Should i go for 32GB of RAM?
Posted by Overall-Emergency-61@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 670 comments
A few years ago 16GB was pretty much it when it comes to gaming.
But nowadays is it enough? Is 32GB of RAM a overkill or just ok?
Neraxis@reddit
No such thing as overkill. It just means less to worry about later.
32gb is the new 'standard' which allows for gaming + inefficient background programs that are modern software. We did 90% of the same shit 15 years ago on 1/4 the RAM and now we do the same with 10x the processing power except shit is 20x as demanding.
Overall-Emergency-61@reddit (OP)
Yeah sure is a safe spot to stay, I guess we are now in a temporary state where 16GB is becomming the bare minimal and 32GB the most required
Personal_Occasion618@reddit
Even a few years ago when I built my first it was like “8gb is the bare minimum and can run esports, but we reccomend 16gb”
Hell man now it’s like 16gb is the bare minimum and 32gb is strongly reccomended. I constantly run 20-28gb at 4k
Tawnik@reddit
ive been building pc's since around 2000 and this exact same conversation has taken place every single generation... "ohh no thats way too much RAM you'll never use all that..." 4 years later its the standard... blows my mind that people still say that shit to this day...
PropJoesChair@reddit
Same. I just upgraded from 16gb to 64gb as it feels like a waste of money replacing all my ram just because I cheaped out on it at the time.
Hammer_Dwarf@reddit
congrats lol
PropJoesChair@reddit
thanks lol, I wish I had got a faster speed though -.-
Hammer_Dwarf@reddit
Does speed matter much for gaming? I've read opinions that it has negligible effect on FPS.
Odd_Insect4622@reddit
man... these threads... are a nice throwback to simpler times
Personal_Occasion618@reddit
How is your investment doing lol
ShadowStarX@reddit
The thing is in many regards I don't even know how it's happening.
Now we're at a point that realistic or even hyperrealistic renders are a thing yet... 128 GB might be the new standard in like 12 years like how 32 GB is now? What the hell...
I currently have 2×16 GB RAM which was roughly the HDD capacity of my first PC...
Hipstershy@reddit
In fairness, most of the times I've seen that have been truly unbalanced builds, where the money truly could go somewhere else. In a typical build it's usually better to get two sticks at whatever the "normal" amount of memory is and spend the extra towards a better GPU, etc. When (and if) memory requirements increase it's usually easier to add another two sticks and quad channel than to do any other single upgrade to a PC.
CyberSwiss@reddit
First pc I had had 4MB of RAM. We've come a loooong way!
EvilDan69@reddit
Exactly my thoughts as well, and I've also been building pcs for at least that long.
People might complain, but I stay ahead of the curve and to be honest, I like alt-tabbing between browser and game sometimes for either walk arounds, or whatever else.
My first pc didn't have much ram, so seeing it nearly take a dump on itself just to switch between apps while fighting itself for enogh ram, paging file, or whatever, I just load it up.
My server with 190ish ram however, that may be overkill.
toluwalase@reddit
190gb ram? I didn’t even know that was possible
EvilDan69@reddit
Look up servers. it has dual Xeon processors., 192? I forget but an obscene amount of ram.
Also got it from work. it was 4+ years old, and a high end workstation.
its a bit older now but it'll do anything I need.
Now we have some with 320GB system ram. not storage. Ram.
I'd say what they're used for, but I cannot. Only that those machines go through their paces.
toluwalase@reddit
lol I’m guessing sailing activities but that’s fine. Is there anything that is very different from a regular build in windows at that amount? Or the computer only uses what it needs unless needed. Hell, could you possibly boot windows entirely from RAM?
EvilDan69@reddit
More on the heavy armored side of things. They don't float.
It works normally. I just have win10 pro on it running normally tasks like Plex, hosting games, file storage and the likes. The apps that used to live on there under a corporate image chewed storagd and memory like it was nothing.
Vanman04@reddit
This is more a factor of cost of memory than it is need.
EnlargedChonk@reddit
I mean, by the time the higher capacity is standard a lot of people are looking to upgrade anyway. If it's cheap by all means save yourself the trouble worrying about capacity, but a lot of these questions get asked by people with budgets i.e. $1000 thinking $200 for double the current "standard" might be worth when they'll have a far better system getting less ram for cheaper and more CPU/GPU. And until recently you could generally just add more later if it's needed without too horrible impact on memory controller. It's a goofy conversation for sure, the OS will put whatever you give to good use. So it's not really a "waste" but often the inquirers are actually looking for an answer to "is it cost effective for me to buy this much RAM"
BThriillzz@reddit
Reminds me of my pops telling me that "no one would ever fill a 1TB hard drive. Little does he know Call of duty is 300gb
Armchairplum@reddit
To be fair the question is more of a "when should the goal post shift" That and you usually want to get the best bang for buck. Eg get the fastest ram or overclockable ram. Which usually is more stable in the lower capacity.
Me though? I get the largest stick supported by the slot with the though of "I don't wanna have to replace that stick in the future should I need more RAM"
Granted it's more of an issue with boards that only have two slots... That being said, this time around I also had adult money instead of student money. (Previous machine was a i7 4770k) So 128GB is what I have, do I need 128GB? No... I would have been perfectly fine with 64GB or even 32GB!
Tawnik@reddit
well your previous machine was like 10-12 years old so if you keep this one that long 128gn will be standard by then lmao
OGigachaod@reddit
Long before he'll need that 128GB's of ram, he'll be wanted a new system anyways, but thanks for buying 64GB sticks.
No_Share6895@reddit
be it with ram or vram people feel the need to drag others back so they wont be left alone when their bad choices come back to bite them
Twigler@reddit
4k requires that much ram?
Personal_Occasion618@reddit
Apparently. Also I have four monitors, so that probably has something to do with it lol
118shadow118@reddit
I've rarely seen it go past 16GB when gaming at 1080p, but I got 32GB for Photoshop and multitasking. I've had Photoshop alone use up 20+ GB
RedDeadGecko@reddit
No need to close a game for some quick photoshop is where multitasking starts 😉
BuildMineSurvive@reddit
Thus is hardware advancement
boobeepbobeepbop@reddit
I got 64. I was getting RAM errors and during the time to do a RMA, ram was cheap and I got 64 for $100. It's nice to be able to never wonder if ram is the issue, and some games that I play take advantage of having > 32, especially if you start using mods.
My buddy just realized that in satisfactory, 16gb is making him slow way down.
I'm eventually going to RMA that 32 and have 96. I also use virtual machines sometimes and again, it's nice to have a big cushion.
ozSillen@reddit
I'm late to this party but... go 64gb if you want longevity for the build. I've just upgraded from 32gb ddr4 to 64gb in 12700k system so I don't have to touch anything, apart from maybe 2080ti, for many more years.
Last system was built around i5 2500k, buy right the 1st time and it can last many years.
Trick2056@reddit
16gb is more than enough for casual users. if you can afford 32gb go for it if not and just stretching the budget then don't
GothicPotatoeMonster@reddit
It's the minimum especially for gaming. 1080p you'll be fine. 1440? You'll be fine in most games unless you have a what? 4080 or so? Then a few games can use more. I remember seeing Hogwarts would. 4k yeah you probably have a 4080-4090 and 32gb is minimal.
Trick2056@reddit
no one is casually playing on 4k,lol and 1440p is far from the norm.
OGigachaod@reddit
Shh, don't tell the reddit dwellers that most gamers are still at 1080p
OGigachaod@reddit
Office desktops are being deployed with 32GB's of ram, 16GB's is considered minimum these days.
LifeFighter1@reddit
Nah...some games already require more than 16gb. I upped to 32gb for a reason since I clearly saw it myself.
DoriOli@reddit
It’s not “more than enough” anymore. Those days are behind us.
popop143@reddit
It really is only overkill if you have to have it under a certain budget, but RAM (even DDR5) is really cheap right now that I can't justify recommending less than 32gb.
squanderedprivilege@reddit
Remember these good old days? Lol
Washing_Machine_Door@reddit
Well well well
linuxguy192@reddit
Rip
PlaneYam648@reddit
not any more:(
not-hunter-yo@reddit
this didnt age well...
MissionInternet8490@reddit
boy oh boy did this drastically change
VG_Crimson@reddit
Man how times have changed in just a year...
Jelked_Lightning@reddit
This aged so well
DHoliday17@reddit
Well this aged poorly
ConversationKlutzy@reddit
how times have changed
EvilDan69@reddit
Exactly. If you can afford it, why not? Ram is not expensive, for me at least. Its a huge load of my shoulders knowing me doesn't run into hardware limits.
Parking_Increase1463@reddit
This didn't age well
EvilDan69@reddit
yeah no kidding! I still remember making the comment a year ago and thought that really went south. At least I was encouraging more ram.
Trauson@reddit
Foreshadowing
EvilDan69@reddit
Yeah pretty much. I remember the comment and still chuckle about it.
Trauson@reddit
My ram costed me like 100 2 months ago... now I see it for 500 .... Scalpers? or genuine overpricing? xD
Kobal22@reddit
All the ai trash briked the price for the next 3-5 years most likely lmfao.
StabbyMeowkins@reddit
Is there any reason for me not to get a 96GB kit of RAM if I can afford it at $329 pretax? I typically only game and randomly do demanding tasks. I don't think I need it. But, it'd be nice to just have it. Or is it just really unreasonable?
Now that I know the 9950x3D is going to have 3D Vcache on both CCDs, I am skipping getting the 7950x3D entirely now. (Is what I was going to do before.)
EvilDan69@reddit
Honestly no. 32GB is the answer right now. If you want to run virtual machines off the pc, in the multiples, then more ram will definitely help.
I mean your pc will not be slow with that amount. However you can increase your NVME size instead for more storage. That'll probably help better honestly.
Pretend_Car_240@reddit
>RAM (even DDR5) is really cheap right now
Aged like milk.
2xp_xx@reddit
The good old days 😂💔
willard_swag@reddit
Yep. I just made the switch from DDR4 to DDR5 and my 32gb of Corsair Vengence were just over $100. Definitely “affordable” by most modern PC standards.
Quiet-Star@reddit
I just upgraded from DDR4 to DDR4 as well. 32GB, downgraded on size, tho. It only cost me $80 for my 32GB. I paid $179 for my 64GB DDR4 when I got it. I feel like ram might have got cheaper, or I just bought DDR4 at a bad time.
Drakengard@reddit
There was a period where there were shortages on memory that caused RAM prices to spike. Hell, we saw that with hard drives and SSDs at one point years before the RAM price hike.
It just happens. We're kind of going through that now with GPUs either because of crypto cycles and now because of the AI craze. There's always something going on that has some negative price impacts on consumer computing products.
nof1veoh@reddit
That period is now … AGAIN 😂
Quiet-Star@reddit
Yeah, I know 2017 or so had a shortage of RAM. I got mine in 2020 and I don't know how the market was then for RAM.
One-Recording8588@reddit
2025: hold my beer.
Quiet-Star@reddit
literally LMAO
glaivenews@reddit
DDR4 to DDR4 is the best upgrade money can buy
the_muffin@reddit
What would you recommend in terms of high-quality ddr4 ram
glaivenews@reddit
Idk I was just making a joke cause the guy I replied to made a typo
Quiet-Star@reddit
Damn phone, lmao.
Frequent-Cucumber189@reddit
Stupid question, does DDR5 fit in a DDR4 slot? I thought the pins were different.
Quiet-Star@reddit
Unsure, I upgraded from a i9-9900KF to the Ryzen 9 9900X, so that's why I upgraded the ram.
Frequent-Cucumber189@reddit
Ahh ok, makes more sense.
Quiet-Star@reddit
Also, just looked. DDR4 and DDR5 have different pin layouts it looks like. So, I don't think they would fit.
Frequent-Cucumber189@reddit
Yeah that's what I thought, I just was thinking did I misread something. Thanks, and sorry to have bothered you with a dumb question lol.
Quiet-Star@reddit
Nah, you're good. I honestly wasn't sure myself lol. Learned something from it.
daanos60@reddit
Ddr4 has definitely gone cheaper over the last couple years
imightberusty1@reddit
I am here from the future, and I am envious.
OldBay-Szn@reddit
Hi from the future. Just laughing at the cost.
ty-niwiwi@reddit
Crazy how things like this were only a year ago 🥀
Alibehindthe69@reddit
when my 16gb ddr4 works, I feel it don't make sense to upgrade to 32 gb of ddr5. my budget brain is just acting up rn.
willard_swag@reddit
I upgraded from AM4 to AM5. I had to upgrade the ram too.
Alibehindthe69@reddit
But I'm on intel b760 so it's just the rams. no need to change the cpu and motherboard until I'm really desperate for that 14700k.
willard_swag@reddit
Ah, I feel that. Wild that you can do DDR4 and 5 on the same platform.
Alibehindthe69@reddit
Yeah. makes ddr5 feel overpaying.
willard_swag@reddit
Honestly I wish I would’ve just stuck with my 5800X3D instead of switching to AM5/DDR5 when I got my 4090.
Alibehindthe69@reddit
Yeah. Most games these days are gpu limited. and 5800x3d can do a lot of fps to overcome the monitor refresh rate in competitive games. so you wouldn't be cpu limited.
willard_swag@reddit
True. I’m definitely enjoying having more M.2 slots on my new motherboard though.
Alibehindthe69@reddit
I got a 2tb 980 pro so i am fine with 1. but more is always better
willard_swag@reddit
I have basically the same M.2 but also have a Crucial P3 1TB. I’ve nearly filled it up which is what prompted my 990 Evo purchase.
Alibehindthe69@reddit
lol I get what you saying. 400gb left on mine
willard_swag@reddit
Nice! And when I say “running out of space” I mean I have 200gb left on my 1gb M.2 lol. But with game sizes these days that could easily be taken up after just a few titles
Alibehindthe69@reddit
Glad I got 2tb knowing RDR2 is gonna be the least gb im gonna download. 120 is fine compared to the new games lol.
willard_swag@reddit
Right?! I do a lot of sim racing and have Assetto Corsa and with all the mods it’s basically 200gb
nof1veoh@reddit
This didn’t age well 😂😂
DefaultRedditor16@reddit
Completely irrelevant but I just stumbled upon this comment while looking for answers to this question on Reddit.
This certainly aged
Squishy60@reddit
Sorry to necro this thread, but it’s funny reading this in December 2025
Life-Island-1327@reddit
ContestSuccessful932@reddit
they should’ve opt for 128gb in hindsight 😭
No-Astronomer-8256@reddit
take me back to cheap ram
Opheavenlyjin@reddit
LOL that statement aged WELL
R_NeedfulPilot@reddit
This comment did not age well at all…
popop143@reddit
You bots really don't know how to read, do you?
Sea-Measurement5496@reddit
Haha, about that...
D_Ultrabeam@reddit
This didn't age well
popop143@reddit
You don't have reading comprehension do you? Waste of a necro.
Glass-Cabinet-249@reddit
Well... This aged well ...
Vengexncee@reddit
Do you have any recommendations on what to buy? And will it be plug and play? Just drop the new RAM in there?
popop143@reddit
Most RAM should be the same, buy the cheapest 2x16GB DDR5-6000 CL30 you can find in Amazon (as long as it's a pretty well-known brand). There really are only 3 RAM chip manufacturers, most brands just slap their name on them.
6thMagnitude@reddit
SK Hynix, Crucial, Kingston, Samsung
Soft-Engineering5841@reddit
There is also G.skill which is a very good brand which offers cheap Rams with best quality. Many even use it in enthusiast type builds for overclocking too.
MarkMuffin@reddit
Im easily pushing 20-25GB in 4K... lol come on man, 32GB is the min.. 15yrs it was 16GB was standard.
HatsuneM1ku@reddit
4K is not the norm, especially if OP is trying to save money on RAM
OGigachaod@reddit
1080p is still the norm, despite what the reddit cave dwellers want you to think.
brildenlanch@reddit
15 years? More like 3-4, if that. Closer to 2.
ActuallyTiberSeptim@reddit
15 years ago I think I had 4GB of RAM.
pagan_meditation@reddit
16GB was not the norm 15 years ago.
popop143@reddit
Dang, it's like saying "I can't live with $200k yearly salary, I won't be able to eat at my usual fine dining restaurants." It's not always about you.
repu1sion@reddit
I have 64Gb with possibility upgrade up to 192Gb. 192Gb now that's an overkill.
ShadowStarX@reddit
A bit over a decade ago 256GB was the standard size for HDDs.
Why is this all exploding.
repu1sion@reddit
Software is degrading. Thats pretty sad.
gundam538@reddit
Right now 32GB is recommended and 64GB provides a nice buffer above the new standard. I’m currently running with 32GB and about to upgrade to 64GB or 96GB so I don’t have to think about ram till it’s time to upgrade my rig.
ShadowStarX@reddit
64 GB with dual channel is better than 96 GB without it. Unless you wanna do it with 3×32 sticks.
laffer1@reddit
I have 96gb now. Without a specific workload that needs it, you will be hard pressed to use that much. I haven’t seen use past 64gb with gaming in windows even with a bunch of other stuff running. I have it for compiling some large projects in bsd and using a tmpfs.
jib_reddit@reddit
I upgraded to 64GB and I am glad I did , I use it all the time for AI image work. And can open about 10 Chrome tabs now! /s
Warcraft_Fan@reddit
Remember when 4MB was enough to run Windows and most programs?
xmaken@reddit
I remember juggling the hell out autoexec.bat e config.sys to free enough memory to play with my favourite games, ahahahhah
JellyfishSpare2859@reddit
Ahh yes the dark wizardry of bygone times! LOL!
crunchb3rry@reddit
...until you bought Star Wars: Dark Forces and it wouldn't run without another 4.
jhaluska@reddit
I remember bragging about how we had 8MB and spending a small fortune to get up to 20MB so we could run Photoshop.
Ember_Kitten@reddit
Not RAM, but I distinctly remember from my chidlhood my father coming home super excited over a flash drive he bought cause it could store 'All of our documents on a single drive' it was 256mb... he spent like 200 dollars on it
osteologation@reddit
I remember spending $169 on 4mb of ram at circuit city, oof
Taskr36@reddit
Yup. I remember in the early to mid 90's telling my dad I was getting low memory errors. He was like "That PC has 4 MB of RAM! It should be able to run anything!"
Hiply@reddit
I remember when 1 meg was a lot because only 640k of it could be actively used and we had to play with LOADHIGH commands and look for software with a TSR (Terminate/Stay Resident) feature so DOS could handle more than one program at a time.
SmokinDeist@reddit
I remember running on computers that measured RAM in KB. I was really happy when my first Amiga was running with 2MB.
Living_Unit@reddit
I remember being in the car on the way to get 4x 2mb sticks to upgrade our 386
Inevitable-Study502@reddit
not really?
even my old 386 had 8MB ram
pentium 1 had 16MB ram
Beelzeboss3DG@reddit
Most prebuilts came with 4MB ram? around 1990 they even sold 386 with 1MB ram.
Inevitable-Study502@reddit
prebuilt yes, probably, but i remember taking few sticks here and there from school computers to fill up my mobo :D (including l2 cache xD)
Beelzeboss3DG@reddit
Point is, 4MB was enough to run Windows and most programs, more than enough actually xD
Government_Lopsided@reddit
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
Spiritual-Dress4435@reddit
https://youtu.be/mklCPWNyJC0?si=kNMGOCOH31Cr1l3X&t=690
frygod@reddit
There is absolutely such thing as overkill depending on workload. 32gb is a pretty comfortable spot to be in for gaming, especially if you're doing other things in the background and shouldn't break the budget too hard. That said, creative workloads can get hungrier, and I've actually run out of free memory in the rig in my flair before.
portablekettle@reddit
Yeah it's kinda wild. I was playing Fortnite (1080p mid/high graphics) with just Spotify playing in the background and it was using a little over 18gb
po2gdHaeKaYk@reddit
I wonder what the situation is for laptops. I'm looking at you Apple with your 8GB M-Macs.
See discussion here as well as the statement by u/brickwindow that " I'm at the point where I'm not sure how to measure or compare specs in the Apple Silicon era.".
OGigachaod@reddit
The 8GB's M-Macs are a scam, you'll end up in "paging file hell" and end up wearing out your soldered on SSD.
laffer1@reddit
Macs don’t have enough ram in base models. Some people will go on about memory compression but that doesn’t work for all workloads and it ignores that windows has memory compression also
Jonny7Tenths@reddit
Yep. Blame a lot of low effort programming using Electron etc.
DarkZenith2@reddit
There is however. Going to 64 or 128 as well as going from 2 to four sticks all cause a little overhead and performance drop.
rory888@reddit
Current DDR5 technology limitations are populating four slots for average users. 16 x2 (32 gb ) is the new modern day minimum.
StuckAtWaterTemple@reddit
That is because now everything is an electron app. Electron apps and web browsers are the bane of resources.
ArtisticAd6456@reddit
*Cries in 2026*
loaba@reddit
16 is still fine, you would not be disadvantaged. 32 is typically more than you need, but RAM is cheap so what the fuck? Do it.
Mrlegumbre@reddit
Ram is cheap? How I miss those days
loaba@reddit
I bought a 32gb kit a year ago for ~$100.00 - same kit today is 4x that now.
Mrlegumbre@reddit
Glad you got it at that price. Mine came free in a mother board bundle I purchased in newegg like 6 months ago. Things are crazy right now man
loaba@reddit
This is all just crazy. I believe the end-game is to make local hardware ownership expensive and difficult to obtain with the intention of "driving" users to the cloud.
Background_Baker9021@reddit
One year later: This didn't age well regarding RAM being cheap.
Blas7hatVGA@reddit
Win 11 even takes from 5-9 Gigs.
And you only got spare less than 6 gigs of RAM for dang AAA UE5 game etc. that might even eat up to over 4 gigs of RAM, not to mention if you want to multitasking while working + listening to youtube and hundreds of tabs.
So yeah 2025 is a MUST now for 32 gigs of RAM.
Brucey_Nukes@reddit
Why stop at 32, just get 64 lol
LSD_tripper@reddit
Why stop at 64, just get 128 lol
ShadowStarX@reddit
32 GB sticks are roughly double the price of 16 GB sticks but 64 GB sticks are not double the price of 32 GB sticks.
Especially for DDR4 as DDR4 seems to have 4, 8, 16 and 32 GB sticks primarily meanwhile DDR5 seems to have 16, 32 and 64 GB sticks primarily, and possibly 128 GB later down the line.
Brucey_Nukes@reddit
This man gets it
LSD_tripper@reddit
The more the better never hurts to have more regardless if you actually need it or not
Brucey_Nukes@reddit
I actually upgraded from 32 to 64 myself as to really not have to worry about it.
Overall-Emergency-61@reddit (OP)
The endless loop of "what if I put some more of those there"
Piedro92@reddit
I have 64, and it didn't even cost that much. About 200 bucks and now I can play cities skylines while still having all my memory clogged. It's great!
PsychoticChemist@reddit
Because money obviously
SpicyTunahRoll@reddit
The old age question of "is this enough?". It all started with ddr3 ram back in the days and most games didn't really use more than 4GB of ram on games until game rendering got better as new games came out and the ddr3 ram requirements for some pc games were pushed to 6GB total but eventually 8GB of installed ram became the "16GB standard" for gaming back then. Now these days, depending on game and the how the system handles ram, we usually see ram usage between 4-7GB. The only times I've ever seen it 9GB of ram usage (from the game alone) are games that are on early access and poorly optimized. If you have a decent graphics card, vram will take more of the brunt and your pc will use ram as necessary. I only speak from experience but I've been gaming since the 90s and honestly? 16GB of ram is plenty...
Better_North3957@reddit
Late, but yes. Exhibit A: Oblivion Remastered with 32GB RAM recommended.
AsoftDolphin@reddit
I went to microcenter today
Going from a ryzen 5 2600 and 16 gb of ddr4 to a ryzen 7 5700x and 64 gb ddr4… wish me luck
Julian679@reddit
Depends on what you need but for high performance system usually yes. I find 16 sufficient for most things i do (i dont use much ram) But sometimes i do need more so i have 24. Its plenty of headroom nost of the time and i never run out. But for new system? 2x16 just makes more sense
Lucky-Tell4193@reddit
Yes a year ago 16gb was the way to go and now 32 or even 48 gb
Lucky-Tell4193@reddit
Yes
_9Pr@reddit
Well i think yeah im getting ddr5 64 gb of ram
Known-Dragonfruit763@reddit
Yes, simply because it doesnt even cost that much more than 16gb
Deviouszs@reddit
I just bought 64gb and said yolo.
EggzNBaccy@reddit
Yes.
Economy-Force-9014@reddit
yep, I'd wager 32gb was a good idea 3 years ago
HOLYCRAPGIVEMEANAME@reddit
Last time I checked, ram was pretty cheap. No reason not to.
PapaDeejay@reddit
Yes
ime1em@reddit
32 gb is just right for modern game IMO. MSFS 2024 says 64 GB is ideal.
https://www.reddit.com/r/flightsim/comments/1fkms9m/msfs_2024_system_requirements/
SuculantWarrior@reddit
Streets of Tarkov needs 64GB with it being so poorly optimized.
hillaryatemybaby@reddit
Looks like I get to fill my 2 empty ram slots soon!
FaZeSmasH@reddit
Most modern games recommend 16 gigs, msfs is an outlier
Futuredanish@reddit
I use 64gb now. I have gone over 32gb many times. Absentmindedly having a ton of tabs open in Firefox will eat a TON of ram.
ime1em@reddit
Does your tabs ever refresh by itself? Mine on rare occasions it does even though I'm even at 50% ram usage
Overall-Emergency-61@reddit (OP)
Yeah I get that 32GB is becoming the standard, but 64GB seens to be what 32GB meant to be when 16GB were the standard dont you think? Unless you actually need to run multiple applications and programs at the same time without loss of performance, I guess...
ime1em@reddit
Yea I would say so. For me only 2 games I play that I notice my total ram usage is 16 GB or more: Remnant 2 and Ready or Not.
Back in 2023, I picked 32 GB of ram instead of 64 because I figured that extra ~$100 CAD would be better used towards the GPU. I could have afforded it but I didn't think it was worth it for what I was doing. If it was cheaper, then I would have gotten 64 gb.
If you are a frequent user of the High Sea and use "fitfemale", it definitely wuld advantage of the full 32 gb.
beirch@reddit
Hogwarts Legacy uses up to 22GB by itself, that game is crazy RAM intensive.
rory888@reddit
If you can afford it, get it
dudeAwEsome101@reddit
That is a fair assessment. I have 64GB and can use about 19GB when playing with some Chrome tabs opened with other background apps. It is not that games are using more RAM per se, but Windows and other programs are more memory hungry nowadays.
E206J9@reddit
Someone once told me that RAM is like a table in which you put your software on, so the bigger the table the easier for you to retrieve the software, instead of you have to look for it inside the drawers. So for me 32 GB is standard.
corey-vale@reddit
So I'm not as technical with computers as i once thought.
I've just built my custom PC & now wanna start upgrading already. I'm running a 4070Ti Super, with 16gb corsair vengeance DDR5 (2X8GB). Would upgrading to 32gb really help? If so, how? FPS? Managing higher quality Ray tracing? Games i play atm can run real high textures & fps @4K. But i feel it could squeeze out more. My AM5 processor is also the 7600 & contemplating the 7800X3D.
I'm all up for upgrades but if I'm spending like £600 for an extra 3% FPS, doesn't seem worth it
Da_Konsept@reddit
I use my gaming Alienware for some day to day stuff too. If you even have Discord and Slack running (where I have some homework discussion groups) that's easily a couple of gigs used there itself. Plus at least 100 odd Chrome tabs for research stuff (papers and browsing). Windows 11 comes with Phone Link, which I personally feel is kinda useful, but that eats background memory too.
And, of course, nothing eats RAM quite like IntelliJ Idea.
The astute reader will note that I've not even mentioned memory used by games xD .
Seriously, go with 32, if you can afford it.
PilbusHarth@reddit
Yes get it. I just went from 16 to 32 and it fixed all my gaming issues.
Deltrus7@reddit
Lol I just upgraded to 64gb. 32gb isn't a ton of money and if you have the spare change, I say go for it.
FiyaGrandMastah@reddit
On my repairs, as long as you have:
-8gb to run the OS (Win 10 and 11) and basic games -16gb for low to medium game running -32gb and up for ultra gaming
I have 12gb (roast me all you want, Philippine PC budgeting is tight as a first time IT employee, bills to pay and all) could run Genshin and TF2 in low.
A-namethatsavailable@reddit
32 is fine. I went to 64 because 3 games I played would use almost all the 32gb, now that I have 64, my usage in those games sits at like 35 or something. Depends entirely on what YOU need.
Standard-Judgment459@reddit
when i was gaming at 4k 16gb would stutter for me big time once i went to 32gb ram 4k gaming became playable no doubt, i also do game design and 64gb is decent for now may go 128gb for UNITY game design
Any_Internet6100@reddit
Depends on what you’re doing with your pc. For a while I gamed on a laptop with 16gb of ram and in ram-heavy games like cities skylines I was frequently maxing out my system memory. My new build has 32gb of ram and I have no more bottlenecks.
Salty_Ambition_7800@reddit
IMO 16gb is perfectly fine for 95+% of games. That being said more RAM is always better, but 16gb will do well.
braindeadguild@reddit
I have 192gb now! And it’s not overkill I sit around 60-80% usage most days. Granted I’m doing game design and have unreal AND UEFN open at the same time plus a million and a half tabs.
Heck my ryzen 7 1800x is like 8 years old and it kept going because I built it with 64 back then. It’s now happily running for my son. The thing with ram is if you think of your computers operating like a desk, ram is the stuff you can put on your shelf in front of you, you can get to it very quickly and the larger the shelf the more stuff you can concurrently be defending or working on. Your SSD is like the drawer in your desk, close, fast but not as fast as grabbing the stuff from the shelf. Your spinning rust HDD is like an old metal filing cabinet out back, yeah good luck getting those old important docs in a hurry :) oh and the top of the desk is kinda like your CPU the more cores is a bigger desk space so you can work on the same stuff t the same time. When buying memory make sure to get a decent brand, if your bookshelf is wobbly and things fall off of it or you overload it and it crashes off the wall you’ll have a bad time.
aplethoraofpinatas@reddit
For normal usage, 32GB seems a current high water mark. For folks doing a variety of things more RAM is a sweet addition. Sure, I'll take a 48GB compressed tmpfs for development!
singelingtracks@reddit
With chrome open and a game 16gb will get used up.
32 is almost needed. Well worth it . I just upgraded mine as I was hitting the 16gb and having slow downs , now it's smooth.
Akihisho@reddit
I just went to 64 😂😂😂😂
CthulhuPalMike@reddit
Try to see if the site you bought your first 16gb from.
I ended up finding the exact same DDR4 16gb RGB ram I ordered 2 years ago. It was being sold for $20 less than I payed last time. So I doubled my RagB ram for about 42 bucks.
dfm503@reddit
For any new build That doesn’t have a really tight budget, I recommend 32gb now.
Overall-Emergency-61@reddit (OP)
I mean, yes i guess the more the better. The only thing i would think about is if there will be a bottleneck in your system, because if your other pieces aren't fast enough, then there is a waste of resources
R3xz@reddit
I certainly wouldn't worry about bottlenecking, it's such a loaded term now a day, especially when use in the context of RAM. I'm not saying more RAM is bad, but depending on what you're doing, it might be unnecessary. RAM is always last on the priority list for me personally. Most people advocating for more RAM wouldn't even notice the difference between 32 and 64gb unless they're the type with the resource window on all the time, but hey, big number good! xD
rory888@reddit
People on pc hardware reddits are not most people.
You’ll know when your shit hangs or crashes lol
R3xz@reddit
I would honestly challenge that people here get shit wrong all the time, me included. This isn't a bastion of tech nerds who study shop all day long and work with computer hardware as a profession. A good portion of people here building and upgrading their PC are just your average gamers, and the biggest fallacy people tend to fall trap to recommending people hardware to meet a very arbitrary benchmark, when the more important question people should be asking is "is the upgrade necessary for how I use my computer?" and the answer can differ depending on the individuals.
Fuck the benchmark, everyone should have their own benchmark, and only they can answer that for themselves. If they can't because they're not tech savvy enough, then sharing good details about their use case and hardware would give people better constructive advice compared to a lot of generic answers you see in a thread like this.
iceandfire9199@reddit
This sub gives such bad advice consistently because of hive mind mentality it’s astonishing. They don’t even read people’s use case that will be in the post and start giving terrible recommendations. Yesterday a guy was asking if he was okay with a 1000w psu he already had for a 4070ti super and people are like no get a 750 yeah it may be overkill but it will not be a problem.
rory888@reddit
It all depends on the usecase, but the cultural demands of technology march on, because we get greedier as hw improves and take more advantage of it.
Currently for most people, its 32. Certainly we have had cultural shifts where everyone streams and occasionally video edits now instead of pure gaming. Our simulation games have grown in size and complexity too ( msfs, tarkov, cities skyline, etc ) It’ll likely increase further with both ram and vram as AI and other usescases are implemented and integrated into culture.
You’re free to use a mobile dumbphone, but even those use text and you need text messaging for day to day operations confirming accounts for authentication and the like unless you want to wait weeks for snail mail letter authentication ( no one wants to ).
Our appetites grow. Personally, I have witnessed Rimworld chug 40 gigabytes ( Yes I have a lot of mods and big colonies ) of ram alone… and the base game is less than a gigabyte of storage.
The benchmark of crashing and chugging is an obvious one. You’ve long since needed more ram long before reaching that threshold
Low-Opportunity6158@reddit
I edit videos in Adobe Premiere, use a lot of demanding plugins and audio processing on the master channel, and my RAM literally flies away in a couple of minutes, I would take 32 GB without hesitation right now, I don’t play games, you need gotta get your paper right now you know what I mean
the_Q_spice@reddit
Yeah, totally depends on what the PC will be used for.
For general gaming, 32 is about the max you would ever need - developers don’t really make games that hog more than that because accessibility = more sales.
That being said, I have 64, but mainly due to using ArcGIS a lot, which doesn’t have a cap for its memory buffer. Basically, if you have the RAM, it will use it - and it uses a ton of highly intensive CPU-bound processing (IE Kriging and other 2D or 3D interpolations).
Heck, most high end computation is actually done on supercomputers - so the sky’s the limit on a PC to get the best possible performance.
R3xz@reddit
Then that your specific use case, where you'd need plenty of RAM! I would always advocate for more RAM if you use your PC for media production and work related tasks, ya don't got time to wait around!
rory888@reddit
Video editing. ai, etc are becoming increasingly common. Its just a fact that culture is adapting to taking advantage of the hardware we have
beragis@reddit
AI is dependent more on graphics card VRAM. At the moment 12GB looks to be the minimum for LLM’s and 16GB or more is preferred. Which is why there was a lot of negative comments earlier in the year when the 5090 was rumored to have the same 24GB as the 4090, and all of a sudden the comments are more positive when the current rumors are 32GB. 32GB VRAM won’t make much of a difference in gaming but will in AI
R3xz@reddit
It was ages ago when I was lending out my CPU's processing power for the protein folding program. At that time I was definitely thinking about how a hacker can "borrow" your computer to do a similar thing but for their own purpose. A few weeks ago my friend complained about having to eliminate a malware on his computer draining his resources when he wasn't actively using it, probably from a cryptojacker mining bitcoin using his computer.
All this ain't new, it just we notice it more now as the tech we have are increasingly more powerful, and power is susceptible to corruption and manipulation by others.
VitalityAS@reddit
Laughs in Streets of tarkov.
MrRoflmajog@reddit
Yeah they wouldn't notice a difference between 32 and 64, but there is a good chance they would between 16 and 32 which is what the question is about. I can hit about 20gb used fairly easily which means it's good to have more than 16 but 64 is overkill.
Smauler@reddit
Bottlenecking has always been a loaded term. It entirely depends what you're doing, and what resolution you're doing it at.
As an example, I've got an ancient system, 6600K, 1080gtx. Forza 5 is "bottlenecked" by my CPU on my monitor (1080p, 144hz), and "bottlenecked" by my GPU on my TV (4k, 60hz).
It still runs decently on both, though, which I'm happy enough with with an 8 year old system.
DesTiny_-@reddit
It really depends on ur tasks. For max FPS in competitive online games faster 16 gig ram might be a better option than "slower" 32gb kit, on the other hand AVG pc user/gamer would probably benefit from extra ram to have browser/discord and other stuff in background all the time while gaming. Surely if u can get 32gb kit with good chips it would be preferred especially if u know how to OC ram or willing to learn.
semidegenerate@reddit
A 32GB kit of DDR5 (2x16) will be faster than a 16GB kit (2x8). 8GB sticks of DDR5 use four x16 chips vs eight x8 chips on the 16GB sticks. It has a serious performance impact.
64GB kits, and above, is where you have a slow down due to having multiple ranks per channel, which is harder on the memory controller, and can't clock as high.
32GB DDR5 kits (2x16) are the optimal configuration for performance.
DesTiny_-@reddit
So now u are talking about dual rank ram vs single ram while I only touched memory chip ability to work on higher clocks and lower timings.
semidegenerate@reddit
8GB DDR5 sticks do not clock higher than 16GB sticks. 8GB DDR5 sticks cannot achieve tighter timings than 16GB sticks. 8GB sticks only use 4 ICs (memory chips) per stick, and therefore have only half the number of bank groups, limiting their bandwidth and performance.
DDR4 had 8GB sticks with a full 8 ICs per stick. DDR5 does not.
DesTiny_-@reddit
I do know that, but op never mentioned he wants 16 gigs of DDR5. Also when in comes to DDR5 12 gig sticks also only come with 4 memory chips while 24gig comes with 8 (aka dual rank). So my main concern was that in budget system for let's say valorant I would suggest ram with better oc ability (like hynix c die chips) instead of worse chips like hynix m die but with higher capacity.
VenditatioDelendaEst@reddit
I don't think 12 GiB sticks even exist.
Ram overclocking is complicated and labor-intensive enough that if you have to ask, you shouldn't do it. Assuming you care if your computer actually works and keeps working.
rory888@reddit
Average gamer is also streaming now a days, whether sending or receiving
SwordsAndElectrons@reddit
This is a workload question. The impact of 16GB vs. 32GB has little to do with the rest of your components and everything to do with whether you will actually use more than 16GB of RAM. You aren't realistically going to use a processor that is so slow that working from a swapfile is just as fast as having the data you need in physical memory.
Assuming you are using DDR5 in a new build, you also generally want to avoid 8GB modules. They have lower bandwidth due to the way they are built. 2x16GB is really the sweet spot for DDR5 right now.
scraglor@reddit
You will have bottlenecks at 16gb now. I did recently and upgraded to 32gb and fixed
CuriousNebula43@reddit
I got 32GB on a new PC build recently and now I’m regretting not going 64GB. I’ve noticed my system regularly sitting at 25GB+ memory usage.
CuriosityBoie@reddit
That’s because the more you have, the more it’ll use. With 64 it’ll be sitting at a higher usage with the same programs
CuriousNebula43@reddit
Sure, I get that, but there have actually been times when I capped out 32GB of RAM and start having system issues. It has something to do with Chrome not knowing when to reduce memory usage.
R3xz@reddit
If it makes you feel any better, you'd likely see your system hogging the ram just as much, if not, more, if you were to upgrade to 64gb right now. RAM is meant to be filled up, that's not a bad thing, that's what it's supposed to do by design. Data sitting in your RAM pool are there for your computer to quickly access when needed. If you have a lot of RAM but its utilization is constantly at a low %, then it means you're doing jack shit without any apps opened, and you spent money on RAM that's not doing anything important.
dfm503@reddit
More never hurts anything except the wallet. Haha
MarcTheCreator@reddit
To be honest, I only did 32gb on my new build because I had 16gb (DDR3) and just wanted a bigger number.
But I also remember paying twice as much for it back when I built my 1060 rig because there was a big RAM shortage. I got my 1060 for $250 (late 2016/early 2017) but the cost of the RAM made up for the deal.
My advice now is always get as much as you are willing to spend.
Living_Unit@reddit
I went 2x16GB
My father made a comment about not using all the ram slots for funky lights. so i bought another kit..
gundam538@reddit
I agree get as much as you can afford up to your systems max which frequently tops at 126GB. Since 32GB is the new standard I would consider at least 64GB especially for gamers and content creators. That would give you a nice buffer for now till 64GB becomes the new normal.
Seems like every 5-10 years the recommended amount of ram doubles. Not too long ago 16GB was recommended and before that 8GB was.
rory888@reddit
Right, global nand has since had gluts and now stablized
Golfing-accountant@reddit
I mean you can go 32. I went 64 and I’m sure there are people with 128. It’s all about what you want to spend and what you want to do.
Real-Chocolate-4370@reddit
My motto is. If you have to ask, do it.
rednecktendency@reddit
$100 for 32gb is the cheapest part of a build
TrainerCeph@reddit
honestly after seeing Civ 6s max requirements i wouldnt even say 64gb is overkill anymore.
KuruptAura@reddit
I'm sitting at 48gb available and I still get anxiety when nothing is open and %10 of it is being used like tf
MicJagger_@reddit
It is a better choice overall not just for amount, but also for performance if you're on DDR5
If you buy an 8gb stick, it loses a ton of bandwidth due to chip placement, so no running 2x8gb because it'll neuter performance
If you run one 16gb stick, it loses a ton of bandwidth due to running in single channel
With the price is DDR5 6000 MT/s CL30 being less than $100 in some cases, it's so hard to justify losing 5-30% gaming performance by saving up to $50 in RAM by buying less or slower modules when you can so easily just get a good kit and do so much better
Whatdoyouknow04@reddit
Thinking about going up to either 46 or 64 from my 32gb
eulynn34@reddit
Why not? 16GB of ram is like $40-$70. It's probably more than you need immediately and if your budget is really tight, maybe that money is better spent on another component like the CPU or GPU-- but 32 should be good for a while.
I have 64GB on my main machine. I like to work with large images and I don't like to run out of memory.
thebendystraww@reddit
32 is the new 16
SeriousBike3429@reddit
Personally my next build I’ll be using either 48 or 64gb of ram just to be more future proof. I currently have 32 and no problems running out yet. But still.
awdrifter@reddit
Yes, 32gb should be the minimum for a gaming PC. Even consoles have 16GB of RAM now.
do_you_know_de_whey@reddit
16gb is still fine, but if you keep your system for a good bit of time doing 32 from the start isn’t a bad idea. Also if you ever do rendering or professional workloads 32gb can help as well….
xantiacx@reddit
16gb is enough for today games. It´s just false that 32 is the "new standard". Better throw your money in others components of your system
jambalaya004@reddit
You’d be fine with 16, but you would be pushing it when it comes to modern gaming or serious software development. 32GB of RAM is super cheap these days anyways so you might as well buy it low while you can. You will also have growing room for evolving tech that, sooner rather than later, will require more resources.
anon68444@reddit
Yes, go with 32. Hell, with the price of ram, I've been building all my friends and family computers with 32 for basic browsing. Gaming systems have been getting 64 and I bumped my latest personal build to 128 (although I have a known Chrome tab problem).
FitOutlandishness133@reddit
At least. I have 64
Hejsek10@reddit
Yes
Moist-Chip3793@reddit
I thought I was good with my 32GB, until I saw the recommended specifications for MSFS2024 ...
El_Badassio@reddit
When it comes to RAM, 2x the standard is the sweet spot for me. Games run problem free, and you don’t need to worry about shutting apps down before gaming. Hibernation is easier, VMs can be run, etc. 64GB would be better, but 32 will do. 16 will make things hard for you.
Adderall_Rant@reddit
More more more. 64 minimum
countsachot@reddit
Yes.
CMDRCoveryFire@reddit
Repeat after me you buy as much RAM as you can afford on your budget.
Apprehensive_Row_161@reddit
Yes. I would never go back to 16
Fatal_Syntax_Error@reddit
64GIG of the fastest low lat. Ramz you can afford.
Zip zip zoooom
6thMagnitude@reddit
As long as your computer supports it, go for it! Just make sure you check the memory type your computer uses.
User5281@reddit
That seems like the right amount of overkill
stiwenparker@reddit
It really depends, but assuming you got the money and you are a gamer then it might come in handy indeed. I can think of dozen of professional uses that could've needed more than 16 too. For me personally 32GB is definitely new standard as I use Unreal Engine or fiddle with local LLMs
Navonod_Semaj@reddit
Running at 128GB these days, because why the FUCK not? I have the slots, I'ma use em!
PolyHertz@reddit
32GB is the standard for a gaming PC these days.
16GB will cause performance issues in quite a few modern games (Hogwarts Legacy, Starfield, Dragons Dogma II, etc. all use more then 16GB at high settings).
xX_Radium_Xx@reddit
Man 32gb isn’t enough for me and I pretty much just game. Tarkov likes to eat my ram 😔
EveryNameEverMade@reddit
Hogwarts was the first one that came to my mind too 😂 legit uses ever last drop of RAM. Still plays great with minimum stutters and what not but I wonder how it would play without that bottleneck of system RAM
volnas10@reddit
I got 32 GB of RAM, 24 GB of VRAM and HL just won't go over 90 FPS no matter what I do lmao. GPU around 60% usage. Talk about dogshit optimization.
beragis@reddit
I played the game at ultra high settings and thought that it has decidedly mediocre visuals for such hefty requirements
Emergency_Lunch_3931@reddit
microsoft simulitor is 64GB
nguyen2111@reddit
Why not, my window 11 takes 60% of ram lol. 32gb will be enough for the next following year.
KILLERFROST1212@reddit
I had an old pc with 32 he ddr 3 I almost fil up the ram usage but now I have. 64 ddr 4 I come no where close to using it all but I do use up a good bit of ram multi tasking
CecilTheLt@reddit
Is it wrong I think that is more vital to have over a 4080?
I have 64gbs and honestly I think it carries the system to my satisfaction
DavidJH316@reddit
I’d recommend at least 32GB for any purpose, gaming or otherwise. I’d also say for the best experience in gaming (if you can afford it obviously), i’d even recommend 64GB. Whether you decide to go with 32 or 64, i’d say that 16 is definitely not the way to go
DirectionFabulous357@reddit
Atm, we don't need 32 GB RAM for any game but if you want to be future proof then sure go for it.
Games like Jedi Survivor uses as much resources as available on your system. I have 32 GB RAM it was using 29GB but I've seen for other people that it uses around 20 GB for some and runs ok on 16 GB as well SImilar stuff goes for VRAM as well
iammayashah@reddit
in my own personal experience 16gb is more than enough, and yeah if it is that much urgent maybe go with it but if you are worried with expenses you can wait for 3-4 years i guess !! Most games require 12gb RAM to run at ultra !! so it shouldn't be that much of a problem in my opinion !!
bubblesmax@reddit
Depends on what graphics your gaming at. Native 4K yeah 32 GB's is relevant.
Anything less nah.
No_Resolution_9252@reddit
16 gb is not adequate. I would call 32 the bare minimum and it certainly wont future proof your machine out to what it is probably not going to make it through its whole life before it starts hitting memory contention. If you can, go 64, but 16 to 32 should be done without even thinking about it
eggnoxxes@reddit
Go for 32 GB, it's cheap nowadays
SleepBringsRelease@reddit
Minimum imo
fourflatyres@reddit
My 32gb gaming system is going to 64 tomorrow, because I felt like it.
It almost certainly won't perform any better but this much RAM would have been wishful thinking a few years ago and I wanted to at least say I had done it.
My other four PCs are all at 16 and work fine.
BarberThen3108@reddit
always
Criss_Crossx@reddit
I typically consider RAM under $100 cheap, at or under $200 a good deal, and above that a premium option (speed/quality/quantity).
Price out 64gb and decide if that fits your budget.
Memory has also fluctuated in price quite a bit over the years. In DDR3 days, costs doubled for a while. I was glad to pickup an extra 8gb at an affordable price when I didn't need the extra space.
It took over a year for prices to drop again.
Lesson is, get it while you can for a good price!
Ghostrider215@reddit
32GB has pretty much become the minimum IMHO. Some games will take up substantial RAM just to operate. Take Starfield for example, using over 10GB just to run the game. Having only 16GB in this scenario doesn’t leave much room for other background system apps or 3rd party apps like Discord. Do yourself a favour and get 32GB and if you can afford it, go for 64GB.
RDOG907@reddit
Get 32GB don't even think about 16
Laughing_Orange@reddit
For gaming, I say 16GB of system RAM is the bare minimum these days, only for low-end builds. If you can fit 32GB into your budget without major cuts elsewhere, I recommend going for that.
Bront20@reddit
New build? 32 minimum.
Existing PC? If 16 isn't slowing you down, you're probably fine.
TechsupportThrw@reddit
Windows gets more and more inefficient and bloated as time goes by, so 32gb is a safe bet to make sure that nothing's tanking your memory
T0astyMcgee@reddit
You should. The new Civ 7 requirements came out and if you want to run ultra, they recommend 32. The days of 32 are upon us. RAM is dirt cheap. It’s not going to cost much more to get the extra 16.
IamSanch1@reddit
Istg i just opened 6 tabs of edge + spotify + wallpaper engine + other things and its already taking up 14gb/16gb of my ram i guess u go for 32
Taurondir@reddit
These days, other then because of PRICE, I would just stick 64 GB in any new PC. It will generally just behave better between reboots because the OS can just more easily assign whatever it needs to assign because there is more spare memory, and simply because modern programs are build shoddily with no interest in making them behave better.
I have 48 GB in an older DDR4 machine that sits at 50% usage just booting up minimal stuff in Win10. It does not mean that "24 gigs are vital to everything running in the OS" it just means that it has put that in use because it can, and it's just browsers/discord/razer software/etc/Steam/etc.
Firefox is saying 1.5GB, Steam is 1.2GB, Chrome (one video window) on 900MB, Discord 580MB, DropBox 350MB (>400MB with other subprocesses), Steam Client Webhelper 268MB, and that's just some of the most common and larger ones.
NZT23@reddit
32gb is actually overkill, but since there is no ram size in between 16gb and 32gb of ram without mismatching and worrying compatibility issue, it is the best bet. 16gb not enough for sure.
utahh1ker@reddit
Yes. 32GB is minimum for me. You can do so much more with more RAM nowadays especially if you're doing multimedia work.
Rasp75@reddit
I just upgraded my teenager's computer to 64 from 16 as he would have a couple of games running as well as 30 tabs open on Chrome. He was using 32 of it the other day.
diffraa@reddit
The difference is 100% noticeable. 32 to 64 is as well.
PadPoet@reddit
I always doubled the RAM that was recommended at any given point in time if I could afford it. It’s better to have more and have it sitting unused that have less. Go with 64gb if you can, Windows is getting really demanding with all the processes running. You can always unbloat your system using a script like the Chris Titus one but it’s always good to have more RAM for productivity tasks or for multiplayer games with a lot of people playing at the same time or lots of things happening in general. Don’t forget a lot of stuff nowadays is very unoptimized so again, it helps.
IkOzael@reddit
96GB is where it's at!
Any_System_148@reddit
done it last year cause of hogwarts legacy.
Mrcod1997@reddit
I'd say 32gb is to 16 gb what 16gb was to 8gb 5 years ago. You are fine with 16 still, but 32 gives more headroom for multitasking and particularly demanding games. 32 is the new standard unless on a budget. 64 is overkill for gaming.
icedrift@reddit
To be completely honest I've had 16 gig and a fast CPU for 4 years and not once has it ever felt sluggish. My typical setup has stuff like Spotify, VSCode, Discord, Chrome (15+ tabs), SQL DB viewer, League/Valorant, OBS and other miscellaneous stuff open constantly. It's never a bad thing to have more ram but if you're noticing poor performance on 16 gigs don't upgrade unless you're certain RAM is the bottleneck.
Dtoodlez@reddit
Same. I’m completely baffled by anyone here saying you need 32.
pacoLL3@reddit
Same. Reading these comments makes me feel i live in a parallel dimension to reddit. 16GB, multitasking + gaming, had not the tiniest issue so far.
ThugLifeDrPhil@reddit
Yes
Cockney_Gamer@reddit
MSFS24 is asking for 64gb so I’m expecting 32gb will become more ppopular soon enough
grammar_mattras@reddit
I think that the vast majority of people wouldn't feel the difference between 16 and 32gb, unless on a 1500+ euro build.
"yeah everything took up over 16gb", yeah it does because you have 32 not because it needs it...
Many games can recognise how much ram you have, and they'll use it to prebuffer things you might need if there's that much spare. But if you have stuff stored on a blazing fast m.2 ssd then there won't be any buffering regardless.
I do have to admit that I'm also a bit of a background killer. I don't use discord, I don't use recording software and I only use one tab for background music. Because I kill everything extra my stock windows runs at about 2.5gb of ram. I don't remember ever being at more than 12gb all things included.
I also remember Linus tech tips doing a ram test 2-3 years ago, partly because everyone was all over the place on this, and they found that back then on 90% of the games having dual channel 8gb was enough ram, and they found more cases where 16gb was faster then where 32 were faster (more ram is more strain on the memory chip so it is marginally more strain).
It's been a couple years, so I'd say we've definitely gone into the "most games will be slowed by 8gb" era, but it'll be a couple more years before 16gb is going to be a bottleneck.
If you have to choose between 16gb 6000mhz cl30 memory, or 32 gb 5200 cl26, I guarantee the 16gb will outperform the 32gb kit in 99% of games (there's always that one game). 32gb ram doesn't become necessary until you play that one game, you also record your gameplay, you stream or you do other work with the computer on the side that needs ram.
My last argument: game requirements often closely mimic the hardware requirements that consoles are offering, as that dictates a large market to aim for. The ps5 pro, that will go on sale next month, only has 16gb of shared memory between cpu and gpu. Depending on the game, the gpu/cpu split can vary by a lot, but 16gb is still the hard limit. Playstation also offers recording features, so you won't be running into ram issues for an entire console generation.
knuttella@reddit
32 gb, no cap
ddr5 may be more expensive but ddr4 is dirt cheap now
EnvironmentalAsk3531@reddit
Just go 64 gb and stop thinking everyday
Difficult_Bag_3032@reddit
F it. Go for 128gb :)))
LexiusCoda@reddit
For a gaming PC on Windows 11? It's the standard.
For a non gaming PC, 16 is still the standard.
Blows my mind that they still sell laptops and desktops with only 8gb. My work laptop uses over 9gb on idle.
SkySquid-@reddit
Go for it . I got 64 , for me, that's perfect because I somehow idle at 12 and use like 40 when doing things . Devs really don't know how to optimize for shit
RepairElegant9316@reddit
Does ram speed matter? Is ram speed more important or the amount of ram more important?
VitalityAS@reddit
32 is the old 16. Every ram hungry game will want minimum 32gb. There are not that many ram hungry games, but it's still worth it.
Straight-Edge-712@reddit
Go for 64 don’t let life limit you
Taskr36@reddit
Yes, you should. 16GB is what I'd call the minimum for any functional machine at this point, even for basic office use. You can game OK with it, but "OK" is really not good enough for most gaming, and pretty soon, it won't be OK with the way Windows keeps getting more and more bloated.
CaptainChadwick@reddit
Always
myenters69@reddit
In my experience using spreadsheet software or web apps, 32 is minimum, 64 is recommended.
Dead1yNadder@reddit
If you have money to spare then go for 32GB of RAM. It really depends on how you intend to use your PC. Some games demolish 16GB, especially with other programs open (Discord, Web Browser, etc), but many games don't.
emilguss@reddit
I've regularly seen games alone use 13 gigs or more of ram.
Sukasmodik4206942069@reddit
Yes my entire pc was so happy when I went to 32gb. The difference was massive!
tomosh22@reddit
Yes
Kamyarisjusthere@reddit
32gb is enough anything over it overkill the median now is 24gb 16gb is too low for the newer games whilst 32 gb is too much for the slightly older titles
Jack_intheboxx@reddit
Currently on 16gb and wanting to upgrade I was thinking add 32gb to have 48gb but I think I'm just gonna go 64gb and leave it.
sebmojo99@reddit
16gb is fine, I'd get 32 if I was building today because it's generally easiest to start with the right amount
jmparker1980@reddit
32gb is a good safe bet. I have to run 64gb because of various flight Sims I mess with
justa-Possibility@reddit
2x16 =32 is actually recommended for gaming nowadays. There is no such thing as overkill!
RepulsiveSong2048@reddit
I get up to 16GBs playing some games so absolutely
SunshineAndBunnies@reddit
Get 32GB.
spookytomtom@reddit
Yes
notthatguypal6900@reddit
RAM is cheap, might as well unless your budget is super tight.
e-hud@reddit
So I went with 64GB (4x 16GB) back in 2019 when I built my latest rig. Since then I've had one stick die. Now I'm back to only 32GB and it's not really enough. Though I am running x299 so quad channel RAM is much nicer than dual channel.
I'd say just go straight to 64GB.
SeafoodDuder@reddit
The difference in price between like 16 GB and 32 GB has gotten much smaller. It's like a difference of $20-$40 depending on if you want basic or ARGB.
GrayPsyche@reddit
Absolutely. Get 64gb if you can for future proofing as well.
Right now, opening the browser and some apps, my 16gb RAM is 70% filled.
DemolitionBen@reddit
You don't need it.
Spend the money on the GPU or for a nice mechanical keyboard instead.
jbg0801@reddit
To be honest it depends what you want to do.
About 10-ish years ago, 4 was standard, 8 was overkill. Then it became 8 standard, 16 overkill. Now it's 16 standard with 32GB being the "overkill" option (I.e. not necessary but a good upgrade)
I meanwhile escalated this a bit too far and bought 128GB (but in fairness I'm a software engineer constantly bouncing around several virtual machines and all sorts of other programs so I unironically find a use for a ton of that RAM)
Dr_JackaI@reddit
No, go 64 GB
REALISTone1988@reddit
At a minimum 32gb, if you do the want to replace it in a year or two, go for 64gb
beatool@reddit
I'm on DDR4 still, and my 16GB was causing me problems-- A couple gigs into SWAP and performance takes a huge shit.
DDR4 is cheap and my old stuff is slower than what you can buy now so I just bought 64. It was ~$90 and I moved my old ram into another system as a bonus.
DDR5 is double the cost, so I'd probably just get 32 on a modern build. It's plenty IMO.
phantom_eight@reddit
Absofuckinglutely.
In fact, 16GB RAM is now bare minimum for grandma, who opens her laptop only to check Facebook and the local newspapers website.
Don't care. Fight me about it.
Lolololol
PepperLuigi@reddit
yea
Let_There_Be_Pizza@reddit
32GB is minium nowadays. I mean it slso depends. Do you play the latest AAA games? Then its minimum. If you care for indie games, 16 is more than enough
OwlNightLong666@reddit
I run 32GB a couple of years already, I thought it is a requirement now.
obamaprism3@reddit
32gb feels like the new 16gb (imo)
I've been on 32gb for a while and it's not quite enough for me anymore
AY_YO_WHOA@reddit
Rocking 32gb DDR3 on a machine I built in 2016. No ragrets.
homiej420@reddit
Yeah dont listen to those nerds who are thinking of minmaxxing. If youre gonna run more than one program at a time 32 will pretty much guarantee that you will be able to without any issues.
16 with a game running and a chrome tab or 50 would choke very quickly
Fintara@reddit
I wish I could upgrade my rog ally to 32gb. Sometimes things start degrading if I have a game on and too many browser tabs open.
Coastal_wolf@reddit
Split the middle man and go 256GB
Cloudy-Pat@reddit
Nah, split that in half and go for 512GB.
Overall-Emergency-61@reddit (OP)
Can we get even higher!?!?
Fevis7@reddit
So High
Turbulent_Link1738@reddit
just stick an m.2 into your RAM slot
source: trust me bro
kick-the-bucket@reddit
Threadripper supports up to 2TB and Epyc up to 4TB
MehImages@reddit
newest epyc generation is 6TB per socket, so up to 12TB in a dual socket system
Far-Mountain-3412@reddit
2,048GB? 😝
xd_goofyTRON@reddit
4, 096
salmonmilks@reddit
Yottabyte ram incoming
BlackestNight21@reddit
we can take you higher
ArLOgpro@reddit
THE RAM IS REAL
xd_goofyTRON@reddit
Nah split that and do 1,024
flip314@reddit
640GB oughta be enough for anyone
aceridgey@reddit
The new Microsoft flight sims highest recommended specs is 64GB... I'm wondering myself whether to put a couple more 16gb of ram sticks to get there...
ForzaHoriza2@reddit
Hogwarts Legacy is the first game from my library that I saw go over 16GB, clocking in at a cool 20GB RAM usage
Cultural-Effective23@reddit
I would go with 64 GB if you keep more than 50 tabs open.
Altruistic_Koala_122@reddit
I feel like 32gb is becoming the new standard, but only if you do something high-end, run multiple programs, or play games with lots of mods.
UnkyHaroold@reddit
If I run FiveM and my normal backgrounds apps (Spotify, Discord, a browser tab or two, etc) I use as much as 80% of my 32GB of RAM. It can be pretty easy to use a ton of ram now tbh.
justbeastrz@reddit
im upgrading to 64gb but 32 still works (not for tarkov tho)
Genzo99@reddit
No need for 32 GB purely for normal gaming. Just nice to have especially if you run a lot of extensive stuff in the background while gaming. Or if you are playing heavily modded games.
GodsIWasStrongg@reddit
You just dun feel like spelling out don't?
GodsIWasStrongg@reddit
I've got 64. 32 GB is probably a good spot. I was updating from 16, so thought why not? I don't think it was that much more.
Tornadic_Catloaf@reddit
Yeah, we’re finally at an age where 32GB RAM can actually be useful. RAM is cheap too so why not.
spiral718@reddit
Yes. 2x16 CL30.
IamHim_Se7en@reddit
32GB overkill? Do you plan on playing Civ VII, when it comes out, on Ultra? If so, 32GB is the minimum. And I do not doubt that it will be the minimum for a great many new games coming out. On Ultra settings, at least.
Popular-Analysis-127@reddit
Go for 32 GB, especially with DDR5. A 16 GB DDR5 kit is significantly slower
https://www.techspot.com/article/2528-cheap-ddr5
"However, the 16Gb DDR5 x16 memory chips featured on 8GB DDR5 modules halve the banks to 16, which is the same number typically used by DDR4 memory. This will reduce memory bandwidth and can negatively influence performance"
Popular-Analysis-127@reddit
Wow someone downvoted my above comment.
I'm guessing it's someone that built a system using a 16 GB DDR5 kit that doesn't like the truth being pointed out that they made a suboptimal purchasing decision.
Responsible-Adults@reddit
Do it.
DeadPixel-_-@reddit
Yes 32 is becoming the new min in my opinion. The way they keep releasing games with such ass optimization. Or games like Tarkov have memory leaks and need over 32 sometimes.
blueberry-_-69@reddit
RAM is pretty cheap, get 32 gigs.
ScornedSloth@reddit
32gb is not overkill today. I have 32gb ddr5 in my desktop, and it sits at around 41% utilization with just doing normal, non-gaming tasks. When I load an intensive game, it jumps up to close to 50% (which would be close to 16gb) before settling down. The systems today do a good job of memory management, so I don’t think you would notice a difference in gaming performance with 16gb, but all that could change going forward, and for me, the price difference seems worth it for future-proofing.
Hiply@reddit
IMO - 32 gigs is now my floor for a build, not my ceiling. I have 32 gigs now but I imagine my next build will have 64. In the grand scheme of things, RAM's pretty affordable in the context of a new build - so I would say go for 32.
yogurtslurper@reddit
depends on budget and workload
Antilogic81@reddit
32 isn't overkill. If you use wallpaper engine or rain meter or some other unnecessary but cool functions while gaming with multiple monitors it will prevent some resource hunger between OS, desktop toys, and game. 16 is doable without extra desktop bells and whistles like live wallpaper and such.
Ok_Law2190@reddit
In this day and age 32gb should be standard for gaming rigs, but if you’re on a budget and really can’t go for the 32gb then 16 is fineeee
TheSeaLionCommander@reddit
32 is future proofing, you’ll be set for a good 20 years (provided your existing hardware doesn’t die by then)
MorpheusMKIV@reddit
I’m building new next year and I’m going 64gb.
Awesomevindicator@reddit
I would say 32gb is the minimum for a new build or an upgrade. At least if you intend to play newer AAA games while using other apps in the background. 16 still works for most people if that's all you have, but if you're buying new... Buy 32.
Karma0617@reddit
Yes
Zoratsu@reddit
Have you thought about 24GB (2x12GB) kits?
dulun18@reddit
32GB is ideal now a day especially if your GPU has only 8GB of VRAM
even 1080p some new titles can use up to 17-18GB of RAM if your GPU has only 8GB VRAM
insanekyo@reddit
I know most games say they only require 16gb but I've seen less stuttering and more smooth gameplay with 32gb. Perhaps it's just good to have a little extra so it's not constantly maxing out.
Vismajor92@reddit
I have 16 gb RAM, i play 3440x1440 triple AAA games and i never close a program before launch, so if your useage is casual you can spend the money elswhere. But if the budget is not thin i'd buy 32gbs for future proofing.
SkyMasterARC@reddit
Go in between 16 and 32 with 8 + 16 GB combo like certain laptops /s.
Yeah if cost isn't an issue 32 is the way to go. 16 is enough for gaming, if you wanna stream, record, keep lots of chrome tabs in the background it starts to struggle.
D365@reddit
For my latest AM4 build I returned 2 x 8GB sticks ($50) and replaced with 2 x 16GB ($75). A no-brainer for future-proofing.
Stargate476@reddit
Go for 32 definitely, its cheap, hell i just had to replace.my ram and went 64gb cause price was good
DiggingNoMore@reddit
I built my current machine in 2016. I has 32GB DDR4-3200. It was overkill then. It boggles my mind that, eight years later, so many people are still building machines with less.
YokinuTheShiba@reddit
I always tell people. 32gb is the new 16gb and 16gb is new 8gb
Hungry_Reception_724@reddit
16 is still fine. But given how big DDR5 DIMMs are now you would be hard pressed to find a new system that has only 16GB of RAM unless its just 1 stick.
A lot of games still only use about 8-12GB of RAM so 16 is enough until you start opening other things like a browser, discord etc. You can eat that up quickly but you probably wont notice to much of a slow down.
32GB would be the better option by far going forwards but if you already have 16gb in a system i would wait until you do a system refresh.
Major_E_Vader97@reddit
depends what you're going to play. if you're going to try max out the new flight sim 2024... 64gb will be your minimum
NobodyEsk@reddit
I need more than 32gb of ram for Cities skylines so you are good
Pericombobulator@reddit
I'd say 32GB should be the baseline for a decent PC now.
MS Flight 2024 has recommended 64GB for higher resolutions. Not that it uses that much. It just gives headroom for multitasking.
intrepidone66@reddit
I've got 64GB DDR5. Do I NEED it? No. Do I want it? Yes Why? Because it's cheap enough. So I bought it and installed it. Kinda like future proofing.
harrigan@reddit
Higher
Antique_Cranberry265@reddit
Honestly it's not really that necessary. It's only necessary if you're noticing your utilization is hitting like the 75-85% point, to make sure you've got headroom for future expenditures. Resources exist to be consumed. If you're gonna be sitting at 30% utilization if you upgrade to 32GB, that's a waste of money.
munky8758@reddit
Go higher so you can build an LLM
ModernUS3R@reddit
Go with 32gb. Even my laptop, which doesn't have a dgpu, has 32gb, and I run a vm or two on it easily with room for other programs.
My desktop currently has 16gb, and I hit the wall most of the time without doing anything heavy. So I have a 32gb kit on the way for it.
One blender file would eat that 16gb for breakfast with the programs at the back fighting for the leftover crumbs. By today's standard: 8 is the new 4, 16 is the new 8 and 32 the new 16. That's what it feels like.
Overall-Emergency-61@reddit (OP)
Yeah I guess so, in your situation there is not much salvation though, you must go for 32GB or even more to supply your demands.
In my case, I guess I'm kind of in the middle of everything. I dont use many programs that use a lot of memory right now, I may be finding myself working with some kind of AI development in the future though (and thats a hell of RAM consumption), but right now for my needs I guess i could go either ways and be happy with it. Of course 32GB is the way to go for better performance, but the question is: how much can I wait untill it turns out to be a necessity?
greggm2000@reddit
Idk about necessity, but Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (which comes out next month) has an “ideal” memory amount of 64GB. The difference in price between 32GB and 64GB pf DDR5-6000-CL30 is about $90, so if your budget is large enough that spending that won’t prevent you from getting a high-end CPU and GPU, then it might be worth considering.
ShowUsYaGrowler@reddit
This. I dunno why everyone is recommending 32gb. Just get 64 now unless youre on a tight budget. Upgrading can be a pain in the ass.
32gb is the ‘minimum’ now. Anything more than 64 for a gaming pc is overkill.
64gb is the ‘Im not on a tight budget and want to future proof my box’ number.
No_Share6895@reddit
yeah if i was building now id get 64GB. 32 is what i got cause of when i built but now days just do 64 and call it good
bow_down_whelp@reddit
64 is definitely a shout. I got 32 gig in 2019 cus anno 1800 and I'm still using it near 6 years later and still pushing max everything on 4k.
If you can get 2x32 I'd do it if the am5 board has the longevity that people claim it will have. Its nice to not have to check ram usage
NotTechBro@reddit
64 is shit for speeds, you’ll be getting noticeably lower performance than on 48 or 32.
KensonPlays@reddit
How so? I'm still on ddr4, but I have 64, 32 previously, and it seems to run things a fair bit better for me.
NotTechBro@reddit
witchofthewind@reddit
there's not much point going faster than DDR5-6000 unless you're using an iGPU, and 64GB DDR5-6000 works just fine.
KensonPlays@reddit
I mean, even with no games running, I'm using 40% just idle with netflix playing, 5 browser tabs, OneNote, Steam, and Discord.
NotTechBro@reddit
You’re definitely not using close to 40% of 32 or 64 GB doing that. It’s called allocation.
KensonPlays@reddit
¯_(ツ)_/¯ Task manager literally says 41%.
PsyOmega@reddit
I have a 32x2 kit of 6000c30. runs perfectly.
Can't speak to the Intel kits. this is on a 7800X3D
TransientEons@reddit
I'm running 6000 CL30 DDR5 64GB (2x32) without any problems. No tweaking or adjustments required, just turned on XMP.
NotTechBro@reddit
Good for you? I’m running 7200 CL 34 48 GB. As I said, you are running slower memory.
R3xz@reddit
For the OP you responded to, they might not even need to upgrade even with all the RAM being utilized. It's different for everyone. In most cases your RAM will get filled quite quickly anyway, that is its main job, to store data for retrieval that are less prioritized by the cache, if I get that right.
Whether or not your 16gb of RAM get filled isn't a strong indicator that you need more RAM, or that you're doing something that would require more RAM headroom. To be more specific you'd need to track processes that you are prioritizing and see whether or not they take up all the RAM usage AND if that's a detriment to performance significant enough (with vs without) to warrant upgrading for more RAM.
I have three important processes going right now, my browser (albeit shit's chromium), spotify, and syncing is going on in dropdox for a bunch of stuff, this is enough to fill up most of my RAM (80%+). Yet I just hopped off a game earlier with all of these opened and it didn't affect my performance in the game much, not enough for me to be like "Oh I need to close all these stuff in the background". I don't live in that era anymore with my computer, your PC and all the apps you use are smart enough to adjust themselves depending on what you're doing, not like a decade ago where you'd need to be vigilant about your RAM usage.
Long story short. unless I'm specifically looking to run applications and games that are specifically designed with high RAM utilization, I wouldn't sweat it much. RAM is so easy to upgrade in a desktop PC so I typically only do it when I know for a fact that I could use more, not to future proof, but that's just me. If it makes you feel better, go for it, but objectively speaking if it's not hindering your day-to-day use case right now, then you're fine with what you have currently. If you know you will definitely need more later, then perhaps you can watch the market for a good deal meanwhile.
OneIndependencee@reddit
32 is minimum, I'll go to 64. So don't buy 4x16, buy 2x32 modules, so you could upgrade in the future
ecktt@reddit
24GB is the sweet spot but impractical to buy since you would need 4 RAM slot and have to run lower memory speeds.
Making 32GB the better option.
Bust3r14@reddit
This. 24GB is enough for any game and a second monitor, but they don't sell 12GB DIMMs, so you can't take advantage of dual channel. 2x16GB is the go to these days, and will be for I'd say until 2028+.
chanchan05@reddit
Amazon.in: Buy Crucial DRAM 12GB DDR5 5600MHz (or 5200MHz or 4800MHz) Laptop Memory CT12G56C46S5 Online at Low Prices in India | Crucial Reviews & Ratings
Seems they do sell?
Bust3r14@reddit
Huh. Well I'll be.
That is laptop memory, which is incompatible with desktops/rigs that use regular DIMMs instead of SO-DIMM, but that's goo to know, ty.
PsyOmega@reddit
I think there are 12x2 DDR5 kits but yeah, 16x2 or 24x2 is best
wadrasil@reddit
Ram drive software is free now, so you can always use what you have. I would have a lot less fun with only 16gb..
No-Wrongdoer7785@reddit
I started playing Throne and liberty last week. Even if the recommended ram for the game is 16GB I was getting crazy fps drops in big dungeons and cities (ram usage 15.8GB). Upgrading to 32GB all these drops disappeared (ram usage 18Gb).
No_Share6895@reddit
Yes you should. 16GB is still fine i guess enough if all you have open is the game. but its at the point where having say discord and game open is gonna want more than 16GB. and since you gotta double it to kepe the dual channel working right then 32 it is
Jeep-Eep@reddit
64 wouldn't be a bad idea with how dogshit web design is these days.
chrisrobweeks@reddit
Go for 32 for gaming, give yourself a little future-proofing. Add more if you plan on doing any sort of video editing.
Dark_Ascension@reddit
32gb in one stick is standard, might as well get 64gb to have 2 sticks.
Acrobatic_Pin_8987@reddit
32 GB is the minimum standard for a high-end pc nowadays.
weed_blazepot@reddit
You don't need it.
That said, it's not that expensive either, so why not?
Recogniz3Wealth@reddit
Windows and a browser will use around 6 to 8 gigabytes. If you have a LOT of tabs open than more. So the question is: is 6 gbyte of ram enough for modern games? It is enough but more is always better. And like always: try to buy the MAXIMUM megahertz ram that your motherboard allows you.
firestar268@reddit
I'm on 64GB lol
Overall-Emergency-61@reddit (OP)
So no need to worry about anything huh!?
I guess that works too, a chill spot
Jellyfish15@reddit
I used to have 32 until now but lately it was not enough anymore.
Had to go to 64GB to have less issues for work.
firestar268@reddit
Nope. I can open all the tabs I want and play games at the same time
yanyan420@reddit
I've got 64 gigs and no.
I have cb2077, firefox with at least 10-15 tabs, word, excel, and multiple sticky notes open at the same time on most days.
Add to that a couple of windows of Sibelius that I sometimes open.
danuser8@reddit
16GB is good enough for most of the things today. 32GB is future proofing , but it now and don’t worry in future
pdoherty972@reddit
Yes. RAM isn't expensive so why create a constraint unnecessarily? 32-48GB is a good way to ensure that RAM is never an issue for the lifetime of the PC.
Dooth@reddit
Meh, I switched and it didn’t make a lick of difference. Waste of money imo
copied_reader@reddit
I don’t know, guy 32 GB is just great for games, dc, and other third-party applications, but if you only need it for games and discord without background applications, then take 16 GB
vamadeus@reddit
16GB is probably still "enough" for gaming if you aren't doing multitasking at the same time, but I'd recommend 32GB now to give some breathing room and some future proofing. For gaming machines I generally recommend 32GB now.
alvarkresh@reddit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF3kGRO977M
LordSlickRick@reddit
Psst, in most cases there isn’t meaningful uplift and you can always upgrade later. 80% of the time some guy running a game at 4k max quality on a 2k graphics card, streaming, discord, while watching 12 YouTube videos is telling you you need 32gb, and you don’t.
HeKis4@reddit
Definitely OK in the upper range of builds, but it's also still OK to do 16 in the lower range.
The thing is that Windows eats around 6 GB in a 16 GB system, your browser takes up 1 to 2 GB, bloated "webapp in a trench coat" apps like Discord, Steam, Battle.net, NZXT CAM, Asus Aura, etc. will take around a gig collectively, so in the end you usually have 6-5 GB of free RAM left before you open a game. That's enough even for modern stuff (windows can shuffle some of its own footprint away to make it work even if the game needs, say, 8GB), but barely. Like, you're not running anything moderately intensive alongside a game without an impact on performance. For some people it's an issue, for some others it isn't.
Specific_Schedule_32@reddit
I would have 32GB in any system these days. RAM is like the muscles in your machine that makes everything function well. And although not everyone will use the whole amount it certainly helps things work better.
ian_wolter02@reddit
32GB is the sweetspot now, the os uses 7GB, games 12GB, and that's a bit over 16GB, and assuming you're going to use discord, play music, etc, etc, 32GB of ram is a good option specially how cheap it is now, back in 2019 16GB of ram was like 100 bucks, so do now the 32GB
TheGreatGamer1389@reddit
Yes. I upgraded when I used a lot of assets in City Skylines. Helped tremendously. Also the cheapest thing to upgrade pretty much.
KaizoKage@reddit
say "f@ck it" then proceed to buy a 32gb ram. You might now need the extra memory for now, but certainly in the future
nano_705@reddit
RAM is one of the cheapest components in a computer now, so there's no point in hesitating. If you can afford it, go for it.
SongnanBao@reddit
Yes, as minimum and lowest you could go is 16gb for certain budget or just using it for only GAMING task
lazyhustlermusic@reddit
I put 32 in my 2017 build. That was upgrading from the 16 from my 2012 build.
skyfishgoo@reddit
considering that 2 sticks are better than 4 and that matched sticks are better than mismatched sticks, it's always good to get your ram purchase done at one time rather than try to "upgrade" later.
so if you are going to purchase a matched kit and likely have to replace it with another matched kit in order to upgrade your ram.... then you might as well reach for that upgrade now save a step.
i went with 64GB.
blissiictrl@reddit
I reckon 64gb is the new starting point, full send
On_The_Warpath@reddit
Yes, it's pretty cheap to make the jump from 16 to 32.
Enough_Standard921@reddit
Yes, unless you’re cutting corners elsewhere do it. 16GB is the new 8GB (ie just enough)
Nok1a_@reddit
in 2016 I got 32gb and my next pc will be 64gb I dont put 128gb because I go for mITX otherwise I will be running 128gb.
Nowadays optimization is not such a thing anymore, games over 100gb, and badly optimized draining all resources of your pc..
Maleficent_Touch2602@reddit
Yes. Moderate future proopfing - and some apps need that already.
Arsuriel@reddit
Ram is one of the less expensive components nowadays, if you can afford it and it doesn't mean you will cheap out on more important components like cpu and gpu, then yes, buy 32gb so you will forget about ram
EvilDan69@reddit
I game a lot. Even with Windows 10, quite a few tabs open in Chrome, normal background apps running. I'm usually at 12-16 or even 20 gigs of ram in use. My system is optimized. Runs great, but I have 64gigs of ram in a pc i received free from work. I didn't pay the ram so why the hell not? Its pretty clear that 16 was perfect 3-4 years ago, 32 is definitely the way to go if you don't want to run into problems 100%. I have 16 gigs of ram at work, and with my standars apps its at 12G or more every day, which tells me 32 would be better.
Dangerpizzaslice_Z@reddit
16 if you do not multitask much
32 if you do lot's of stuff , also price\perf sweetspot
64 if you want bulletproof ammount of ram
128 if you just dgas about price and like all 4 slots populated. no other reason really, unless you code, do machine learning, or using chrome \s
NaethanC@reddit
16GB is the standard these days, you'll get by just fine if all you're doing is gaming. If you want to multitask or do other things with your PC like video editing or other intensive tasks, 32GB will be a lot better.
32GB will eventually become the standard for gaming so there's no harm in getting it now for futureproofing.
DarthCosmo@reddit
Yes
MikeOnTea@reddit
Just ask your task manager, it knows much better than we do how much memory you actually use.
Bubis20@reddit
Yes - 32GB is the way...
ButterFlyPaperCut@reddit
Might as well while its cheap
Frietvreter11@reddit
it depends..... if you really want a high end build that can run a game a software and a video at the same time 32 gigs is 10000000000000000000% worth it but if you are aiming for a budget build that just work 16 gigs is ok
Electronic_Phase@reddit
Isn't that the norm?
Charon711@reddit
32gb is becoming the 16gb standard of 10 years ago.
altecgs@reddit
Defo
Astartles@reddit
Plenty of games have broken past 16GB usage, we have games coming out with 64GB recommendations now. So yes, you should go 32GB.
pacoLL3@reddit
Can you name a single one?
Litteraly 99,9% of all new releases have a recommendetion of 16GB.
Astartles@reddit
MSFS 2024 has 64GB listed on Ideal
DCS World requires 64GB for the best experience on larger servers.
There, you have two.
furiouscloud@reddit
ram is cheap, load er up
DaBIGmeow888@reddit
I don't think I ever went over 12GB ... I have 32GB of RAM. I'd still recommend tho
AssumptionNew1068@reddit
If no budget problem 32gb is the best for everything
Furrytrash90@reddit
64 4800 hrz at least
ZmeuraPi@reddit
Go for 64 if you can.
GovernmentThis4895@reddit
32GB of ram is becoming the norm for gaming; 16GB will be low in several games.
80RK@reddit
Only if you can’t afford 64GB. 32gb is an absolute minimum for modern gaming. 64GB is the most recommended middle ground. 192GB is a current client CPU “limit”. (For Intel i9-14900ks) I use 96GB (2x48GB)
lordhooha@reddit
I won’t do anything under 64gb, if feasible shoot for 128gb
PsychoticChemist@reddit
Definitely overkill.
lordhooha@reddit
You say that but honestly not really. 32gb is industry standard for client machines doing basic office work and such. Machines are becoming resource hogs more than ever.
arctictothpast@reddit
16 GB is enough for games as of right now,
No games outside of very specific examples need more strictly, the issue is everything else i.e discord is 500 megabytes of ram, windows 11 wants at minimum 4GB,
If you have a browser open that's another 1-2 GB,
What ends up happening then is windows will increasingly use the page file, which will impact the game via load times, texture pop ins or even lag depending on circumstances.
32 gigs of ram means that excessive rationing will not come into play etc,
The only example of a game though that I can directly point to as "make sure to have 32gigs" is star Citizen, because to play that with only 16gbs, you cannot have anything open in the background, otherwise parts of SC will break, like not being able to load into new areas etc,
That's how specific I am being by the way when I say specific examples
TrollslayerL@reddit
Yes
Millan_K@reddit
Is enough 32 but but leave space for another 32gb in the future, look at Microsoft flight simulator 24, or GTA6 they are mostly sitting very close to 32gb, so in the future we may see 64gb.
BlockCraftedX@reddit
i only got 32gb of ram for android dev and cause i wanted to wsl, it's not necessary for usual desktop usage
DavidKollar64@reddit
I just upgraded to 64gb in my gaming PC, I don't understand how someone still using 16gb in 2024 for anything but office PC. RAM is so cheap right now.
Timely_Preparation77@reddit
Ofc thats nowadays just perfect
Caddy666@reddit
no such thing as overkill, only value for money...
Pikappucinno@reddit
For gaming and not doing anything when you game, 32 gb is still plenty enough. 32-48 GB is future proofing. I would argue that beyond 48 till 128 GB is scientific computing territory.
Kumoraaaa@reddit
We are at the point where you should start looking into 32GB for gaming. 16GB could still last you a couple of years if you're really penny-pinching at the moment, but if you can spare the money I would highly recommend 32GB, and that'll be enough for a long, long time.
Some AAA games are reaching that 20GB RAM usage mark in some places (meaning you'll be bottlenecked by 16GB of RAM) and while those games are a rarity right now, it's likely going to become more and more common. So no, I wouldn't call it overkill at all, in fact, it's necessary for certain games!
vswey@reddit
Definitely 32
InThePipe9Till5@reddit
I went for 64gb.. MORE CHROME OPEN TABS!
*Elmo with flames gif
abbbbbcccccddddd@reddit
16gb is still pretty much, but only if you’re not on Windows. Otherwise you’ll have to make a gigantic swap file and ruin your percentile lows with it.
Xaliven@reddit
Definitely go with 32. If you can't, get two sticks of 8 and then upgrade by adding 2 more sticks. (I would still recommend going with 32 from the jump)
pruwdent@reddit
If I'm playing a game and have Firefox, Discord, etc open, it will usually be over 16GB. I would have anything less that 32GB right now. Especially because I don't plan on upgrading for some time.
ImPretendingToCare@reddit
If you could afford it go 64 now. If you cant i wouldnt get less than 32 today.
Gummyrabbit@reddit
Yes, because it helps to lower the center of gravity if the PC has more RAM than the GPU. 😝
StanTheGuy2001@reddit
Playing on a 4k monitor I notice my ram (got 64gb) usually exceeds 16gb (even with DLSS on), so I'd go for 32gb
JamesFrankland@reddit
I bought my PC nearly three years ago now and went for 32GB then just so I wouldn’t have to worry about it for a long while. Definitely not overkill.
kurumisimp69@reddit
16gb is fine still but if you have the money/ need for the extra ram then go for it
cover-me-porkins@reddit
32 GB is not really overkill, it's more than most need while gaming, though, and can be a necessity for business/productivity users.
So I'd say that if you consider it affordable, the 32 GB isn't a bad idea.
iraqi_sunburn@reddit
I got 96, now I can run 50 tabs and whatever else I want. Going bigger never hurts. Legion 5 Pro, 2 x 48 GB Crucial RAM
____candied_yams____@reddit
32G used to be my minimum. Now it's 64G.
DougS2K@reddit
64GB is not needed for gaming. Most of the time 32GB is not even needed but there are a handful of games where 16GB is just not enough or optimal.
Regrettably_Southpaw@reddit
Yes but for how long
DougS2K@reddit
Given the rate ram requirements increase, quite a while I would wager if ever.
Bliv_au@reddit
i went 32g ddr5 on my newer build only to then go and add another 32g anyway.
main reason is because with my past pc when recommended ram become minimum i couldnt find the exact same ram because it was deemed obsolete.
at least now, in 10yr time i wont have to chase up the same brand/speed ram, only upgrade my pc will ever need before its retired completely is a decent gfx card
TattedUpSimba@reddit
Are you doing more than gaming though?
____candied_yams____@reddit
Yeah.
sj_b03@reddit
The vast majority of people are not doing large workloads that require more than 32gb of ram.
____candied_yams____@reddit
The vast majority of people are not on a sub for building computers.
KungFuHamster@reddit
I went for 64GB because I do some development, and I like a big RAM cache (PrimoCache) to keep everything speedy.
PiotrekDG@reddit
Low/medium end CPU/GPU that you'll upgrade in some time? 16 GB will be fine. High end CPU or very long lifetime planned – go for 32 GB.
rasmusdf@reddit
Yes. It's not even that expensive.
Feed_Me_Weird_Things@reddit
why not 64?
TheBeanSlayer1984@reddit
32gb is definitely not overkill anymore.
morelosucc@reddit
if you want to play cities skylines or dcs with mods, is preparing to the new msfs and gta or use video and model editing apps frequently, go for it.
redsquizza@reddit
I do want to upgrade soon and when I do it'll be 32GB.
A decade ago, I built my PC and decided on 8GB. Pretty soon that became apparent it was inadequate, even then, games were micro stuttering.
So I upgraded to 16GB and, all these years later, I wouldn't want to fall into the same trap with just getting 16GB again, 32GB is definitely my choice.
arminuxv@reddit
If you got money then yeah
Laverneaki@reddit
Yeah, I think 32 would be a good amount. I went with 64 but I’m also 3D modelling and sculpting.
xef234@reddit
My 4yo pc runs on pretty slow 16 gb and i have 0 issue can open like 50 tabs and im fine unless you really need multiple innefficient program open you should be fine with 16 and bigger budget on the rest imo storage is underated (1.5 tb not enough)
Archimedley@reddit
Is it ddr5?
Because then the answer is more of a yes, because the 8gb modules only have a half-rank of memory and that comes with a performance penalty
2x16 is the base level for ddr5 basically
tea2room2@reddit
Yesterday I went from 16GB to 32GB because even though I have no issues so far, I opened task manager and realized that with just Overwatch, 2-3 browser tabs and just the bare minimum of discord-ghub-icue, I am left with 1GB free of RAM. I know that RAM is suppose to be used rather than being empty but I need some room for future games etc.
That being said, next pc I build for a friend it’s 32GB for sure, considering that the prices are basically the same nowdays.
If you don’t plan to build a new pc soon, go for it. Otherwise, stick with 16GB.
AOEIU@reddit
I already hit 16GB with just like ~15 browser tabs nowadays.
32GB is solidly non-overkill. It feels roughly the same as 16GB in ~2019.
xexx01@reddit
I am content with 48GB as a browser could soak up 4-9GB alone so yeah, more ram is more better!
furkaniskkrdik@reddit
32gb is the new standard, 16gb is just not enough anymore if you want to have anything else besides the game running in the background.
PolygoneerMusic@reddit
32 is the new sweet spot
69macncheese69@reddit
32gb now feels like 16gb in 2016 when I built my old pc, frankly I wish I had gone for 64gb to feel like it was a proper upgrade
Crinkez@reddit
Personally I'd go for 64GB, but yes I suppose you can get away with 32GB if you're on a tight budget.
CapitanChao@reddit
Yes but even 32 is starting to be phased out you should just go for 64 and be set for 20 years
AzysLla@reddit
32GB is like the basic requirement especially in 2024.
Henninguns@reddit
If you’re not on a super tight budget, then go for 32gb. 16 is the standard, but it slowly has been increasing to 32gb the last few years (in my experience). I have 32gb on my recent build
awdrifter@reddit
Yes, 32gb should be the minimum for a gaming PC. Even consoles have 16GB of RAM now.
UrFather731@reddit
16 GB kits of ddr5 are trash so I'd go for 32. For ddr4 it depends on the price but if your budget allows for it I would go 32 there too.
Amber_Vanilla@reddit
Do NOT get 8GB sticks for your system. Go with 16GB stick at least, so that would be 32GB (2x16GB kit)
(reason is they use x16 architecture memory chips and those are thrash.)
Huge-Original-5241@reddit
It’s a must nowadays
SalamandersRreal@reddit
If you can swing it monetarily, I always recommend going one step over what is recommended for RAM. When 4gb was recommended I went 8, 8 to 16, 16 to 32, and now 32 to 64. Do you need 64gb of ram? Probably not, bit with how far CPU’s and GPU’s have come and how easy it is for a gaming PC to also be used for rendering, plus you have it if you do need it 🤷🏽♀️ But I don’t recommend it if it cuts into the budget for other things. Replacing $150 ram sticks with $250 ram sticks later on is way more budget conscious than cheaping out on your GPU or CPU with the intentions of upgrading later.
topfuckingkekster@reddit
Yea! I had 16GB and was at 100% in BF2042
redditwascool@reddit
bruh, 64!
Majortom_67@reddit
Yes.
MinimumTop1657@reddit
If you mod your games you need 64
Sardonic29@reddit
Chrome uses 12 GB on a regular basis to not crash on my computer. So, 32GB is worth it to not have to close stuff to run a game. On my laptop I used to run out of ram with Chrome.
I do hoard tabs, though.
Shawnmeister@reddit
Been using 32gb since my 3930k bought when new. Quite frankly, never overkill as I've seen usage of up to 80% on specific moments (no malware) for over a decade of being on 32gb
Gallop67@reddit
Yes. Don’t question it just do it you’ll have peace of mind and not have to worry about background tasks
MaintenanceNo4109@reddit
It really matters with your GPU tho, like I have a 1650 so 16gb works for me cus any game over that probably has a very powerful gpu which i don't have so I think it matters on your system the most
Thick_Acanthaceae670@reddit
Le me reading all the comments and have 64 gig ram in my pc 😭😭
dguy101@reddit
Not me over here with 128GB thinking I need more. :(
itanpiuco2020@reddit
Why not chrome needs it.
icze4r@reddit
No. 32 GB is too little. If I were building TODAY I would go for 128 GB, not even 64. You want so much RAM that you don't even feel it when you have 5,000 tabs open in Chrome.
Ph4ntomiD@reddit
Not overkill, some games utilize that 32gb ram, like maybe sims like the new Microsoft flight simulator.
Theres nothing wrong with going for more, unless you think the extra cost is too much, why not go for 32gb?
10YearsANoob@reddit
Do you really need it? I went 32gb because it took an hour to load cities skylines on 16gb. If you dont need it you dont have to get it
Mr-Haney@reddit
RAM is cheap. Do it.
Alienpedestrian@reddit
I went 32gb in 2015 , now my new pc has 32 again
SenAtsu011@reddit
16GB today is more or less the standard if you want to do more than just basic web browsing. 32GB is the new gaming go-to, and 64GB is the new big-boi number. I would recommend 32GB, but 16GB will be okay depending on what you do. DDR4 is also really cheap atm, so it's not hard or expensive to get a great 32GB kit.
PotatoFarmer44@reddit
Yes. That's the current sweet spot. 16gb runs into issues with some games and anything over is still considered overkill. I'm currently running 32GB with my 7800x3d/4090 and did the same with my old system (5800x/3090).
Turbulent-Stretch881@reddit
Its one of the cheapest upgrades you can make. Yes.
bikecatpcje@reddit
The problem with 16gb is that sometimes when u try to upgrqde to 4x8 xmp wont work
Kinda crap that the industry sells mono's with 4 ram slots but can't guarantee that the memory u buy can run at the advertised frequency, timing
rollingsherman@reddit
I am running 32GB and it seems worth it if you spring the little extra. Its also nice to just get a 2x16GB kit on first time and not worry about mixing kits later.
craigmorris78@reddit
Yes, it’s becoming standard
Last_Music413@reddit
16gb is not enough, i mean there are gpu's with more vram than that
DoriOli@reddit
Yes. 32Gb is an ideal amount to have these days. Unless you need more because of specific tasks you need to run.
Confident_Natural_42@reddit
With modern systems there's no such thing as overkill of RAM. :) As much as you can reasonably afford and fit is enough.
Cruach@reddit
Yes.
csgoNefff@reddit
According to tests done by Hardware Unboxed, the more RAM can get rid of traversal stutter in certain games. These are getting annoyingly common and seems to be an issue with Unreal Engine games.
Snakekilla54@reddit
I’m going for 32GB of ram just because I have 16gb on one stick. Prebuilt CP pc so I wanna have two sticks Atleast
0110Yen_Lo@reddit
Just make sure you get the exact same ram. Otherwise it can cause conflicts.
RayOronoz@reddit
well if a guy didn't lie to me, not even buying the same exact one will be good, u have to buy a 2x## kit, otherwise you will be mixing kits and maybe having troubles.... again even if you buy the same one
ShadowDefuse@reddit
in my experience you’re fine with the same ram even if it wasn’t a kit, more often than not
vogel7@reddit
Minor incompatibilities won't be noticeable in practice. So don't worry about that. As long as you get the same brand, voltage and latency, you're gonna be fine. Kits were a way that companies came up with to make you buy more and feel safe. But in the end it won't matter unless your RAM is faulty,i n which case it wouldn't work anyways.
RayOronoz@reddit
he may not be able to overclock the ram
0110Yen_Lo@reddit
Yeah that can happen. Best thing you can do is to use 2 out the same package.
mrminty@reddit
Anecdotal, but several times I've just seen a really good deal on the correct speed of RAM but the wrong mfg and just bought it anyway. Currently mixing together 2 16gb Corsair and Crucial kits and have been for 2 years with no known problems.
ShadowDefuse@reddit
i have a plex server running an occasional servers for other games i’m playing with 32gb. if your pc is gonna run other stuff while you game you might as well get 32gb
XxenoSonGoku@reddit
I agree that there’s not really an overkill at this point. My first build I went with 32GB (16x2) and I had no issues running anything I wanted. I’ve recently upgraded most of my components to a new build, my new mobo has 4 RAM slots where my old one had 2 so I bought the exact same RAM kit as before because uniformity is highly recommended so now I’m at 64GB. If it’s within your budget then go for it. RAM is reasonably priced right now if you’re a savvy shopper.
joevo2@reddit
If you have extra cash why not.
If you have limited budget then you can check your current memory usage.
If it ever hit the limits of let’s say 16GB then you can consider if not it doesn’t really have any better performance if you’re not actually using it. Most game runs fine with 16GB.
Inevitable-Study502@reddit
ive been using 32GB ram since 2017 and its still ok for gaming in 2024
but better question would be, how much vram do you have? like having GPPU with 16GB vram paried with 16GB ram is a big no no
Diligent-Bed1643@reddit
Crazy how like 70% of the comments are "back in MY day... we had HALF A KILOBYTE OF RAM! AND THAT WAS HIGH END! You kids nowadays with your programs are so terribly optimized... when I was a young lad, everything was better!" Like shut the fuck up gramps go back to the days of Windows XP if you're gonna be such a bitch about it
No-Nrg@reddit
Yes, it's becoming the new norm. I have 32gb and almost fill it up between gaming and other apps running. I'm bumping up to 64gb for my next rig.
DisgustinglySober@reddit
64GB is sensible these days to futureproof.
ShaMana999@reddit
This is not a question, 32 Gigs was something for 2018. Today I see a need for 64 already
Krauziak90@reddit
Depends on what you doing. Gaming wise I rarely go past 16, but if running some vms and stuff it climbing fast to mid 20s
TurbulentBarracuda83@reddit
If i were to build a brand new pc today i would not go for lower than 64. Infact in actually going to upgrade from 32 to 64 this month.
Emergency_Lunch_3931@reddit
64GB becuz microsoft flight simulitor 2024 require it
Skysr70@reddit
It's cheap enough that it's a smart upgrade to get, to ensure that modern games and a browser full of HD video tabs won't top the DIMMs
joseph_han9137@reddit
if you need it
byshow@reddit
Imo 32gb is optimal, but 16gb should also be enough, unless you are trying to build high-end system
Rylmak22437@reddit
I've got 32. Its awesome. I've got a steam game, youtube, twitch, and twitter up pretty consistently. And everything is buttery. Plus, again, won't have ti worry about it for a long tkme to come
SkeletronPrime@reddit
I put 64GB in my new build. I thought I was perhaps wasting money, but it’s not an expensive part so why not. I’ve seen my utilization go over 32GB doing some software development so it was probably a good choice.
16GB will function but 32GB+ is clearly the only sensible answer in 2024.
asakura14@reddit
just gaming?
ayoblub@reddit
With ddr5 it’s possible to have 256gb of ram on consumer CPUs. 32gb ain’t a lot these days. And depending on what you do, even a few browser windows and A large excel can use most of it up, but 16gb most definitely will be saturated.
Currently the sweetspot for capacity and transfer rate seems to be at 2x 48gb sticks at 6000MT/s around CL20, it’s a bit pricey though.
YeahlDid@reddit
If you can afford it, 32 is better. Heck, I have 32 and I wish I'd gotten 64
iZealot86@reddit
Go 2x 16 sticks. Always better than 4x8
Actual-Blackberry821@reddit
32gb is not overkill. 16gb is scraping by these days. 32gb is more than enough for regular users, but thing is you want dual channel which means 2x16gb. Also DDR5 is becoming standard and 2x16gb is standard entry level DDR5.
In the end, its a non issue. 32gb is a natural evolution not a question of if you should. You eventually will get it anyways.
xdSythz@reddit
32 is standard for gaming + running discord/spotify/bg apps
JonWood007@reddit
With a new build, 32. Old build? Maybe stick with 16 and upgrade if you have a bottleneck. 32 is more futureproof than anything. 16 is fine mostly. However, i do know I occasionally had issues with 16 GB RAM in, for example, warzone when Caldera was the map.
nickoaverdnac@reddit
I run 64GB on PC and MAC.
MarkMuffin@reddit
100% yes... i am one to push limits on tech..
Most games today take 20GB in 4K.
I had Forza Horizon 5 pushing 24Gb.. palword pushing 18GB <3 get it!! 🥰🙃
BlastMode7@reddit
Honestly, unless you're on a really tight budget, there's no good reason to stick to 16GB at this point. Even the OEM system that I flip for $500 have 32GB in them.
So I would hardly call it overkill, and I think a good point to upgrade your RAM is not when you're close to using all of it, or even allocating, but more when you're using over half of your RAM capacity.
Kindly_Extent7052@reddit
go man. i cant even open more than two tabs while playing, ill upgrade to 32 asap
scraglor@reddit
Get 32gb. 16gb isn’t enough these days. I had all these issues with games hanging and crashing. Upgraded to 32 from 16 and completely fixed
fapimpe@reddit
16 is fine, 32 is better. Open up your task manager and click performance then memory. You'll see how much you're using after leaving chrome open and gaming.
KempFidels@reddit
At least
schoolruler@reddit
16 is enough for gaming 32 is what you want if you want to do anything with the gaming at the same time.
Possible-Tadpole8505@reddit
I play some …’games’ that take up to 20gb ram to load a scene sometimes. wink. So much so I wish I got a mobo that has 4 slots to upgrade to 64gb. I don’t really wanna dump my 16gb sticks
jlt6666@reddit
You haven't said what your use case is. If it's gaming then I'd go for 32 just to be safe. The cost isn't that much. If you are doing video editing or CAD or AI then that's a whole different ball game
Overall-Tailor8949@reddit
If your budget can afford it, you CAN'T have too much memory. That is as long as you remember that DDR5 works best when you only use two sticks, especially if you're running at higher memory speeds.
alessiot@reddit
64gb or bust
Cda4go@reddit
64gb made a world of difference in stabilizing fps in VR on my sim racing rig. Rift S so it’s called at 80 but at 32gb it would drop to 60-65 at times. With 64gb it’s a stable 80 no matter what.
Middle-Amphibian6285@reddit
I'm running 32gb, but only to fill in the gaps on my motherboard and for more rgb lol
SuumCuique1011@reddit
32 is the sweet spot. If you can swing it, go for the gusto.
If I could've swung 64 on my current build, I would've done it. As it is, my RAM isn't a bottleneck.
As it is in my situation, I don't think there's enough of a major bottleneck to be worried about.
My goal was 1440p at 144hz @ 60fps in what I want to do and I haven't been disappointed so far.
Basics: Intel core i5 13400F @ 2.50 Ghz 32GB RAM AMD Radeon 6800XT Two m.2 2TB drives
Of course, I could have more, but this serves my needs and I love it.
bitesized314@reddit
I just got a Ryzen 7800X3D combo from Microcenter with 32 gb RAM. There was an option to go with I think 48 GB instead, but honestly I don't run anything that would benefit from that right now.
32 GB is what you should be getting to play at 1440P smoothly.
SuumCuique1011@reddit
Friggin love MicroCenter and that sounds like a great combo! I'm honestly excited for you! Hope you love it. Happy gaming, man!
hangender@reddit
32gb is minimum. 64gb is comfortable. 128gb is too many sticks.
Weapon_X23@reddit
Definitely not over kill. I ran out of my 32gb of RAM recently when playing the ATM9 Minecraft modpack and hosting a server for my best friend. I had to by 64gb and found I'm hovering around 49-50gb of RAM usage with just those two things and Firefox actively running.
m4tic@reddit
a few years ago a 7200rpm sata3 hdd was the preferred performance option
HANAEMILK@reddit
Definitely, 16GB isn't enough to run games and background programs at the same time.
bitesized314@reddit
I think it's fine for 1080P and some background apps.
john14073@reddit
16gb is creating a bottleneck in your system that will affect performance. Go with 32gb. It's not uncommon for me to hit 20gb usage.
itsaride@reddit
I went with 64 of DDR5, I run a couple of VMs permanently though. Whatever you decide, get the largest sticks you can (8/8 | 16/16 | 32| 32) so you have upgrade options later.
niiima@reddit
I, too, had 16GB, and I was constantly worried about running out of RAM if too many programs were open. Ever since I got 32GB, I never even considered running out of it.
So get it for your peace of mind and your PC's perform.
acewing905@reddit
Yes
Just make sure it's 2x16 GB instead of 1x32 GB
LazyMagicalOtter@reddit
16GB might be ok for today if you close everything else before playing. Else, I would just go with 32GB and forget about it for at least a few years, if you can afford it.
Existing-Network-267@reddit
Something that won't be mentioned here .
SSD software like the Samsung one or an windows option not sure which allows you to use the ram as fast storage so apps open faster after being opened once and closed.
People say to disable that option but actually if you have plenty of ram never disable it it makes your PC feel so much snappier.
I am not sure which feature this is but I think I have provided enough clues for people to figure it out .
Maybe ask chat gpt
LordSsS1@reddit
Yes.
snowgrz87@reddit
yes. the difference with a 16gb kit is very small. im not sure why 16gb still exist anyway. haha..
Overall-Emergency-61@reddit (OP)
For poor people like me
But even though, even if i buy 16GB now I know I will have to upgrade it soon enough, it just takes time to convince my brain and my wallet
LordBacon69_69@reddit
I rarely ever go above 16gbs utilisation but it's better to have it and not need it than the other way around, DDR5 ram aint even expensive anymore.
bigred1978@reddit
It's the default standard and you're late to the party.
48Gb and 64Gb will be the new norm in maybe 2 years or so.
Yommination@reddit
I would never go for below 32
lizon132@reddit
Only 32gb? I'm on 64gb and my next build will be a DDR5 platform at 96gb.
javedk1@reddit
248gb is the new standard thanks to how optimized games are now a days
dragenn@reddit
The launcher or the game?
javedk1@reddit
The drm protection known as denuvo
Overall-Emergency-61@reddit (OP)
I feel that T_T
ArLOgpro@reddit
Rn 32gb is just the better buy.
sa547ph@reddit
With 16gb now the baseline (and previously the high end more than 10 years ago), 32gb is becoming the norm as some games can be modded, and that does need more memory and storage. And some people stream their gameplay so having to use additional software to support streaming.
Already I bought 32gb of memory three years ago when building my then-new PC and most games function well.
TheDrop_@reddit
For me, 64 was at such a decent price I went for it.
stormlight89@reddit
I went from 16GB + AMD 3600 to 32GB + 5800x3D and I see games using 20GB+ all the time. Definitely worth it, specially since I'm running a bunch of browsers in the background for work.
Yurei610@reddit
Just saw the title only and didn't read the post, but my answer os yes.
LSD_tripper@reddit
I think 32GB is underkill 64GB is the sweet spot imo
scanguy25@reddit
I usually go for 64 GB but I also use my computer for data science. I just find that extra RAM is a fairly cheap way to make your PC feel a lot better.
DEA187MDKjr@reddit
32 is the safe spot since games nowadays are getting more expensive on RAM
SubstantialAd3503@reddit
16gb of ram is still fine for gaming but if you want to have more applications open in the background or improve some 1% lows(not guaranteed) then 32gigs is worth it. No downside to upgrading so if you’re willing go for it
AndrewM317@reddit
If you're upgrading, I would recommend going with 64gb just so you don't have to worry about it when you start upgrading other things for like the next 8 years. If you're building a pc or buying a prebuilt, 32 gb is more than enough for high end games at max settings for the next couple of years, but you'll likely have to upgrade when you start upgrading other components. 16gb is good for the vast majority of games, but if you have/will have a high end gpu, at least 32 is the way to go so that it can properly handle whatever you're doing.
kemoton@reddit
I upgraded to 32 a month ago and I must say if not for performance, it's so comfortable not having to worry to close many programs every time you start a game
Vyrena@reddit
Yes
Kanguin@reddit
More is better, as much as you can afford.
themakirex@reddit
For gaming make sure you get a good amount of of l3 cache
Eye-7612@reddit
I was on 32 GB since 2020 and usually utilized about 12 GB just casual using the computer when not gamingon windows 10.
Why not, I rather have it when I need it than not have it when I need it.
They are not that expensive and would not want to deal with upgrading ram 1 or 2 years down the road. I was on 3000mhz ram and 2400G, have upgraded to 5600 recently with the same ram.
Ram is not the fastest but I am not gaming that much or doing any video editing.
lIl_owl_23@reddit
I had to replace my 16GB memory kit to a 32GB one.
Braidster@reddit
I mean 16gb can't even run Chrome anymore.....
StrongTxWoman@reddit
32 GB is the norm now. You should be using 32 GB years ago.
op3l@reddit
Do you need 32gb? No. Can you get by for a few years with 16? Yes.
Problem is you can't just use one dimm of 16 because it'll be slower than dual channel and 2x 8gb means you have to buy another set of 2x 16gb later.
So if you have the budget just go for 2x 16gb and get it over with.
Some real world use numbers for you.
Diablo 4 AND Helldivers 2 open at same time plus chrome(a few tabs open) and YouTube playing with probably 8 or so background apps(not including other background services I don't know about) comes out to about 23gb of ram use. Typically with 1 game open I'm at 17ish gb.
Comrade_Chyrk@reddit
32gb imo should be the standard for new builds today. You will get by fine with 16, but 16 is slowly becoming the required amount for many games and I'd rather have the headroom of 32gb. Plus the cost difference is negligible between a pair of 16 vs 32
Marced4Life@reddit
Yes
skrukketiss69@reddit
You definitely want 32GB.
EveryNameEverMade@reddit
Depends what you're playing I guess. What resolution, what graphics setting. I can think of at least 3 games off the top of my head that use literally all of my 16gb at 4k 120hz. I imagine there are many more out there than the lonely 3 I have experienced. Is 16gb still good enough? Yes. Is it the minimum specs compared to suggested or comfortable, no. 16gb is probably the very minimum now, with more highly suggested.
Forsaken_Day_6869@reddit
You have to pick a good ssd with ddr4 cache or budget alternative hmb (host memory buffer) tech. Both works good for games. Ddr4 cache faster but not noticable. My pc running really faster flowing since i bought it. Samsung is usually the best for price you pay. Kioxia also has affordable ssds with ddr4 tech but don't if they are reliable. Other brands either make it unaffordable when they put ddr4 cache or don't put any of it all.
DZCreeper@reddit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mklCPWNyJC0
Most will run on 16GB of RAM, but that leaves nothing for background apps. Also, some games run smoother on 32GB because they can cache more assets.