Will 8 GB be enough for modern PC games? or improve the memory right away? Don’t be in a hurry to spend money – let’s figure out the needs.
How much RAM do you need for PC games?
RAM, unlike the processor and video card, does not give a significant increase in FPS in games. And although the frequency of the strips has significantly increased recently, RAM remains for some users of secondary components. Therefore, many people save money on the total RAM, while others, on the contrary, invest too much money in RAM . Who is right?
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We all know perfectly well that the primary user of memory is the operating system. Even in idle time, it will take part of the RAM for its needs. And nothing can be done about it. Even if nothing is opened at system startup, the memory consumption counter will not show zero values. How much memory does the OS eat?
Of course, the newer the product, the higher its system requirements. Windows 10 without a single running program will reserve 2-3 GB of RAM. But the old people, the Windows XP and Windows 7 guys will be content with one gigabyte or even less. But the OS isn’t the only consumer of RAM. There are also a couple of hungry mouths.
How much does the browser consume?
If we talk about computer games , then we are often talking about the browser. Closing all open tabs every time is inconvenient. It’s better to let Chrome (or whatever you have installed there) hang in the background. After the gameplay, you can quickly return to it. Or in general, you can open a browser on a second monitor and go about your business on the World Wide Web in between the skating rinks.
It is rather difficult to answer objectively the question. First, it all depends on the number of simultaneously open sites. And secondly, each resource consumes a different amount of RAM (the size mainly depends on different graphical effects).
Generally speaking, we get that with 20 open tabs (ranging from the lightest to the heaviest), the average browser consumes about 2 GB of RAM. Moreover, all modern browsers have a similar appetite (memes about insatiable chrome are no longer relevant). Let’s keep this number in mind, and at the end we will summarize the numbers.
System requirements
The most intensive RAM usage is by computer games. If a few years ago a computer with 8 GB of RAM on board could pull any game, today this is no longer enough. In order to determine how much memory you need to buy, it is recommended to first look at the system requirements for games.
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They are minimal and recommended. Since the computer is bought with a margin of several years, you need to focus on the recommended values and throw a few “gigs” on top. For example, Red Dead Redemption asks for 8 GB at minimum settings, and 12 GB at maximum settings. Call of Duty: Warzone has similar requirements. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is in solidarity with colleagues in the shop. All AAA projects have approximately the same appetite. You can see if your computer can play a game on this site .
Conclusion
So how much RAM does a gamer need?
If you are playing something more serious than Solitaire or Minesweeper, take at least 16GB of RAM.
In 2020, this is the minimum required for comfortable gaming. Please note that …
2-3 GB will go to the needs of the system,
2 GB will work for the browser and other open applications,
8-10 GB will be required for the game itself, and not with ultra settings.
Of course, if you are interested in old projects, then you can lower the bar to 8-12 GB, but not lower. On the contrary, if you do not plan to upgrade your computer in the coming years, you can lay down a stock of 8 GB or more (if the motherboard and your budget allow it.)