author: Bart Swiatek
Guide to RAM – 8GB? Games Have that for Lunch
Deciding how much RAM you need can give some people a headache. How much memory is needed for gaming today? What changes will the launch of PS5 and Xbox Series X bring? This is a comprehensive guide to random-access memory.
Table of Contents
- Guide to RAM – 8GB? Games Have that for Lunch
- How much RAM will PS5 and Xbox Series X have? You'll need that
How much RAM will PS5 and Xbox Series X have? You'll need that
When thinking about upgrading RAM, you should also keep in mind the context of the upcoming launch of the 9-generation consoles. It may seem that the release of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will not have a significant impact on the PC, but that's not true.
Currently, PS4 and Xbox One not only have just 8 GB of RAM – the memory is shared with the graphics-processing unit. Another interesting fact about RAM in consoles is that PS4 uses GDDR5 memory, while Xbox One is stuck with DDR3 supported by a fast, 32-megabyte eSRAM interface. That's not a lot when we compare it with a typical gaming PC, which, in addition to 8-16 GB of RAM, usually has a graphics card with at least 4 GB of video memory.
Consoles don't use memory the way PCs do, but the RAM installed on the base models of PS4 and Xbox One is undoubtedly one of the limiting factors for the developers. Microsoft's upgraded console, Xbox One X, has 12 gigabytes of RAM, and the next-generation devices will have even more. We already know that Xbox Series X will come with 16 GB of GDDR6 on board, and you can expect the same with PlayStation 5 (we don't know the specifics yet).
What does this mean for PC owners? Why, increasing hardware requirements for games, of course. Virtual worlds will become even bigger and more impressive, but it will take more to lift them, also RAM. 16 GB will soon be the absolute minimum, without which comfortable playing won't be possible. Then if you will require solid 60fps in high resolutions, 32GB might be necessary.
Not just the speed and volume
Speed and the amount of RAM are not the only things to consider when buying memory. The delay, also called access time or "timing," also plays a vital role. We are talking about the CL coefficients (CAS Latency), which determine how much time passes from sending a request to reading data from a given stick. The rule of thumb is that the lower the latency, the better the performance.
However, note that the CL coefficient is a relative value, meaning it determines (in simplification) the number of RAM clock cycles which the controller has to wait through. This means that slower memory with lower latency is likely to be less efficient than a faster module with higher latency. Currently, a gaming rig is completely fine with CL 15, maybe CL 16 RAM.
You should also know that some motherboards allow you to manually change the timings, which allows you to extract much more performance from your RAM. This is, in fact, a subject for a separate, extensive guide, but if you are interested in this issue, you will find a lot of useful information for example here.
When even 16 GB is not enough…
Some of us use the computer not only for games, but also for work. This is another scenario, where buying 32 GB of RAM may be a good idea, but it all depends on the specifics of your profession. If you often work with large files (e.g. creating music) or working on multiple devices at once, investing in additional memory can bring you tangible benefits. Time is money, and a faster computer in such situations will be worth the commitment. As always you should research the subject matter – for example, it seems that additional memory helps in rendering 4K clips faster, but that actually isn't the case.
Another interesting way to use extra RAM is to install a RAM Disk application, which allows you to convert any extra memory you have to an ultra-fast disk, which can be used, for example, to store temporary work files. This reduces the time needed to access them, which, when viewed from the point of view of an entire working day, can also save a lot of time, especially if you operate on numerous different documents every day. The creation of a RAM disk is very simple. Just download and install software such as Ultra RAMDisk or Radeon RAMDisk, and determine the amount of space you want to use in the settings. You may also have to install additional drivers that the app will ask for. You can find more info about that on the websites of these applications.
The article was created in collaboration with HyperX, the manufacturer of HyperX FURY and FURY RGB memory sticks.