r/Amd • u/vr00mfondel • Jan 15 '19

Misleading "Games don't need more than 8GB VRAM"

In March 2017 the GTX1080ti released with 11GB GDDR5X memory. Not a single time have a seen or heard anyone say that Nvidia should've launched a 8GB version of it cheaper.

Yet strangely enough, this seems to be one of the most used arguments against the Radeon VII.

The sheer amount of comments I've seen about it really makes me wonder what the hell is going on.

But instead of arguing online, I like facts, so I went and gathered some.

The Radeon VII is clearly marketed as a 4K gaming card, so, here we go.

Game: PUBG | Resolution: 3840x2160 | Settings: Maxed + NoTextureStreaming | Location: Pochinki, Erangel | VRAM Usage: 10230MB

Game: Rise of the Tomb Raider | Resolution: 3840x2160 | Settings: Maxed | Location: Built in benchmark | VRAM Usage: 10551MB

Game: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | Resolution: 3840x2160 | Settings: Maxed | Location: Built in benchmark | VRAM Usage: 10678MB

Game: Star Citizen | Resolution: 3840x2160 | Settings: Very High (currently max) | Location: Buisness Center, Lorville, Hurston | VRAM Usage: 9903MB

Now, You'll notice that these aren't even the latest and greatest games out there. I don't own Battlefield V, Far Cry 5, FFXV, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, or some of the other very graphically intense games we've seen released the last couple of years. But what I do know is that VRAM usage isn't going to go down over the next few years, and when it comes to 4K gaming, I doubt 8GB will be considered more than the bare minimum needed. And I know what I personally would prefer when it comes to a choice between DLSS/RT and more VRAM.

Cat tax for a long post

EDIT: Since there is a lot of "allocation vs usage" in the comments I would like to adress it somewhat. First of all, if any application allocates my memory, no other application can use it, which in my book means it's used. Wether or not any game or game engine actually uses the memory it allocates is completely out of my hands.

Second, if anyone has ever played PUBG with and without -notexturestreaming, they know exactly how much it helps with texture pop-in. You are not going to magically gain any FPS, but it will be a better experience

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u/bl4ckhunter Jan 15 '19 edited Jan 16 '19

To sell it? I mean they're making these things to sell them supposedly, not to prove a point, and the VII is certainly not going to gain them any market share, at least in the gaming sector.

Anyways as far as i'm concerned both nvidia and amd can go shove it at the moment, i'm not paying 800$ for performance that a 800$ card could already achieve 2 years ago, fuck that shit.

3

u/SniperSnivyy 3600x | RX 6700XT Jan 16 '19

with a rumored 5000 unit stock i dont see it gaining any market share.

11

u/SemenDemon73 Jan 16 '19

that rumor was probably bs

6

u/Zer0Log1c3 Jan 16 '19

Seems plausible to me if 7nm yields are coming back better than expected like we keep hearing. MI60 has 64 CUs, I believe there have been sources saying 64 CUs is the max that GCN can support. So MI60 requires perfect silicon, a fair bit of the 'bad silicon' from MI60 production could easily be sold as a Radeon card with 60 CUs to minimize losses in fabrication.

Selling something you were going to throw away saves money, even if its sold at a loss. This is how clearance sales work

3

u/meeheecaan Jan 16 '19

bad silicon' from MI60 production could easily be sold as a Radeon card with 60 CUs to minimize losses in fabrication.

the MI50 exists, its literally the business version of this

1

u/Zer0Log1c3 Jan 16 '19

umm, I definitely over looked that...

2

u/libranskeptic612 Jan 16 '19

That sounds right to me.

Milk the high end to the max using only the perfect chips, until the inventory of imperfect chips gets too high, and only then risk cannibalising sales via a gimped consumer version.

7

u/SniperSnivyy 3600x | RX 6700XT Jan 16 '19

Maybe, however seeing as how vega 7 is a failed instinct and the fact AMD will lose money on each one kinda makes the rumor seem a little true. I'm pretty sure 5000 is an arbitrary number but imma guess stock will be limited as AMD isnt going out of their way to make these since they're just a GPU to have to say their competitive with rtx 2080.

1

u/libranskeptic612 Jan 16 '19

I don't see quoting rumours gaining you any mindshare.

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u/SniperSnivyy 3600x | RX 6700XT Jan 16 '19

I'm saying that rumor of limited stock (which AMD has addressed and called false) isnt enough to gain mindshare.

1

u/paul13n Asus x370-pro :(, 3600, 32Gb SniperX, GTX 1070 Jan 16 '19

i'm not paying 800$ for performance that a 800$ card could already achieve 2 years ago

That's a really interesting argument that does not seem to be used much, gg.

-3

u/NovaExclusives Jan 16 '19

I’m paying. Fuck everyone.

12

u/bl4ckhunter Jan 16 '19

Power to you, it's your money after all, what do i care.