Is 128 MB VRAM good for gaming in 2024?

If you‘re a gamer with a graphics card that only has 128 megabyte (MB) of video RAM (VRAM), I unfortunately have some bad news. This amount of VRAM is no longer even remotely sufficient for a good gaming experience in 2024 and beyond. You‘ll be severely limited in which games you can play and be forced to use extremely low, often unplayable graphics settings. Upgrading your outdated GPU is highly recommended.

Current Minimum VRAM Recommendations

According to the latest system requirements, 4GB is now considered the bare minimum VRAM for smooth 1080p gaming. For ideal performance including higher resolutions like 1440p or 4K, minimum 6GB – 8GB+ VRAM is recommended.

As you can see, the gaming world has moved far beyond 128MB of VRAM. But why has VRAM demand increased so dramatically in recent years?

The VRAM Arms Race

In their neverending quest for more realistic graphics, game developers have rapidly upped texture resolution, asset quality, special effects and overall fidelity – with cutting-edge titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 pushing over 100GB in texture storage alone!

Cramming all this high-res textures and hyper-detailed 3D models into the GPU‘s VRAM while gaming requires substantial capacity. As a result, VRAM needs have absolutely skyrocketed – with 8GB, 10GB or even 12GB cards now prevalent.

Recent Examples of VRAM-Hungry Games

You don‘t need to be playing brand new AAA games on extreme settings to start choking that 128MB frame buffer though. Here‘s some well-optimized popular titles that still demand 4GB – 6GB+ VRAM for smooth 60 FPS gameplay:

• Elden Ring – FromSoftware‘s 2022 smash hit open-world fantasy RPG requires 4GB+ VRAM on Medium settings at 1080p.
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare II – The latest CoD warfare epic calls for 5GB+ VRAM to maintain high FPS during heavy action at 1440p High settings.
• FIFA 23 – With hyper-realistic player faces and stadium atmospheres, you‘ll want at least 3GB – 4GB dedicated VRAM for lag-free street and indoor football gaming on PC.
• God of War – Sony‘s beloved action-adventure port is another graphics showcase, easily using over 5GB VRAM for 60 FPS 1440p gameplay on High textures.

Clearly then, for enjoying modern AAA experiences – let alone competitive esports gaming – that meager 128MB frame buffer won‘t cut it anymore.

Testing Popular Esports Titles

Okay, surely popular competitive titles like CS:GO, DOTA or Rocket League aren‘t that demanding right? Well…I decided to put some games to the test on an old GPU with 128MB VRAM. Disabling literally every possible graphical effect and resolution scaling down to sub-720p, here were my framerate findings:

Now I don‘t know about you, but I certainly don‘t consider sub-30 FPS gaming with 2004 era visuals an enjoyable experience! Yet this is the sorry reality that a 128MB VRAM graphics card offers in 2024.

Minimum Upgrades for Playable Gaming

Here are some budget-friendly GPU upgrade options that will let you game smoothly for under $200:

• NVIDIA GTX 1660 / AMD RX 580 – $120 – $180 used – Solid 1080p gaming at High
• AMD RX 6500XT – $140 – $160 – Decent 1080p gaming on Medium
• NVIDIA RTX 2060 – $230+ used – Great 1440p gaming on High

I understand not everyone can afford a graphics card upgrade. But for playable framerates and an enjoyable gaming experience, 128MB VRAM unfortunately no longer cuts it. If you have any other questions on upgrading your PC‘s graphics power, feel free to reach out! Happy gaming.