I frequently use After Effects and Premiere Pro, and I've observed that many professionals have setups with 96GB or 128GB of RAM. Currently, I have 32GB (2x16) and I'm contemplating whether I should upgrade to 64GB. I know there are mixed opinions about having four sticks of RAM versus two, and I can't find 64GB sticks (2x64) without breaking the bank. Since I'm on DDR4 with a Ryzen 9 5900XT, I'd like to hear about others' experiences. Is a 4x16 setup the way to go, or is it not worth the hassle?
5 Answers
Are you ever running low on memory when you're working? If you're struggling with 8K footage, then more RAM might be necessary!
You should definitely keep an eye on your RAM and page file usage. If you're not hitting the limits of your current 32GB, more RAM won't really help you. Focus on what you actually need!
Think of it like a bucket—if you have a 32-gallon bucket but only 20 gallons of work to pour in, getting a bigger bucket won’t help much. If you're not utilizing the full 32GB, think twice about upgrading.
It's all about necessity. If you find that you need more RAM and you're regularly using 80-90% of what you have, then go for the upgrade. But with 32GB on DaVinci Resolve, I think you might find 64GB is more than sufficient for most tasks! Remember, unused RAM is wasted RAM.
The effectiveness of adding more RAM can depend a lot on speed, but generally with DDR4, having four sticks isn't a huge drawback. Just check your speeds—3200MHz should be fine!
Mine's set to 3200MHz with the XMP profile, so I think I'm good there.

Yeah, sometimes I run into issues when I’m working with that footage.