How Much Memory Do You Need for Gaming?

In the world of gaming, performance is everything, and having the right amount of memory is key to a smooth, responsive experience.

Whether you're diving into the latest AAA titles or using multiple applications, sufficient RAM not only improves gaming performance but also supports multitasking and future-proofs your system for more demanding titles.

With modern game engines and increasing background app requirements, 32GB is becoming the minimum recommended amount for you to get the most out of your PC gaming experience.

What is RAM?

Memory, also referred to as RAM (Random Access Memory), is the computer’s short-term, fast-access storage that temporarily holds data between the processor and long-term storage devices like SSDs and HDDs, where information is stored more permanently.

RAM is essential for allowing a computer to quickly access and process the data needed to run applications and perform tasks – especially for gaming PCs that demand fast and smooth performance for an optimal gaming experience.

How does RAM work?

When you launch a game on a PC, all the relevant data that your PC needs to access during gameplay is loaded into RAM for quick access. Without this, your system would have to constantly pull information from the SSD or HDD, which would make your computer so slow it would be unusable.

If your PC glitches and experiences slow response times during gameplay, it might be a sign that you need more memory.

For any gamer who wants to improve their gaming experience, having more than the minimum required memory for the titles that you want to play is recommended. As, extra RAM reduces the constant back and forth data swaps that happen with storage, making games and applications respond faster.

How more RAM improves multitasking performance

More RAM doesn't only help you when you're enjoying the latest title, but also with multi-tasking and bottlenecks:

1. Eliminates performance bottlenecks – Games can use more RAM for faster data access, reducing reliance on slower storage solutions.
2. Room for background apps – For if you are running Discord, Chrome, OBS, RGB control software, and game launchers while playing. These applications can easily eat up several GBs of memory.
3. Future-proofing – With game sizes and complexity increasing, planning for tomorrow’s memory needs (32GB+) ensures you won’t need to upgrade again anytime soon and can get the most out of your current games.
4. Better multitasking – Whether alt-tabbing to check guides, watching streams, or recording gameplay, extra RAM ensures smooth transitions without crashing.
5. Windows 11 – 32GB of RAM is an ideal base amount for Windows 11, particularly with the 24H2 update that incorporates AI PC capabilities. 32GB provides ample memory for multitasking, smooth performance when using demanding applications, and futureproofing for gaming and content creation.

32GB of RAM: the new gaming standard

How much memory you need for gaming does not only depend on what games you want to play, but also how many other applications you have open in the background.

For years, 16GB of RAM was the sweet spot for your gaming needs, but as times have changed with game engines, AI processing, and background apps demanding more memory, 32GB of RAM has become the new baseline for a smooth gaming experience.

If you want to enjoy smooth gameplay for the big games that we looked at earlier, while keeping your system ready for future releases, investing in 32GB of high-speed RAM is a smart move.

While 32GB of RAM may sound like a lot, having a surplus of available RAM capacity can make a huge difference in performance and proves why so many gaming enthusiasts add 32GB, 48GB, or even 64GB of RAM to their systems.

Don’t let outdated hardware limit your gaming experience. Upgrade today and unlock the full potential of your gaming PC!