Video memory on a graphics card is an increasingly important issue. Games are becoming more and more demanding and the amount of memory is becoming more and more limited. However, it’s a subject that comes up regularly. We remember a few years ago, when the first 8GB cards came out, we said “but that’s useless” and now we realise that such a quantity is becoming a limitation depending on the game.
In a performance comparison, PCGamesHardware measures the performance impact between an RX 7600 and an RX 7600 XT, with a 16GB card offering twice as much VRAM as its non-XT counterpart.
In 2025, avoid 8GB VRAM cards!
Using the RX 7600 (XT) to measure the impact of memory on gaming performance is a good idea. While VRAM capacity doubles from one card to the next, the GPU remains identical, while the memory bus and memory bandwidth are the same. In the end, only the frequency differs, but that’s enough to have such a significant impact on the results.
When you see the performance gap between the XT and non-XT, it’s clear that having more than 8GB of VRAM is useful. Our colleagues’ summary reveals that in the majority of cases, the RX 7600 is unable to offer equivalent performance to the RX 7600 XT because of its lack of memory. Admittedly, in some games, performance is almost identical, as in the case of Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 or Assassin’s Creed Mirage. However, on particularly memory-hungry games like Horizon Forbidden West or Dragon Age The Veilguard, the card’s performance is sometimes halved. On Stalker 2, we’re down to 25% of the performance offered by the RX 7600 XT.
By activating certain functions such as ray tracing, the situation deteriorates even further. So imagine if games were to force this technology, as in the latest Indiana Jones, then the situation is likely to get very tense very quickly.
Finally, in 2025, we can only recommend that you buy a card with more than 8GB of VRAM. Very recently, Intel launched its Arc B580 with 12GB of memory at an affordable price. Well, only in theory, because while the price in dollars is $249, in Europe it’s €270. Unluckily, in Europe we’re being cheated on the $/€ conversion, and even more so if we look at the LDLC group, which is taking a big mark-up.
Although, you can always buy in any Europe country if you find a shop you can trust, as there are no customs charges within the EU in the name of the free movement of goods. Otherwise, you can always find what you’re looking for on the second-hand market, provided you’re confident enough.
The post Once again, 8 GB is getting really complicated in 2025! appeared first on Overclocking.com EN.