Is 16GB of DDR5 enough for a €1,600 1440p gaming PC?
Asked by
MellowOrbit47
I'm putting together a gaming PC in France for around €1,600, mainly for Minecraft, Valorant, and newer AAA games at 1440p. The current parts list is a Ryzen 5 7500F, Peerless Assassin 120 SE cooler, Gigabyte B650 Eagle AX motherboard, 16GB (2x8GB) DDR5-6000 CL36, a 1TB Kingston NV3 SSD, an XFX RX 9070 GRE 12GB, a Corsair 4000D case, and an 850W MSI power supply. Moving to 32GB would cost about €200 more, while switching to an RX 9060 XT 16GB only saves around €50. Will 16GB cause noticeable problems in these games, especially Minecraft, and are there any parts I should change?
Answers
Your current 2x8GB kit should run normally, but 2x16GB DDR5-6000 CL30 would be the more comfortable long-term choice. You may notice 16GB in some newer games or when multitasking, though it usually won’t be a major FPS bottleneck. Avoid planning around four separate DDR5 sticks, since higher memory configurations can be harder to run at their rated speed.
Reply to this answer
If you need to save money, look at the cooler or case first rather than downgrading the GPU. A less expensive cooler can still handle the 7500F, and that money could help move to 32GB. Also consider a larger SSD eventually, since 1TB fills up quickly with modern games.
Reply to this answer
I’d keep the stronger GPU rather than dropping to the 9060 XT just to get more memory. The GPU difference will have a much larger effect on 1440p performance, while 16GB is mostly a capacity compromise that you can address later. If possible, use 2x8GB now and add a matching kit or replace it with 2x16GB when prices improve.
Reply to this answer
The 12GB of VRAM on the graphics card could become a limitation in demanding future games before system memory does, particularly with high textures and ray tracing. I’d prioritize the 9070 GRE, then upgrade the RAM later if you start seeing stuttering or memory usage near 100%.
Reply to this answer
For most games, 16GB will still work, especially if you close browsers and other background programs before playing. Minecraft is the main exception if you use large modpacks, high-resolution texture packs, or lots of other applications at the same time.
CopperLemon22: The included 1TB SSD may become a limitation sooner than the RAM. A few large games, Windows, and other files can fill it surprisingly quickly.
Reply to this answer
Add your answer
Answers are reviewed before publication.
SilverMango31: The RX 9070 GRE is a substantial step up for the games you listed, so cutting GPU performance to reach 32GB probably isn’t the best trade-off.