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How Much Performance Gain Can Be Achieved with VRAM Overclocking?
If you have a gaming PC or a graphics card with dedicated video memory (VRAM), you may have heard about overclocking, the process of increasing the clock speed and/or voltage of a component beyond its default settings to boost its performance. Overclocking can potentially improve the frame rate, resolution, and stability of games, benchmarks, and other graphics-intensive applications, but it also involves some risks, such as overheating, instability, and voided warranties. In this blog post, we will focus on the impact of VRAM overclocking on gaming performance, and try to answer the question: How much performance gain can be achieved with VRAM overclocking?
Before we dive into the benchmarks and results, let’s clarify what VRAM is and how it differs from system memory (RAM), which is used to store the temporary data that the CPU and GPU need to operate smoothly. VRAM is a type of dedicated memory that resides on the graphics card and is used to store the textures, models, and other data that the GPU needs to render the images and scenes in games and other visual applications. VRAM is typically faster than system memory, but also more limited in capacity and more expensive per GB. The amount of VRAM that a graphics card has can affect its ability to handle high resolutions, multiple monitors, and complex textures. The speed of VRAM can affect the bandwidth and latency of the memory, which can have a direct impact on the performance of games and benchmarks.
So, why would you want to overclock your VRAM? The short answer is that VRAM overclocking can increase the bandwidth and latency of the memory, which can lead to faster and smoother performance in games and other graphics-intensive applications. Just like CPU and GPU overclocking, VRAM overclocking can push the limits of the hardware and extract more performance out of it than the manufacturer intended. However, VRAM overclocking also has some risks and limitations, which we will discuss later in this post. For now, let’s focus on the potential benefits of VRAM overclocking.
To test the impact of VRAM overclocking on gaming performance, we need a few things: a graphics card with VRAM, a benchmark suite, and a monitoring tool. For this blog post, we will use the following setup:
– Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (11 GB GDDR6 VRAM) from EVGA
– Benchmark suite: 3DMark’s Time Spy Extreme, a demanding DirectX 12 benchmark that stresses the graphics card and VRAM with multiple effects, textures, and resolutions; we will run the benchmark at two different resolutions: 2560×1440 (1440p) and 3840×2160 (4K)
– Monitoring tool: GPU-Z, a free utility that displays the real-time information about the graphics card and VRAM, including clock speed, memory usage, temperature, and more
We will compare the performance of the graphics card with its default settings (“stock”) to its performance with two different VRAM overclocking profiles: +250 MHz and +500 MHz. We will use the EVGA Precision X1 tool to apply these overclocking profiles, which adjust the memory clock speed of the VRAM from 1750 MHz to 2000 MHz and 2250 MHz, respectively. We will also use the latest Nvidia drivers (465.89) and Windows 10 (20H2) with all updates installed.
Let’s start with the results for the 1440p benchmark.
## VRAM Overclocking Performance
| Benchmark | Stock | +250 MHz | +500 MHz |
| — | — | — | — |
| Time Spy Extreme | 7497 | 7585 | 7717 |
As you can see, the VRAM overclocking profiles provide a modest but measurable improvement in the Time Spy Extreme score, which represents the overall performance of the graphics card in the benchmark. The difference between the highest overclocking and the stock score is about 3.1%, which may not seem like much, but can make a difference in some games or situations where the frame rate or visual fidelity matters. The VRAM overclocking also leads to higher memory usage, which is expected as the memory can process more data per unit of time when it runs at a faster clock speed. The temperature of the graphics card also increases somewhat, but stays within safe limits.
Now let’s look at the results for the 4K benchmark.
## VRAM Overclocking Performance
| Benchmark | Stock | +250 MHz | +500 MHz |
| — | — | — | — |
| Time Spy Extreme | 4995 | 5053 | 5141 |
Here we can see a similar pattern of performance gains with VRAM overclocking, but the difference is slightly higher due to the higher resolution and more demanding nature of the benchmark. The difference between the highest overclocking and the stock score is about 2.9%, which is still within the noise margin of error of the benchmark, but shows that VRAM overclocking can improve the performance in some cases. The VRAM overclocking also leads to significantly higher memory usage, which can be a limitation if the game or application requires more VRAM than the graphics card has or than the overclocked stability can provide.
These benchmarks show that VRAM overclocking can provide a small but measurable improvement in gaming performance, especially at higher resolutions and/or settings, where the graphics card has to process more data per frame. However, the magnitude of the performance gain depends on several factors, such as the type and quality of the VRAM, the cooling solution of the graphics card, the overclocking stability of the VRAM, and the workload of the game or application. In some cases, VRAM overclocking can even lead to worse performance or instability, if the graphics card is pushed too hard or runs too hot.
To summarize, VRAM overclocking can be a useful tool to get more performance out of your graphics card, but it also involves some risks and limitations that you should be aware of. Here are some tips and guidelines for VRAM overclocking:
– Use a reliable and tested overclocking tool, such as EVGA Precision X or MSI Afterburner, and follow the instructions and warnings carefully.
– Start with small and incremental overclocking profiles, and test the stability and performance of each profile in a benchmark or game, using a monitoring tool like GPU-Z or HWMonitor.
– Monitor the temperature and voltage of the graphics card and VRAM during the overclocking process, and make sure they stay within safe limits; you can also use a custom fan curve or extra cooling solution, such as liquid cooling or air cooling, to improve the thermal performance of the graphics card.
– Have realistic expectations about the performance gain and the limitations of your hardware and software, and be prepared to revert to the default settings or lower overclocking profiles if you experience instability or crashes.
– Don’t forget to save and backup your overclocking profiles, as well as the default settings and BIOS firmware, as a precautionary measure in case of errors or failures.
With these tips and precautions, you can safely and potentially boost the performance of your graphics card with VRAM overclocking. Remember, though, that VRAM overclocking is not a silver bullet that can solve all performance problems or gaps, and that the real value of a graphics card depends on many factors beyond VRAM, such as the GPU architecture, the driver support, the software optimization, and the features and functions that you need or prefer. Use VRAM overclocking as a tool, not as a goal or an obsession, and enjoy your gaming and graphics experience to the fullest!
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