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Version: 3.4 (unreleased)

Hardware Requirements for VRGS

VRGS is a Windows application for 3D geological visualisation and interpretation. It runs on a wide range of modern PCs, but performance is driven mainly by your GPU, the amount of RAM and VRAM, and your CPU core count. The GPU is almost always the bottleneck, so a dedicated graphics card is strongly recommended for medium to large datasets. Smaller models can be viewed on integrated graphics.

We recommend you try VRGS on your own hardware to gauge performance. You can get a free trial of VRGS from our website.​

System Requirements​

ComponentMinimum / SupportedRecommendedNotes
Operating SystemWindows 11 (64-bit)Windows 11 (64-bit), kept up to dateVRGS is a Windows-only, 64-bit application
CPUModern multi-core processorMulti-core CPU less than ~5 years oldVRGS uses many cores for data processing and tile streaming — more cores help
RAM16 GB32–64 GB for large datasetsLarger or more complex models need more memory
GPUDedicated GPU supporting OpenGL 4.3+ and Vulkan 1.2+Modern dedicated GPU with ample VRAMIntegrated graphics work for small models only; the GPU is the main bottleneck
VRAM2 GB (small models)8 GB or moreMore VRAM allows larger models, higher detail, and on-GPU AI features
StorageSSDNVMe SSD with free headroomLeave room for project data, the streaming cache (~1–2 GB) and AI models
DisplayAny Windows displayHigh-DPI / 4K supportedVRGS is fully high-DPI aware and can export up to 4K video

The figures above are guidance, not hard limits — VRGS does not enforce a minimum RAM or GPU. Real-world demand scales with the size of your data.

Graphics & Renderer​

VRGS renders through one of two graphics backends:

  • Vulkan — the default renderer in current versions. Requires a GPU that supports Vulkan 1.2 or later.
  • OpenGL — still fully supported and selectable. Requires OpenGL 4.3 (Core) or later.

You can switch between Vulkan and OpenGL in the VRGS settings; the change takes effect after restarting VRGS. Either way, a GPU from roughly the last decade that supports these versions is required for correct rendering.

A few things worth knowing:

  • Dedicated GPU strongly recommended. Integrated graphics are fine for small models, but tessellated surfaces, large meshes, and point clouds will feel slow. Software/virtual GPUs (for example Microsoft Basic Render or remote-desktop adapters) are not reliable for VRGS rendering.
  • VRGS already requests the discrete GPU. On laptops with both integrated and dedicated graphics, VRGS flags itself to NVIDIA Optimus and AMD switchable-graphics drivers to use the dedicated GPU. Setting VRGS to High Performance in Windows graphics settings reinforces this — see Display Options and GPU Configuration.
  • Ray tracing is optional. Ray-traced shadows and the path-tracer require a ray-tracing-capable GPU (an NVIDIA RTX card or equivalent AMD/Intel GPU). Without one, VRGS uses standard rasterised rendering.

Hardware Capability Examples​

These are real systems used as reference points — they illustrate the kind of performance to expect, and are not minimum specifications. Your results will vary with model size, complexity, and settings.

Entry / Portable (suitable for smaller models)​

Hardware

  • Device: Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (Intel model)
  • Operating System: Windows 11 (64-bit)
  • CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1255U / i7-1265U
  • RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5
  • GPU: Integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics (shared memory)

Expected VRGS performance

  • Suitable for small-to-moderate 3D models, up to roughly 5 million triangles.
  • Good for portability, fieldwork, training, and smaller projects.
  • Large datasets may feel slow; the integrated GPU and shared memory are the limiting factors.

Professional (suitable for typical interpretation work)​

Hardware

  • Device Class: Workstation or gaming desktop / mobile workstation
  • Operating System: Windows 11 (64-bit)
  • CPU: Recent multi-core CPU (e.g. Intel Core i7 / Ryzen 7 class)
  • RAM: 32 GB
  • GPU: Mid-range dedicated GPU with 8 GB+ VRAM (e.g. NVIDIA RTX 4060 / 4070 class)
  • Storage: NVMe SSD

Expected VRGS performance

  • Comfortable with large models and day-to-day interpretation workflows.
  • Smooth interaction with point clouds, meshes, and streamed 3D tiles.
  • Capable of VR and GPU-accelerated AI features.

High-end (suitable for very large models)​

Hardware

  • Device Class: Alienware Aurora-series desktop (e.g. ACT1250) or equivalent workstation
  • Operating System: Windows 11 (64-bit)
  • CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 (or similar high-end multi-core CPU)
  • RAM: 32 GB or 64 GB DDR5
  • GPU: NVIDIA RTX 5080 (or comparable high-end, ray-tracing-capable card)
  • Storage: High-speed NVMe SSD

Expected VRGS performance

  • Handles large-scale 3D models with high triangle counts (models of ~150 million triangles can be comfortably visualised and interpreted).
  • Smooth rendering, rapid interaction, and excellent stability with large datasets.
  • Headroom for ray tracing, VR, and on-GPU AI processing.
  • Ideal for professional, research, and enterprise interpretation workflows.

Virtual Reality (VR)​

VR is an optional feature, launched from VRGS with Connect to HMD. To use it you need:

  • An OpenXR-compatible headset and its runtime installed (for example SteamVR, Meta, or Windows Mixed Reality). VRGS talks to headsets through OpenXR rather than any one vendor's SDK.
  • A strong dedicated GPU — VR renders two high-resolution views at a high refresh rate, so it is more demanding than desktop viewing. Use the High-end class above as a guide.
  • Standard VR controllers are supported (Oculus/Meta Touch and HTC Vive bindings are included).

If no headset is detected, VRGS simply reports that and continues on the desktop.

AI & Machine Learning​

VRGS includes optional AI features (image segmentation, fracture-trace detection, and more). These run on the CPU by default and can be greatly accelerated by an NVIDIA GPU. Models are downloaded the first time you use a feature, so plan for a few GB of disk space and an internet connection.

See AI & Machine Learning Requirements for the full detail.

Online & Connectivity​

Some VRGS features stream data from the internet. An internet connection is required for:

  • Online 3D tiles and basemaps (Cesium 3D Tiles, Google Photorealistic 3D Tiles, OpenStreetMap). These stream each session and are not available offline. Streamed tiles are cached locally (around 1–2 GB under %LOCALAPPDATA%) to speed up repeat use.
  • GeoTour / Digital Outcrop platform sign-in and data sync.
  • AI model downloads on first use (requires sign-in — see the AI page).
  • Coordinate-grid downloads (geoid/datum grids from cdn.proj.org). These are optional and cached locally; VRGS still works without them, with reduced transformation accuracy for some regions.

The built-in AI assistant uses cloud LLM services, which need an internet connection and a valid API key. Core VRGS functionality — importing, viewing, interpreting, and saving local projects — works fully offline.

Additional Guidance​

  • The GPU is the most important component — choose a dedicated card and ensure VRGS uses it (see Display Options and GPU Configuration).
  • Keep your graphics drivers up to date; out-of-date drivers can reduce performance or cause visual issues.
  • Large datasets scale computational demand — more RAM and more GPU VRAM give better headroom.
  • Plan storage for project data plus the online-tile cache and any downloaded AI models.
  • Test the setup with representative projects, and consider future-proofing for long-term or high-resolution work.