How Does RAM Affect PC Gaming?

Are you experiencing lagging and stutters while gaming? Is your computer crashing or giving you reports saying “Your computer is low on memory”?  You should probably add more RAM to help supply your computer’s memory transfer rate needs.  Now you are stuck asking the question “How much RAM do I need to add?”.

Having the correct amount of RAM is key for gaming because of the constant need to store and transfer files.  While you are playing a game, it is storing and swapping temporary files and since hard drives are not as fast as RAMs, the task of file transfers is given to the RAM instead of the hard drive. 

Now keep in mind if the computer runs out of RAM, it defaults to use the hard drive’s special file called a “swap file”.  Because hard drives are slower at storing and transferring files than RAM, it makes for performance issues and a slower response time. Which will create an overall poor gaming experience.

4GB RAM, 8GB RAM, and 16GB RAM

Let’s start with 4GB RAM, there has been research that shows proof that a good number of games out today can be run with 4GB, but if you are already looking to make an investment it would be wise to look for something that you won’t need to upgrade soon to meet new games compatibility.

Next, we have 8GB RAM, which most games now days run perfectly with little to no issues.  8GB RAM is currently where the sweet spot is, you should see results from this investment.  Although, with new game developments and technological advancements you must consider the need to upgrade sooner than you had anticipated.

Finally, we have a 16GB RAM, which might be worth the investment depending on what you are looking to do now and in the future without having more expenses on upgrades.  While 8GB will suffice for most games now, in the future you will have to upgrade again to 16GB.  Now you need to decide if you want to make the investment up front to spare yourself those upgrade costs in the future.

Check out our selection of RAM for your gaming needs today.