How to Check VRAM on Any PC (Windows 10 & 11 Guide)

Are you trying to check if your PC meets the minimum or recommended GPU requirements for a specific video game you want to try out? Are you experiencing lag, stuttering, or low frame rates and having performance issues? Or are you just a curious being trying to see how much power your PC packs?

Regardless of the reason, if you want to know how to check VRAM on your PC, this guide is specifically for you. Whether you are using Windows 10 or 11, you will see how much VRAM you have using simple steps and different methods anyone can follow, even if you are not tech-savvy.

What Is VRAM?

Video Random Access Memory, or simply VRAM, is a special type of memory used by your GPU to store video data to be rendered on your screen and accessed quickly, just like how the CPU stores data in RAM modules. VRAM is designed to work with the graphics card and can perform various tasks related to visuals, such as texture load and storage, shader and model storage, and handling frame buffers. Etc

VRAM is crucial because it’s what your graphics card relies on most when running video games, especially modern demanding AAA titles, and when you do intensive tasks related to your workload, whether it be video editing, 3D modeling, or graphic designing. etc

Common VRAM capacities nowadays are 8GB, 12GB, and 16 GB. 24GB and 32GB capacities are exclusive for high-end graphics cards and are not required by most PC users.

To sum up this section, VRAM is exclusive for graphics, while RAM is for everything else!

VRAM vs RAM

How to Check VRAM on Your PC?

Method 1: Using Display Settings

This is by far the easiest method to check VRAM on your PC. You are going to use the built-in Windows settings, no third-party tools required

1) First, start by right-clicking on your desktop and from the context menu that will pop up, select “Display settings”.

2) Shortly, a new window will be opened featuring your display configuration. From the same window, scroll down and select “Advanced display settings”.

3) Advanced display settings will show you a lot of information related to your monitor and the GPU you are using. Now, select “Display adapter properties for Display 1”. This option provides details about your current GPU configuration and specifications.

4) From the adapter information, look for “Dedicated Video Memory.” It’s the actual video memory built into your graphics card; by then, you will have a clear idea of the VRAM amount your PC and GPU have.

Don’t be fooled by the “Shared System Memory”. It’s not something related to the GPU VRAM by any means. It’s just an indication of how much memory your system is borrowing for graphics tasks, if needed, from your actual RAM modules.

Method 2: Using DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DxDiag)

There is another method using a built-in tool in both Windows 10 & 11 that will provide detailed information about your graphics hardware, including your GPU and actual video memory (VRAM).

First, Press Windows + R on your keyboard, type dxdiag, and click “OK”. You can search for “DxDiag” in the Windows search bar and open it directly. This will launch the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, also known as “DxDiag”, a Windows built-in utility for checking system display, sound, and input information.

It might take a few seconds until the utility finishes loading. If prompted to check for WHQL signatures, just click Yes or No; it doesn’t affect this process. You should see something like this:

Now, you have to switch to the “Display” tab. Your screen should look similar to this:

From there, you should see a bunch of information about your graphics hardware, including your GPU driver version and date. GPU device name, manufacturer, and chip type. Etc

Finally, you must look for “Display Memory (VRAM)“; you’ll find it listed in megabytes (MB). This is the dedicated GPU VRAM your system has. You’ll also see an option called” Approx. Total Memory,” which includes your actual GPU VRAM amount + shared memory.

Method 3: Using Task Manager

Yet another easy method to check for your actual GPU VRAM size and real-time VRAM utilization using the well-known “Task Manager” on both Windows 10 & 11. It can show how much dedicated and shared GPU memory your system is using in real time.

This method is particularly helpful if you want to check real-time VRAM usage while running a video game or a certain application.

First, Right-click on the taskbar and select “Task Manager”, or you can press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open it directly.

On Windows 11, you can press Windows + X on your keyboard and select “Task Manager”.

After opening the “Task Manager”, you should see something like this:

Second, select the “Performance” tab. If you just installed Windows 11 and you don’t see any tabs, click “More details” at the bottom. This is mandatory to access advanced settings within the “Task Manager” utility.

Next, you must select “GPU” from the sidebar. You may see multiple GPUs if you have both integrated and dedicated graphics.

Integrated GPU means that you have a proper GPU inside your CPU. A dedicated GPU means that you have an actual GPU hardware within your rig, generally it connects to the PCIe x16 on your motherboard.

Finally, you should see something like this:

Please check for memory info in the lower-right corner. You’ll certainly see your actual VRAM size “Dedicated GPU memory”, and borrowed system RAM used by the GPU “Shared GPU memory”, last but not least, the real-time monitoring of how much VRAM is currently in use by your system “GPU usage/Utilization”.

Method 4: Using the GPU Control Panel

If you have a dedicated graphics card from either NVIDIA or AMD, you can check your VRAM size directly through their control panel software. These utilities always provide accurate info straight from the GPU itself.

For NVIDIA Users [GREEN Team]

I’m a green team member, and I have an Nvidia GPU. To see the actual VRAM size alongside other important info.

First, you should right-click on your desktop and select “NVIDIA Control Panel”.

You must download and install the Nvidia GPU drivers from Nvidia’s official website beforehand. If everything is done correctly, you should see something like this:

Next, from the left sidebar in the NVIDIA Control Panel, you should select “System Information” appearing in the bottom-left corner. Under the “Display” tab, you should scroll down and look for “Dedicated Video Memory”; this will show the memory size alongside the memory type as shown below.

For AMD Users [RED Team]

I don’t have an AMD GPU. However, I will guide you on how to check your GPU VRAM size.

First, right-click on your desktop and select “AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition” just like how we did in the Nvidia guide section.

Next, click the “Settings” gear icon in the top-right corner and then go to the “System” tab.

Under the “Hardware & Drivers” section, you will certainly find the “VRAM” entry showing how much your system has, it will show you the memory type and memory clock speeds as well as shown in the image below:

Optional Method: Using Third-Party Tools to Check VRAM

If you want to check the GPU’s VRAM with some third-party tools/utilities, you can use some of those software for free!

Using GPU-Z (by TechPowerUp)

• Lightweight and free.
• Shows dedicated VRAM, used VRAM, GPU name, clock speed, memory type, and more.
• Portable version available (No installation required).

Website: https://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz

Using Speccy (by CCleaner)

• Gives a full breakdown of your system: CPU, RAM, GPU, storage, etc.
• Easy-to-read interface for beginners.
• Shows VRAM under the Graphics section.

Website: https://www.ccleaner.com/speccy

Using MSI Afterburner (by MSI)

• Popular among overclocking enthusiasts, it shows detailed GPU stats such as real-time GPU clock/memory speeds, GPU temp. etc.
• Real-time in-game overlay monitoring of FPS, VRAM usage, and GPU % usage. etc.

Website: https://www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner/graphics-cards

What to Do If You Have Low VRAM?

If you find out your PC has low VRAM, don’t worry, you have to follow simple steps so that you can get the most out of your GPU and still enjoy decent performance.

Lower Graphics Settings in Demanding Video Games

Start by reducing texture quality, shadow detail, and anti-aliasing from in-game graphical settings. You can also play at a lower resolution (e.g., 720p instead of 1080p).

Ensure that demanding features like ray tracing or motion blur are disabled.

Close GPU-intensive background Apps

Apps like web browsers, Discord, or video editors consume VRAM resources from your GPU.

Close them so that you can free up some available resources.

Switch To Lightweight Software

Use lightweight video editors or graphic tools if your current ones lag.

Some programs let you disable GPU acceleration if VRAM is limited.

Upgrade Your Graphics Card (More Effective)

If you’re a gamer, editor, or creator, and your daily tasks need more VRAM, you must upgrade your GPU soon, as it is the most effective long-term solution.

For basic tasks, even a budget GPU with 4GB–6GB VRAM from Nvidia or AMD can make a huge difference in performance.

Low VRAM isn’t always the end of the world — there are plenty of ways to tweak your system for better performance.

If you’re experiencing stuttering or high GPU usage, try using one of the tools we mentioned in our Best GPU Stress Test Software in 2025 article to check your GPU’s limits.

Also, reducing CPU load can help free up system resources — here’s how to reduce CPU usage while gaming effectively.

Conclusion

Now you know exactly the correct ways to check how much VRAM your PC has.

To sum up, there are 3 built-in tools in both Windows 10 & 11 that can show your GPU specs, specifically the VRAM amount your GPU is supporting, which are Display Settings, DxDiag, and Task Manager.

Certainly, there are options like the GPU Control Panel for both Nvidia & AMD, and third-party apps like GPU-Z & MSI Afterburner.

Now you know exactly which video games will run on your machine — and which ones might just laugh at your VRAM! hehe~

Now I’d like to hear from you…

Which method worked for you, and on which operating system? Windows 10 or 11?

Will you upgrade your GPU after seeing the requirements of the application or video game you want to play?

Or perhaps your current GPU is enough?

Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now!

Are You Ready to Upgrade? Start Here!

If you decided to upgrade after checking your VRAM, check out our comparison between the RTX 4060 vs 4070 to see how much VRAM you need for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

You might also want to explore our guide on Is 16 GB of RAM Good? to understand how system memory (RAM) works alongside your GPU’s video memory (VRAM).