When it comes to gaming performance on a PC, most people tend to focus on the graphics card and CPU. While it‘s true that these components play a critical role, there‘s another piece of the puzzle that‘s often overlooked – the RAM. Having enough memory and the right type of RAM can actually have a big impact on your gaming experience.
In this article, we‘ll take an in-depth look at what RAM does for gaming. We‘ll explain how RAM works, how much you need, and what to look for when buying memory for a gaming rig. By the end, you‘ll have a solid understanding of why RAM is important and how to ensure your gaming PC has the memory it needs to perform its best.
RAM Basics: What Is It and How Does It Work?
Before we dive into the specifics of RAM for gaming, let‘s start with a quick primer on what RAM is and what it does in a computer. RAM stands for random access memory. It‘s a type of computer memory that temporarily stores data and code that the CPU needs fast access to. This includes things like the operating system, applications that are currently running, and the data those applications are working with.
The key things to know about RAM are:
- It‘s volatile memory, meaning the contents are lost when the power is turned off
- It‘s much faster than storage like hard drives or SSDs
- The CPU can access any part of RAM directly without having to go through other data first
- More RAM allows more data to be worked on by the CPU at once
RAM is essentially used as a high-speed workspace for your computer. When you launch a program, open a file, or load a new level in a game, that data gets copied from your slower storage (hard drive or SSD) into the much faster RAM. The CPU can then access the data it needs directly from RAM, allowing it to complete tasks more quickly.
How Does RAM Impact Gaming Performance?
Now that we understand the basics of what RAM does in a computer, let‘s take a look at how it impacts gaming performance specifically. Games, especially modern AAA titles, use a lot of memory. They have high resolution textures, complex 3D models, detailed environments, and other assets that need to be loaded into RAM to be accessed quickly by the CPU and GPU.
If a game requires more RAM than you have available, the system has to rely more on virtual memory, swapping data back and forth between RAM and storage. This is a much slower process that can lead to noticeable dips in performance. You may experience stuttering, freezing, long load times, or even crashes in severe cases.
Having enough RAM allows the game to load more assets into memory, reducing the chances of slowdowns caused by accessing data from the hard drive or SSD. It provides a smoother, more responsive experience with shorter load times and fewer hitches.
How Much RAM Do You Need for Gaming?
The amount of RAM you need for gaming depends on the types of games you play and what else you do while gaming (like streaming or running other programs in the background). However, there are some general guidelines you can follow.
For gaming in 2023, 8GB of RAM is considered the minimum. This will be enough for less demanding games and older titles, but it‘s on the edge for modern AAA games. For the best experience in most modern games, 16GB is the sweet spot. This gives you enough headroom to run the game and have some other applications open without issue. Going beyond 16GB, up to 32GB or even 64GB, can be beneficial for some specific cases like heavily modded games or gaming while using memory-intensive applications, but for pure gaming it provides diminishing returns.
It‘s also important to note that RAM speed and other specs matter too, not just capacity. Faster RAM with lower latency can give a small boost to gaming performance, especially when CPU-limited. Dual channel configurations (using two or more sticks of RAM) also tend to perform better than a single channel.
Benchmarks: How RAM Impacts Gaming Performance
To help illustrate the impact RAM has on gaming performance, let‘s look at some benchmarks. These tests, conducted by various PC hardware sites, compare gaming performance using different amounts and speeds of RAM.
In a test by Techspot, a system with 4GB of RAM was compared to the same system with 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB. In Watch Dogs 2, a very memory-intensive game, the 4GB setup struggled with an average FPS of just 27 and severe stutter. The 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB setups all managed a smooth 60 FPS average, with only minor differences between them.
Another set of benchmarks from Logical Increments looked at the impact of RAM speed on gaming performance. Using a Core i7-8700K and RTX 2080, they tested with DDR4 memory at 2400MHz, 3000MHz, and 3600MHz speeds. Across the games tested, going from 2400MHz to 3600MHz RAM provided up to a 9% boost in average FPS. The gains were smaller in GPU-bound scenarios and larger when the CPU was the limiting factor.
These benchmarks show that having enough RAM is critical for a good gaming experience, but there are diminishing returns past a certain point. Faster RAM can provide a nice boost, especially if your CPU is the bottleneck, but capacity is still the most important factor.
Choosing RAM for a Gaming PC
If you‘re building a gaming PC or upgrading your RAM, there are a few key things to look for:
Capacity
As mentioned earlier, 8GB is the minimum for modern gaming, 16GB is the sweet spot, and anything beyond that is only needed for special use cases. Choose an amount that fits your needs and budget.
Speed and Latency
RAM speed is measured in MHz and latency in CL timings. For Intel CPUs, aim for at least DDR4-2666, and for AMD Ryzen go for DDR4-3200 or higher if possible. Lower CL timings (like CL16) are better than higher timings at the same speed.
Dual Channel
If your motherboard and CPU support it, always use two or more sticks of RAM in a dual channel configuration. This allows the memory to be accessed more efficiently, improving performance. For example, get two 8GB sticks instead of one 16GB stick.
Brand and Compatibility
Stick with reliable brands like Corsair, G.Skill, Crucial, Kingston, etc. and make sure to check your motherboard‘s qualified vendor list (QVL) for compatibility. RAM from a major brand that‘s on your motherboard‘s QVL is almost guaranteed to work without issues.
RAM Usage in Games Over Time
One thing to note is that RAM usage in games has steadily increased over time as games become more complex and graphically demanding. If you look at the recommended specs for PC games from 10 years ago, you‘ll likely see 2-4GB of RAM. For today‘s games, those numbers have jumped to 8-16GB.
This trend is likely to continue as we move into the next generation of games on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Games designed for these new platforms will be able to make use of more RAM than ever before, potentially pushing requirements even higher. While 16GB is plenty for now, it‘s not impossible that we‘ll see 32GB become the new recommended amount in a few years time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, RAM plays a critical role in gaming performance on a PC. It provides the high-speed memory that games need to load assets quickly and avoid slowdowns. Having enough RAM and the right type of RAM can greatly improve your gaming experience with faster load times, smoother gameplay, and fewer technical issues.
For most gamers in 2023, 16GB of DDR4 RAM in a dual channel configuration is the sweet spot. This provides plenty of memory for demanding games while also leaving room for future titles. If you‘re on a tight budget, 8GB can work, but expect to upgrade sooner. For enthusiasts with top-end CPUs and GPUs, 32GB can be worth considering, especially if you do memory-intensive tasks in addition to gaming.
Remember, when shopping for gaming RAM, capacity comes first, then speed and latency. Make sure your RAM is compatible with your system, and don‘t forget to enable the XMP profile for the best performance. With the right RAM setup, you‘ll be well-equipped to tackle any game out there.
