A Windows setting can eat memory on cheap graphics cards
Engadget says Windows' GPU scheduling toggle can take nearly 1GB of memory from 6GB and 8GB cards, which matters for gamers on older hardware.
The facts
- According to Engadget, hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling (HAGS) is on by default on most PCs and is needed for DLSS Frame Generation.
- XDA Developers switched HAGS off on an 8GB RTX 2070 Super and freed nearly 950MB of graphics memory, at a cost of three to five frames per second.
- Tom's Hardware's 2020 tests found an average change from minus 0.73 percent to plus 0.06 percent with HAGS on.
- Engadget cites Steam's September 2026 survey: 8GB cards are more than a quarter of GPUs, and 6GB cards are 5.12 percent.
Case notes · Danny's take
Why it matters
Most people never open this setting. The feature was built to cut delays, but the gains were close to zero in the tests Engadget cites, while the memory cost is real. On a 16GB card that's rounding error. On a 6GB or 8GB card it's the gap between smooth and stuttering. With RAM prices at record highs and affordable GPUs hard to find, many people can't simply upgrade. Check the default before you spend money.
For builders
If you ship PC games, test on 6GB and 8GB cards with this feature on and off. Those cards are still a big share of what players own, according to Steam's survey.
Not financial advice. Do your own investigation.
This story was summarised with AI from Engadget's reporting and checked against our editorial policy. Danny's take reflects his views. Disclaimer.
Danny Walter
Founder of Moon Republic, Volt Terminal and Moon Republic Academy. Author of The Market Is a Crime Scene and After the Applause.