In 2025, purchasing a graphics card with just 8GB of VRAM is becoming harder to justify. Once a staple for midrange GPUs, 8GB is rapidly turning into a bottleneck for modern gaming. If you’re considering an upgrade or building a budget PC, it’s crucial to evaluate what that 8GB tag truly means for your gaming experience.
This isn’t only about the raw performance specifications such as core count or clock speeds. As we’ve noted with the launch of the RTX 5060, the main issue lies in the long-term usability limitations that 8GB of VRAM imposes. A card may perform decently at 1080p today, but in just a couple of years, you may find yourself regretting that decision.
Consider Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a 2024 release known for its demanding system requirements. Testing by Computer Base revealed that the game heavily consumes VRAM at 1080p with ultra textures, causing frame drops or crashes in cards like the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti 8GB.
This trend is not limited to isolated cases. Titles like The Last of Us Part I, Hogwarts Legacy, and Alan Wake 2 exhibit similar VRAM challenges, especially at high settings. Lowering textures doesn’t always “solve” the issue, as it can still lead to texture pop-ins, slow asset loading, and a compromised gaming experience.
VRAM: The Real Limiting Factor in Gaming
Discussions around GPU performance often get stuck on frames per second. However, in 2025, VRAM capacity is becoming the ultimate deciding factor between a smooth gaming experience and stuttering performance. If modern game engines require more VRAM than your GPU can provide, you’re likely to encounter stutters and crashes.
Your 8GB GPU may have sufficient shader power, but it quickly becomes a bottleneck if it can’t handle memory demands.
Unfortunately, newer cards featuring only 8GB of VRAM are often marketed misleadingly. The Nvidia RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti (8GB versions) might appear enticing with their Blackwell efficiency and DLSS 4 support, but when they struggle with large textures or fail in expansive game environments, reality hits hard.
AMD isn’t doing much better either. Recent cards like the RX 9070 XT and 9060 XT come with 16GB, but options like the RX 9060 XT and older models such as the RX 7600 and 6600 XT still clutter store shelves at 8GB, often at discounted prices.
Understanding the False Economy of 8GB GPUs
While it may seem that purchasing an 8GB card saves you money, that short-term benefit can quickly vanish. As games grow in complexity and AI workloads demand more memory, you’ll likely hit performance barriers sooner than anticipated. This often leaves you with less appealing options like decreasing settings or resolution, or facing the need to replace your GPU sooner than expected.
If you’re aiming for a GPU purchase in 2025, targeting at least 12GB of VRAM is wise, with 16GB being ideal for long-term relevance (3–4 years). Cards like the RTX 5060 Ti (16GB), RTX 5070 (12GB), RX 9060 XT (16GB), and some budget models like the 7700 XT (12GB) offer a significantly more promising performance outlook, even if they cost a bit more.
Are There Exceptions to Consider?
Despite the diminishing relevance of 8GB GPUs in modern AAA games, there are still specific situations where these cards can be a viable option, provided the buyer is aware of their limitations. Esports titles—like Valorant, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike 2—are generally light on VRAM and thrive on modest hardware while maintaining high frame rates.
If your gaming stays at 1080p and focuses on older or well-optimized games, an 8GB card can still perform adequately.
Budget-conscious builders weighing options with a GPU budget under $300 might find that 8GB cards are often their only choice unless they opt for lower-efficiency, second-hand GPUs with higher VRAM.
Furthermore, for certain workloads, VRAM isn’t the chief bottleneck. Media-focused systems such as HTPCs or streaming setups can leverage modern 8GB cards’ encoding and decoding capabilities, especially when prioritizing AV1 support or low power consumption. Compact builds and office PCs often cannot accommodate larger, high-wattage GPUs, making a small 8GB card the sensible option.
Users utilizing cloud services like GeForce Now or AI tools from Adobe can operate with an 8GB card, as the heavy processing is managed by remote servers, making it more of a supportive element than a core performer.
While this market niche may be small, it underscores the fact that 8GB GPUs aren’t entirely obsolete.
Final Thoughts
The reality is crystal clear: 8GB GPUs are not a wise investment in 2025. With many games already exceeding that memory threshold and hardware advancements pushing toward more demanding applications, buying an 8GB card today equates to purchasing a smartphone with limited storage.
While it may serve a purpose, you’re going to find yourself wishing you had chosen differently. If you want a long-lasting PC that delivers consistent performance and avoids the need to dial down settings in upcoming games, it’s best to steer clear of 8GB options. They simply don’t cut it anymore.
For those keen on delving deeper into tech and gaming insights, consider exploring more at Moyens I/O.