VRAM stands for Video Random Access Memory. VRAM is like RAM – except it is entirely dedicated to storing Image Data. It also acts as a buffer between the computer processor and the display. VRAM is more expensive than regular Dynamic RAM(DRAM), but VRAM can perform reads and writes at the same time.

👁 VRAM-Full-Form

Table of content

• What is VRAM?
• What is VRAM in graphic cards?
• VRAM History
• What is VRAM?
• Characteristics of VRAM
• Types of VRAM
• Benefits of VRAM
• Can VRAM Be Increased?
• VRAM vs. RAM: What’s the Difference?
• FAQs on VRAM

VRAM or Video Random-Access Memory is the memory a GPU uses to store the information it needs to render images on a display. VRAM comes in many forms and having the right amount and type of it is crucial. Basically, VRAM is a type of DRAM used in Graphics cards, which increases the overall speed of Graphics Cards.

What is VRAM in graphic cards?

VRAM is high-speed memory located on your graphics card. It's one component of a larger memory subsystem that helps make sure your GPU has access to the data it needs to smoothly process and display images.

👁 VRAM-image

VRAM History

VRAM was invented by F.Dill, D. Ling, and R.Matrick at IBM Research in 1980. The idea was patented 5 years later, in 1985.IBM introduced the first commercial use of VRAM in a high-resolution graphics adapter for an RT PC system in 1986. This set a new precedent for graphics displays.

Characteristics of VRAM

• When images are to be sent to the display, they are first read by the processor & then written to the VRAM. From VRAM the data is converted by a RAM digital-to-analog converter(RAMDAC) into analog signals that are sent to the display presentation mechanism such as a Cathode Ray Tube(CRT).
• VRAM is Dual-Ported i.e. while the processor is writing a new image to VRAM, the display is reading from VRAM to refresh the current display content. This Dual-Port design is the main difference between RAM and VRAM.
• VRAM is used in a dedicated graphics card.VRAM is extremely fast & it has a large bandwidth which makes it ideal for graphics devices.
• All types of VRAM are a special arrangement of dynamic RAM(DRAM)
• VRAM is volatile memory i.e. every time when the computer is turned off, all the data stored in VRAM will be lost.

Types of VRAM

• SGRAM(Synchronous Graphics RAM): It is comparatively low-cost and it's clock-synchronized. It means here data can be modified by a single operation, rather than as a sequence of read, write and update operations.
• RDRAM(Rambus Dynamic RAM): It is designed by Rambus & it includes a proprietary Rambus bus that speeds up data flow between VRAM & the frame buffer. It is optimized for video streaming.
• WRAM(Window RAM): It's a very high-performance VRAM.It's dual-ported & it has about 25% more bandwidth than standard VRAM. It can be used for very high resolution(e.g 1600 * 1200 pixels) using true color.
• MDRAM(Multibank Dynamic RAM): It's a high-performance RAM, developed by MoSys, that divides the memory into multiple 32KB parts, which can be accessed individually. This makes memory transfers more efficient also it increases the overall performance.

Benefits of VRAM

• VRAM plays a significant role in loading time and image quality.
• It's most important in applications that display complex image textures or render polygon-based 3D structures.
• VRAM also positively impacts gaming performance. More VRAM means GPU can render more complex images and textures on graphics chips, resulting in faster performance.

Can VRAM Be Increased?

Only after buying a new graphics card without buying a new graphics card, unfortunately, it can't be increased and using something like NVLINK.

VRAM is soldered onto your GPU’s PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and is not meant to be upgraded or replaced like regular System RAM. VRAM Modules on your GPU are also, more often than not, hidden away beneath a bulky GPU heatsink and are difficult to get to.

Using integrated GPU, you can allocate more of your desktop RAM to the iGPU chip as VRAM. iGPUs are part of your CPU and use your system’s regular RAM for Memory access. Using regular system RAM can easily be upgraded also you can allocate a larger share of your existing RAM to your iGPU.

VRAM vs. RAM: What’s the Difference?

	RAM	VRAM
What is it?	Memory chip	Memory chip
Primary Use	Storage of temporary system files	Storage of image data
Initial Release	1940s	1980s
Influential Developers	Freddie Williams and Tom Kilburn	IBM Research
Technologies Influenced	DRAM, SRAM, RDRAM, DDR SDRAM, VRAM	GDDR5, GDDR5X, HBM