When I first got into PC gaming several years ago, one thing became clear to me: my standard, out-of-the-box computer just couldn’t keep up. I quickly learned to build my own. One of the things I discovered is that not having the right amount of RAM can absolutely ruin your gaming experience.
But what is the best RAM for gaming? There’s a lot to take into consideration when building or upgrading the ultimate gaming machine. I’ve learned a lot in my years of tinkering, so I’ll give you a head start by passing my knowledge on to you.
Size Isn’t Everything…
…except for when it comes to RAM. If you want your machine to be able to handle the latest and greatest in gaming, the higher the number, the better (sort of). I think of 8GB as being a bare minimum. If you want to play Mass Effect: Andromeda, for example, you’ll need at least that much for starters…and that’s if you’re not working on other things while you have your game running.
If you tend to multi-task as you game, 8GB is going to leave you a bit short. In my opinion, 16GB is a nice happy medium for those who are hoping to save money, but want a bit of wiggle room. It can make the difference between your game behaving sluggishly or running smoothly with plenty of room leftover for livestreaming, chatting, or doing any number of other things as you play.
Is the maximum amount of RAM necessary? 32GB will give you lots of wiggle room, but may be overkill for most folks who won’t appreciate the jump from an underpowered 8 GB beyond anything more than 16. If you’re going for an overall upgrade – RAM, new video card, etc. – then by all means, go for 32 gigs. If you’re just hoping to bump up performance a bit and are upgrading on a budget, no worries! In my experience, 16 will work just fine.
Beyond that, choose whatever brand tickles your fancy. From Kingston to Patriot, I’ve had success with them all. Have fun upgrading your machine…and happy gaming!
Tried using 8gb for a long time but it was really slowing down my gameplay…16gb does me just fine 🙂