Video random-access memory (VRAM) is dedicated computer memory used to store the pixels and other graphics data as a framebuffer to be rendered on a computer monitor. [1] It often uses a different technology than other computer memory, in order to be read quickly for display on a screen.
Many modern GPUs rely on VRAM. In contrast, a GPU that does not use VRAM, and relies instead on system RAM, is said to have a unified memory architecture, or shared graphics memory.
System RAM and VRAM have been segregated due to the bandwidth requirements of GPUs, [2] [3] and to achieve lower latency, since VRAM is physically closer to the GPU die. [4]
Modern VRAM is typically found in a BGA package [5] soldered onto a graphics card. [6] The VRAM is cooled along with the GPU by the GPU heatsink. [7]
