I'm a beginner at building computers and want to upgrade the RAM in my prebuilt system. Currently, it has a single 8GB stick, which I know is pretty easy to upgrade. I've heard that a 2x32GB setup could be a good idea, but I'm not sure if that's overkill. Here are my specs: AMD Ryzen 5 3600, AMD Radeon RX 580, 2TB HDD, and a 240GB SSD. What do you think would be the best amount of RAM for my setup?
4 Answers
Just a heads up, some Ryzen boards don’t play nicely with four RAM sticks, so keep that in mind when making your upgrade decision.
Honestly, right now, the price/performance balance for 64GB is just not worth it for most tasks.
How many RAM slots does your motherboard have? Generally, getting 64GB of DDR4 isn't necessary unless you're doing heavy tasks like AI work. For gaming, most people don’t even use over 32GB. Since RAM prices have skyrocketed, I’d suggest going for a 16GBx2 kit (32GB total); that should be plenty for what you need!
I think a 2x32GB kit would be overkill for your current setup. Unless you’re planning to upgrade to a higher-end processor like the 5700X3D in the future, I'd recommend just getting a 2x8GB kit for now. It's a more cost-effective choice, and you’d still have good performance! Look for second-hand RAM to save some cash too.
Thanks for the insight! Just to make sure, when you say overkill, you mean in terms of cost, right? It wouldn't hurt my system's performance, would it?
I appreciate your advice! I have 4 slots available, so that's good to know. When you say 'most gamers don't exceed 32GB', what types of games are you referring to? My 8GB is having a tough time with larger games and modpacks, and I'm still getting the hang of this.