Testing Shows Limitations of 4GB VRAM in 2026 Games

Hardware Unboxed criticized AMD for selling the Radeon RX 9050 with 4 GB of VRAM exclusively in prebuilt computers, calling the move a scam targeting inexperienced buyers.

AMD has maintained for weeks that graphics cards with 4 GB of video memory remain a viable option for budget builds. The 8 GB version of the Radeon RX 9050 will go on sale at retail, while the 4 GB VRAM model will be available solely inside prebuilt PCs.

Hardware Unboxed labeled this approach a scam directed at gamers. According to the publication’s staff, prebuilt computers are primarily purchased by inexperienced users who might not understand the limitations of such a graphics card.

Because PCs equipped with the RX 9050 4 GB have not yet launched, the journalists tested the Radeon RX 6500 XT with 4 GB of VRAM, which should offer comparable performance.

The results were poor. In Borderlands 4, the card delivered about 25 FPS at 1080p on low settings using FSR. Crimson Desert ran at roughly 30 FPS on minimal graphics. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced achieved around 25 FPS, and Indiana Jones managed only 18 FPS at settings resembling a mobile game.

The authors note that using FSR at a 1080p resolution, particularly FSR 3 and newer versions, noticeably degrades image quality in motion.