How Much Does RAM Affect Gaming? 10 Best Ways To Find Out

Before we all started our gaming journey must have wondered how much does RAM affects gaming and what should I do to get the right one so that my gaming experience remains smooth. I have done some research on this and found that everyone has a different point of view but I want to know the best option to opt for so that I know what is the best and what to look for.

So, How much does RAM affect gaming? RAM affects gaming based on usage and case-to-case scenarios such as gaming experience gets drastically bad with lags, crashes, and low FPS when the RAM size is below the minimum requirement. Low RAM also affects the gaming experience when used for streaming simultaneously.

In order to understand the factors that affect the RAM on gaming, I have explained how these factors affected the gaming experience. I would recommend you to go through each one so that you have the best understanding of and workings of RAM and its effect on gaming.

Best ways to find out How much does RAM affect gaming?

While doing my research on finding the answers to the question of how much does RAM affects gaming, I have stumbled upon a few key areas which actually make a big difference. Although, there are some other factors that can also affect the gaming experience if ignored completely.

To understand the whole scenario towards finding a better analysis, I have explained each factor separately so that you can get the proper understanding and have clear ways to decide what is the best option for your gaming experience.

RAM (Random-access memory) is a form of computer memory that can be read and changed in any order, typically used to store working data and machine code. A random-access memory device allows data items to be read or written in almost the same amount of time irrespective of the physical location of data inside the memory. Read more at Wikipedia

RAM is a component that is found in all computing devices. This is also customizable in PC/ desktop versions to a certain extent. I will discuss this on a separate point later in the article.

What size or upgrade of RAM you need is entirely dependent on what kind of activity, mainly which involves large-scale data processing. This will ensure whether to invest in high-end computer peripherals or not.

For example, When you are planning to play fast-paced games with streaming and other work like video editing, you will need high-end RAM to sustain the minimum requirement by the games and the software needed.

How much RAM is recommended for modern games?

These days all the gamers are mainly using mobile devices and PC / desktops, while PC gaming has an enormous community and uses the latest computers to play high-end modern games. We will find big gaming developers who want to make sure their game is looking visually impressive and running smoothly.

Some of the bigger game developers set a minimum and recommended RAM requirements for their games. The following are some modern games with the minimum and recommended requirements of the RAM you should have in order to play the given game smoothly and enjoy the gaming experience.

Game	Minimum	Recommended
Batman: Arkham Knight	6GB	8GB
Dying Light	4GB	8GB
Fallout 4	8GB	8GB
Far Cry Primal	4GB	8GB
GTA 5	4GB	8GB
Hitman	8GB	8GB
Quantum Break	8GB	16GB
Rise of the Tomb Raider	6GB	8GB
The Witcher 3	6GB	8GB
Tom Clancy The Division	6GB	8GB

As you can see that most of the games are having the minimum RAM requirement of at least 4GB – 6GB and the recommended RAM requirement is 8GB. To understand these requirements we also need to know how having a certain RAM size can make sure you have the best gaming experience.

Modern games such as GTA 5, The Witcher 3 requires high data processing and with the recommended RAM requirement of 8GB.  The latest PC and desktops do come with 8GB RAM which supports most of the modern games though we have to understand that apart from gaming there will be a certain portion that will be used for the CPU processing.

The best way to find out is to check on the performance tab from the task manager. You will be able to see how much is the RAM utilized when not playing gave vs playing games. I can see that more than 50% of my RAM is used when I am not playing any game. In this way, you can estimate how much RAM you might need to get the best gaming experience.

What does RAM do for gaming?

Once you launch a game on your gaming PC, the RAM is an active participant because the game is loaded into it. RAM is used rather than the hard drive directly because it’s faster and programmed to store temporary items.

As we know that RAM is the computer component that stores required variables and content. When there is free memory available, most of the OS use the idle memory as a data cache and keep the memory of the last data read from the storage memory.

Because of this phenomenon, while opening the same program for the second time, it will help load faster than the first time because there is no need to read the data again from the disk because it is already in the RAM which is unused.

The reason we mentioned that upgrading the RAM from 8GB to 16GB will increase gaming performance is that most of the modern game-recommended RAM requirements is 8GB. Since the system also uses some part of the RAM for performance the recommended requirement of 8GB is not enough.

When we upgrade the RAM from 8GB to 16GB, the games run smoothly whereas the basic required amount by the system will not limit the usage for the game to run as expected. Also, make sure to know what is the recommended RAM requirement for the games that you want to play, it will give you the best idea of when to upgrade.

Also Read: How Many CPU Cores Do I Need For Gaming And Streaming? 4 Best Ways

Does RAM speed affect FPS?

Yes, RAM speed does affect FPS (frames per second) in competitive gaming conditions. Faster RAM will give you higher minimum output as well as a little higher average output than the slower RAM. Higher RAM speed will also help you in other things such as rendering and multitasking by handling the data faster.

Game	Minimum		Average		High
RAM Frequency	2133MHz	3000MHz	2133MHz	3000MHz	2133MHz	3000MHz
Rainbow 6 Seige	47	154	220	224	306	289
Far Cry 5	71	79	93	103	123	125
Deus Ex	55	57	72	73	95	95

If you are a hardcore gamer and play competitive games such as Counter-Strike: GO, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Fortnite, Overwatch then having a faster RAM will help to have the advantage over higher FPS. Also, The faster RAM is a bit more costly than the slower RAM so adding them to your PC is up to your gaming style and requirement.

If you do video editing and another task on your PC then faster RAM should be your first choice. Some other variables that also need to be considered such as RAM timings with cast latency or CL rating, the lower CL number will give you a better gaming experience. Hence getting a faster RAM with lower cast latency will give you a smoother gaming experience overall.

How much RAM for gaming is needed?

8 GB is the minimum RAM needed for gaming on a PC or laptop. This amount of RAM will help you to play most of the games on your system if you are not using it for other activities simultaneously. There will be lags and compromise happening with graphics, frames per second, and performance for the high-end modern games. You need 16 GB of RAM for the best gaming performance even with streaming online.

Check for JEDEC standards

JEDEC standards and publications are designed to serve the public interest through eliminating misunderstandings between manufacturers and purchasers, facilitating interchangeability and improvement of products, and assisting the purchaser in selecting and obtaining with minimum delay the proper product for use by those other than JEDEC members, whether the standard is to be used either domestically or internationally. Read More

Understanding requirements with the available system:

If you already have a system with you and wondering about the RAM requirement for your gaming experience, then we have given you the following ways to understand:

1. The system with integrated graphics will need higher and faster RAM.
2. Use the RAM with higher bandwidth for better performance DDR3 < DDR4 < DDR5.
3. Use the RAM with a higher speed of more than 2400MHz for faster rendering.

Finding Sweet Spot for Your Gaming:

You can find the sweet spot for your gaming performance by knowing the system configuration and the type of games that you want to play. Here are the ways you can find the sweet spot for your gaming experience.

1. Casual gaming – Games for casual experience do not need high-end system configuration. You can have 4GB RAM which will be enough if you have a recent processing unit or else 8GB RAM with any CPU.
2. Moderate gaming – Moderate games such as a mix of casual and some modern games needs a system with dedicated VRAM or at least an integrated graphic card. With this system configuration, you can enjoy gaming with 8GB RAM but don’t expect high performance and graphic details.
3. Pro gaming – Competitive gaming and modern games require high-end system configuration which involves a minimum of 4GB+ dedicated graphics card. If you have the above system configuration then 16GB RAM should be the sweet spot.
4. Gaming + Streaming & Video editing – Other activities such as video editing requires a high processing system and dedicated memory is needed. 16GB RAM DDR4 with the latest dedicated graphics card should be the sweet spot for gaming and video editing.

We need to understand that RAM is a supportive component along with CPU and VRAM for high resolutions and gaming performance. Hence, having all these components to support your required gaming experience. You need to know the current gaming performance of your system in order to upgrade based on the gaming outputs.

Is 8GB RAM enough for gaming?

Yes, 8GB RAM will be enough for gaming when considered case-to-case requirements such as when you are a casual or moderate gamer and don’t use the system for other activities such as video editing and streaming. For competitive gaming for pro gamers, who play and stream simultaneously, 8GB RAM is not sufficient, because it will cause lags, low FPS, and resolutions, and will affect overall performance.

The latest PC and laptops generally have 8GB RAM, CPU above i3 and sometimes also have integrated graphics, which is a standard system configuration you could get to enjoy casual to moderate gaming. Seek for the latest CPU above i5, graphics card above 4GB, and 16GB RAM for the competitive gaming experience.

Is 16GB of RAM good for gaming?

Yes, 16GB RAM will be good for gaming when combined with other activities such as video editing, streaming, and system configuration with dedicated memory and the latest CPU. But will be more than enough while used for casual and moderate gaming. Some percentages of RAM are used by the system and 16GB RAM will be the best for the modern games which have a recommended requirement of 8GB.

Higher memory RAM will cost you some more money but as a gamer, it will give you bonus advantages if you plan to play some games online and enjoy 4K gaming experience. Also, remember that this piece of hardware called RAM is one of the cheap components that you can upgrade as per system capacity.

Also Read: Is An SSD Worth It For Gaming? 3 Best Factors To Consider

Does RAM affect gaming on phones?

Yes, having less than 1GB RAM will affect gaming on most phones but having more RAM on your phone with much multitasking can affect efficiency while gaming. A minimum of 4GB RAM is needed to play high-end modern competitive games online with the latest processors on the phone.

Since mobile gaming is on the verge of the next leap, you should not be left behind with the lack of future-proof technology. Make sure you have the phone with appropriate RAM and you are good to go for the next match online.

Will more RAM help gaming?

Yes, more RAM will help in gaming based on case-to-case when your game recommended requirement of RAM is below what you have right now. Also, upgrading RAM to more than 16GB would not make any difference with gaming performance such as frame per second, high-resolutions, and lags.

We recommend you have a minimum of 8GB of RAM for casual to moderate gaming experience and 16GB for high-performance gaming. It is also advised to have 16GB RAM to be future-proof and you can play next-gen games without any up-gradation in the future. This will cost you once but will have the best configuration for your gaming life.

Best RAM for gaming?

Now you know that RAM is a crucial component for your gaming experience and you need to get one. We have done the research for you and the following is the list of some great RAM you could find in the market.

Best RAM for Gaming	Memory Speed	Storage Capacity	RAM Type
Corsair Vengeance LPX	3000MHz	16GB (2x8GB)	DDR4
G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series	2666MHz	16GB (2x8GB)	DDR4
HyperX Fury	2666MHz	16GB	DDR4
Viper Steel Series	3200MHz	32GB (2x16GB)	DDR4
Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer	3200MHz	16GB (2x8GB)	DDR4
Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB	3200MHz	32GB (2x16GB)	DDR4
G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series	3200MHz	32GB (2x16GB)	DDR4
HyperX Predator Black	3000MHz	32GB	DDR4
G.Skill Trident Z Royal Silver	3200MHz	32GB	DDR4
Patriot Viper Elite Series	2666MHz	32GB (2x16GB)	DDR4

We hope that you have found the answer to the question of how much does RAM affect gaming and some other related questions to satisfy your concerns regarding gaming related to RAM. Let us know your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below.