Video random-access memory (VRAM) is dedicated computer memory used to store the pixels and other graphics data as a framebuffer to be rendered on a computer monitor.[1] It often uses a different technology than other computer memory, in order to be read quickly for display on a screen.

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GDDR5X SDRAM on an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics card

Relation to GPUs

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Independent system RAM and video RAM
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Unified memory
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A GPU die surrounded by VRAM chips

Many modern GPUs rely on VRAM. In contrast, a GPU that does not use VRAM, and relies instead on system RAM, is said to have a unified memory architecture, or shared graphics memory.

System RAM and VRAM have been segregated due to the bandwidth requirements of GPUs,[2][3] and to achieve lower latency, since VRAM is physically closer to the GPU die.[4]

Modern VRAM is typically found in a BGA package[5] soldered onto a graphics card.[6] The VRAM is cooled along with the GPU by the GPU heatsink.[7]

Technologies

See also

References

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