If you are maxed or close to max on VRAM, the graphics card needs to flush VRAM first before it loads new data, which can cause the kind of hitching/stuttering often complained about. If you have free addressable space, you can move data to VRAM over the PCIe bus, then flush data without waiting. If texture data or framebuffer data is occupying those addresses in the video card's memory, it needs to be flushed out of VRAM before new texture data is loaded. It is as easy as reading it though, VRAM has addressable space just like any other form of storage. Perhaps you should do a test and open loads of windows, run a game and see if all of those windows take up VRAM when in-game. Memory is complex, it's not as easy to just read what you see and take it as what that real memory is. dxtc1 allowed for essentially 1024x1024 textures to consume the same amount as the standard maximum 256x256 textures that were being used for numerous years.Īctually i have the GOTY eddition of UT installed and running with both the S3 pack and additional 'hd' textures that can be found to further replace more of the textures not covered by the official s3 pack. there was a limited amout of texture required. For example in the unreal Tournament game, where S3 textures were first introduced in a HUGE game of the year release and only available via the GOTY eddition, and then only initially supported through using 'tricks' and some hacking later to get running on later video cards that supported DXTC1 and newer. Originally when demonstrating 1024x1024 S3 Textures, there demo wasn't using an excessive amount of them like we see today.

but usually when this happens with modern systems, you experiencing hitching or complete lack of FPS (dropping down to sub 10fps for example from 30-60 average). High resolution textures do not effect performance at all UNLESS vram is exhausted and it start having to swap like mad to try and keep up. S3 showcased a demo running 1024x1024 size textures over a decade ago on 32Mb of VRAM. It's not been an issue really since S3 introduced S3 Texture Compression and then Microsoft brought it and named it DirectX texture Compression. High resolution textures eating performance is a myth.

Hi res texture pack