I'm building a PC mainly for Minecraft and schoolwork, but RAM prices are pretty high right now. Would 32GB be unnecessary, or is it worth getting—especially if I might use mods, shaders, or host a multiplayer world? I'm also wondering where Canadians usually buy reliable RAM. Are retailers listed on PCPartPicker, such as Vuugo, ShopRBC, and Newegg, generally trustworthy, and is there anything I should watch for when ordering?
5 Answers
If you’re trying to save money, start with 16GB in a 2x8GB kit and upgrade later if your motherboard has four memory slots. For a new build, though, 32GB in a 2x16GB kit is a comfortable long-term option and should handle Minecraft, Discord, browsers, and normal school applications without much trouble.
Vuugo and Newegg are commonly used Canadian retailers, but check who actually sells and ships the item. On marketplace sites, prefer listings sold directly by the retailer or by a well-established seller, and read the return and warranty terms. PCPartPicker mainly helps compare listings; its inclusion of a store isn’t an absolute guarantee that every seller or marketplace listing is equally reliable.
Modded Minecraft can benefit from 32GB more than people expect. Vanilla usually only needs a few gigabytes, but large packs may recommend 8–12GB just for the game, while Windows and other programs still need memory. With only 16GB, that can become tight. Schoolwork itself doesn’t require much RAM, so the decision mostly comes down to how heavily modded your Minecraft setup will be.
For basic Minecraft and schoolwork, 16GB is enough. However, 32GB is a good choice if you expect to use large modpacks, shaders, keep lots of browser tabs open, or run a server. It isn’t really overkill at current capacities; it just gives you more headroom. Make sure you buy a matched kit that fits your motherboard and CPU, such as 2x16GB rather than one 32GB stick.
Watch for unusually cheap RAM deals, since stock and pricing can change quickly. Confirm whether the kit is DDR4 or DDR5 because they are not interchangeable, and check the motherboard’s supported memory type. Buying a reputable brand from a retailer with a clear return policy is usually more important than chasing the absolute lowest price.

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