I've always thought that 16GB of RAM is sufficient for gaming, even for future titles. But recently, I've been hearing a lot of discussion about 32GB being the new norm, especially with games like Tarkov and the upcoming GTA6 listing 32GB in their recommended specs. I'm curious if there are any benchmarks demonstrating a significant advantage of having 32GB over 16GB, especially if I'm looking at 3600MHz DDR4 RAM.
5 Answers
32GB is essentially becoming the standard, especially with new games on the horizon. Whoever told you 16GB was 'more than enough' was mistaken—16GB is more of a bare minimum now. If you can swing it, definitely go for 32GB, as it’ll give you more headroom for future games and multitasking.
Every gamer has different needs. For something like Tarkov, you might want more RAM because it can be pretty demanding. However, for casual games, 16GB might still be enough. If you're not planning to dive into RAM-heavy games, you could stick with what you have and upgrade later if necessary.
My Windows 11 alone uses around 12GB just sitting idle, so when I’m gaming, it’s good to have extra RAM. If you plan to play RAM-heavy games like Tarkov, 32GB is a safe bet. If you're just playing lighter games or older titles, 16GB might still suffice.
How much does it use when you're gaming, though?
32GB has been the recommended amount for a while. As games and software become more complex, they tend to use more RAM. You'll often see games using over 16GB, especially when considering how Windows can take up a good chunk too. Having more RAM means you won't get stuck loading and unloading data constantly, which can cause stutters during gameplay.
It's a good thing you're not in OS design! Using RAM for caching helps speed up processes, and it's definitely beneficial.
If you're just gaming on simpler titles or older games, then 16GB might do just fine. But if you're thinking about future-proofing or playing more demanding titles, 32GB is a safer choice. Personally, I use around 16-20GB on average and it works fine for me.
16GB as a bare minimum? That sounds a bit exaggerated! Can you share a benchmark showing why we need to upgrade?