just be a single texture. As a 3D object, the home may thus have a fully flat façade, requiring absolutely little processing work. Windows, doors, bricks, and other details are then projected onto this flat wall using a single texture that resembles a photograph of a home front. When you approach the home in the game, the entire thing looks like a stage background, which you notice right away. However, for a backdrop home, such a texture is ideal for conserving processing resources. When you go near to a home, you’ll notice that there are a lot more surfaces and solitary things. Separate textures for the main door, multiple wall textures for the walls, a wood texture for the window frames, and so on are available as textures.
Textures in high definition
When you approach an item and its surface is obviously pixelated or muddy because the texture has a poor resolution, it irritates even the most demanding gamers. You’ve previously seen an example on the previous page, where the straw bale seems to be bearable from a distance due to poor texture quality, but looks terrible up close.
However, since high-resolution textures need more memory and hence put a load on the graphics system, the creators must make concessions. Some games contain a unique Ultra mode for the graphical details for players with a very excellent graphics card, which typically includes HD textures, i.e. textures in HighDefinition quality. The gamers may sometimes download HD textures first if they want to. If the game is moddable, private people may also add HD textures. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is an excellent example of the latter situation, since it currently has a large fan base and a plethora of modifications, many of which relate to visuals and provide better or simply different textures. However, practically every game, even without extra downloads, gives you the option of selecting between fairly high, average, or poor texture quality, depending on your PC’s capabilities.
Textures and video RAM
The link between video RAM and textures should now be obvious: in order for the objects to seem realistic, multiple high-quality, high-resolution textures must be employed. A higher resolution texture, on the other hand, needs more memory than a lower resolution texture. Because the texture must be accessible in the video RAM for seamless gameplay, the graphics card’s video RAM capacity is also a factor.
If there is insufficient Video RAM, the textures must be reloaded from the hard drive over and over again, resulting in a data jam and a choppy game. The graphics card can already compute the new picture, but it must wait for the texture to be loaded into the VRAM, causing the game to stutter. As a result, having as much VRAM as feasible on the graphics card pays money — particularly in the long run. Furthermore, certain visual detail options need a certain amount of VRAM to be playable.
Downsampling and Modifications
Mods that increase the graphical quality are particularly common in games that enable you to change the game’s content. It’s possible that you’ll require a lot more VRAM than previously. However, if you utilize a higher resolution or downsampling for your PC than the standard Full-HD (1920 by 1080 pixels), you can anticipate a larger VRAM requirement.
The picture is computed by the graphics card at a resolution that is much higher than the monitor’s resolution when downsampling is used. After then, the high-quality picture is downscaled to the monitor’s resolution, which is usually Full-HD for most players. Advantage: The greater resolution enables for more information to be computed, resulting in a slightly better overall picture than if the graphics card only calculates in Full-HD. The variations aren’t significant, but they are noticeable depending on the game. Downsampling, on the other hand, needs much more graphics processing power and VRAM. You can learn more about downsampling from our friends at PC Games Hardware in their essay from last year, which is still relevant and includes some example photos.
Conclusion and purchase advice for graphics cards
Year after year, the need for VRAM at increasing levels of detail increases. Four gigabytes of VRAM is recommended for Ryse: Son of Rome, whereas the HD texture pack from Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor demands eight gigabytes. However, you do not need to update your graphics card if you are content with the FPS (frames per second) statistics. The graphics settings with very high-resolution textures frequently seem no better than the next lower graphics level in the running game – so be wary, particularly as the ultra details are more of a bonus with certain titles, with which the producers aim to demonstrate what is possible at the maximum.
Currently, if you’re looking for a new graphics card that can handle maximum details for a long time, you should seek for at least 4 gigabytes of graphics RAM, with a budget of 260 dollars. Six gigabytes of graphics RAM as a graphics card requirement is something that is often only provided as an extra download for highly unique texture packs. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, for example.
The fact that not even Nvidia’s latest flagship, the GTX 980, has so much graphics RAM shows that these six gigabytes are now just an issue for extreme hardware enthusiasts: four gigabytes was common and maximal at the same time. For about $300, you can acquire a selection of Nvidia GPUs with six GB.
These data suggest that game developers will not be able to demand more than eight gigabytes of VRAM for greater resolution levels in the near future, unless they wish to cater to a new target audience of wealthy hardware fanatics, which is unlikely. Don’t allow the fact that your PC isn’t powerful enough for the high detail level provided by certain forthcoming games make you think it won’t be in the near future. Graphics cards with more than eight gigabytes of VRAM that cost more than $500 should only be considered helpful for players that can afford to spend a lot of money on hardware to utilize special HD textures or even for very high resolutions or downsampling.
Finally, we’ve put up a table with various current gaming graphic card models that are available in stores with six GB VRAM as purchasing recommendations. On the top of this page, the cards are organized by performance.
The “4gb vram graphics card” is the best graphics card for 2020. It has 4GB of VRAM and will be able to handle high-resolution games with ease.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 6GB VRAM enough for GPU?
A: It is recommended that you have at least 3GB VRAM, but it can also function on 2GB of VRAM.
Which 6GB GPU is best?
A: That depends on what you are looking for, but the best GPU is Nvidias GeForce GTX 1060 6GB.
Which 4 GB graphic card is best?
A: You should buy a 4 GB graphic card, or it might be too slow. It depends on the game you are playing and what computer you have.
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