Video random-access memory
Type of dedicated computer memory
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. It often uses a different technology than other computer memory, in order to be read quickly for display on a screen.
01Relation to GPUs
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, and to achieve lower latency, since VRAM is physically closer to the GPU die.
Modern VRAM is typically found in a BGA package soldered onto a graphics card. The VRAM is cooled along with the GPU by the GPU heatsink.
02Technologies
- Dual-ported video RAM, used in the 1990s and at the time often called VRAM
- SGRAM
- GDDR SDRAM
- High Bandwidth Memory (HBM)
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Video random-access memory”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- GDDR5X 1080ti.jpg by Fritzchens Fritz Crop by Geni, CC0
- Nvidia@8nm@Ampere@GA102@GeForce RTX 3090@S TW 2032A1 SNNB9W.000 GA102-300-A1 DSC06025-DSC06107 (50740715646).jpg by Fritzchens Fritz from Berlin, CC0
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