Think You Need a Better GPU for Blender? Watch This First!

MY CURATED COURSES - Blender Foundations https://www.canopy.games/p/getting-started-in-blender-4?affcode=379023_z-booor3 - The Blender Creative Suite | https://bit.ly/BlenderCreativeSeries - Learn Blender Python | https://bit.ly/LearnBlenderPython Does Blender need a powerful GPU? Yes—but only in the right areas. In this video, I break down exactly where a GPU makes a difference and where it doesn’t, so you can optimize your hardware for the best performance. ⌚️Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:29 - RAM Vs. VRAM 03:12 - Viewport Performance 03:54 - Sculpting 05:18 - Eevee and Cycles Rendering 07:23 - How Does Your GPU Stack Up? 07:42 - Animation 07:54 - Compositing 08:28 - Modifiers & Geometry Nodes 09:07 - Textures and Environments 12:45 - Simulations And VFX 15:01 - Video Editing Blender VSE 17:13 - Apple Silicon 18:16 - Conclusion and Wrap Up 🔗 LINKS: - Blender Assets | https://www.blender.org/download/demo-files/ - My Asset Pack | https://michaelbridges.gumroad.com/l/mad - Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/michaelbridges 🍿 WATCH NEXT: https://youtu.be/gCF9HZYX0co https://youtu.be/nDGDl3FiQ5I https://youtu.be/wZV8tzGDEnc MY DESK TOOLS & GEAR 📷 Panasonic G7 | https://amzn.to/4cdbBEV 🎙️ Shure MV7 | https://amzn.to/3zcikjL 🎛️ Audio Interface Revelator io24 | https://amzn.to/3ze4A85 🖥️ Dell AW3423DFW | https://amzn.to/4cptVKG 💻 THE PC: Ryzen 5950X | https://amzn.to/3xCRil2 64GB 3600MT/s Crucial | https://amzn.to/45AfAsF RTX 3090 | https://amzn.to/3VESMmQ 2TB Samsung Pro SSD | https://amzn.to/4cgxV0k 🖱️ Logitech G903 / G703 / Powerplay | https://amzn.to/3KYyVuc | https://amzn.to/45FkEMm | https://amzn.to/45FkEMm ⌨️ Logitech G915 Wireless (Tactile) | https://amzn.to/3VB1keC 🎧 Bose QC35 | https://amzn.to/4benxVv 🔊 Alesis M1 Active 520USB | https://amzn.to/3zchLq9 🎛️ Elgato Stream Deck | https://amzn.to/3xtw7ly 🖊️ Wacom Intuos | https://amzn.to/3xrUsIv 🖊️🖥️ XPPen Artist 15.6 | https://amzn.to/4eEtu0P MY *ON THE GO* TOOLS & GEAR 💻 Macbook M1 Pro | https://amzn.to/3RBPGyX 🎤 Rode NT-1 USB | https://amzn.to/4cfBHqG 🖱️ Logitech Pebble | https://amzn.to/4caDRYT MY OTHER SOCIALS: 🎙 My podcast - Dive into game development and gaming topics | https://www.youtube.com/@CanopyGames/streams 🌍 My website / Courses | https://bit.ly/CanopyGames 🐦 Twitter / X | https://x.com/TechEdMike 💬 Discord | https://canopy.games/p/discord WHO AM I? Hi there! 👋 I'm Mike, and I'm relatively new to YouTube. I've been teaching Blender professionally for over 10 years, and I'm excited to share my knowledge with the community here. On this channel, you'll find full guides, courses, and tools to help guide, reassure, and educate you on your Blender journey. Let's create something amazing together! PS: Some of the links in this description are affiliate links that I get a kickback from 😜 Ever wondered if Blender really needs a powerful GPU? You might have upgraded your graphics card, expecting a performance boost, only to find things still running slow. Today, I break down exactly where Blender uses your GPU—and where it doesn’t—so you can optimize your setup. We start by comparing RAM and VRAM, showing how each impacts performance. While VRAM is key for textures, rendering, and viewport performance, running out of it forces Blender to rely on system RAM, slowing things down. I also test viewport performance, revealing when the GPU helps (like in Material Preview and Cycles) and when tasks remain CPU-bound (like sculpting and wireframe mode). Rendering is where a strong GPU truly shines, drastically cutting down render times—especially for animations. But having the right settings enabled is just as important as having a good GPU. Meanwhile, animations, compositing, and geometry nodes mostly rely on the CPU, though textured scenes still benefit from a better GPU. Textures and lighting can also impact performance, with large files quickly filling up VRAM and slowing down renders. Simulations and VFX, however, remain fully CPU-driven, meaning a better GPU won’t help speed them up. And when it comes to video editing, Blender’s editor doesn’t use GPU acceleration at all, making proxies essential for smoother playback. So, does Blender need a powerful GPU? Yes—but only for the right tasks. Rendering, materials, and lighting see major benefits, while simulations, modeling, and video editing remain CPU-bound. What’s been your biggest Blender bottleneck? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe for more insights!