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16GB GPUs Become Steam's Top VRAM Tier as 8‑Core CPUs Take the Lead

Improved Steam detection for some AMD cards plus stronger sales of 16GB models explain the change, with rising memory costs threatening its permanence.

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An image about More PC gamers are using GPUs with 16GB of VRAM than 8GB, according to the latest Steam data
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Overview

  • Steam's July 2026 Hardware & Software Survey shows 16GB GPUs at 25.9% of users while 8GB cards sit at 25.32%, marking the first time 16GB is the single largest VRAM category on the platform.
  • The same July data shows 8‑core processors now slightly lead 6‑core chips at 27.85% versus 27.52%, signaling growing multi‑core adoption among Steam players.
  • Valve's improved detection and reporting for AMD RDNA4 cards helped register more 16GB hardware in the July results, amplifying the measured shift toward higher‑VRAM configurations.
  • A majority of Steam users still run GPUs with less than 16GB of VRAM, so the change reflects an ongoing upgrade trend rather than a full market turnover.
  • Rising memory and GPU prices and component supply constraints could slow or reverse the move to higher‑VRAM builds, which would make upgrades more costly for everyday gamers and affect developers' optimization choices.