I've been using the same PC for about five years, aside from replacing the power supply. It has an 11th-generation Intel Core processor, an RTX 3060, 16GB of DDR4-3600 RAM in a 2x8GB configuration, and an 850W PSU. Recently, some games haven't felt as smooth as they used to. I mainly play World of Tanks, World of Warships, Red Dead Redemption 2, Battlefield 6, and Elden Ring. Most run around 80–100 FPS on high or maximum settings, but I'd like to stay closer to a consistent 100–120 FPS. Game loading, especially loading visual assets, is also slower than I'd like. Would upgrading to 32GB or 64GB of RAM noticeably improve smoothness and loading times, or is another component more likely to be limiting performance?
3 Answers
Your processor may be the limiting factor, depending on the exact 11th-gen model. Older CPUs can struggle to maintain high minimum frame rates even when the average FPS looks good. Watch CPU and GPU utilization while playing: a GPU near 100% means the graphics card or settings are the limit, while a heavily loaded CPU with lower GPU usage points toward the processor. More RAM alone probably won’t turn 80–100 FPS into a consistent 120 FPS.
If you do upgrade, use another matching 2x8GB kit or replace the current kit with 2x16GB to reach 32GB. Mixing memory kits can sometimes cause stability issues, and 2x16GB is often the simpler option. Also make sure the memory is actually running at its rated 3600MHz speed in the motherboard settings.
Check your hardware usage before buying anything. An NVIDIA in-game overlay can show FPS, CPU usage, GPU usage, VRAM, and RAM usage. If your system memory is nearly full while gaming, moving to 32GB could reduce stutters. If you still have plenty of free RAM, adding more won’t raise your average FPS much. For gaming, 32GB is generally the sensible upgrade; 64GB is usually unnecessary unless you have a specific workload that needs it.
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