Choosing RAM for Gaming PC

Random Access Memory or Ram is the crucial component of a PC that stores your stuff for a short term. It plays an important role in determining the speed of your system. If your gaming rig has a low RAM, then your game will lag since its data will anot be stored and accessed remotely in the RAM.

If you’re building a gaming PC, then 8 GB is the bare minimum RAM that you require. All the latest, as well as upcoming titles such as Player’s Unknown Battlegrounds, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Assassin’s Creed Odessy, require at least 8 GB of RAM.

8 GB is the minimum RAM according to the modern standard. However, it is way below the recommended standards, which are around the range of 16 GB. It is certainly not possible that any game that will release this year or even the next will consume 100% of the 16 GB RAM, but many AAA titles will consume 100% of your 8 GB RAM if you try and vamp up the settings from the ‘low’ preset.

You will eventually require 16 GB of RAM if you plan to use your gaming PC for more than a year or so from now. Adding a 16 GB RAM will future-proof your PC and guarantee smooth performance. However, it will bump up the total cost of your build. So, depending upon your budget, you may want to start off with 16 GB of RAM or upgrade it later on.

A word of Caution: If you plan to record your gameplay or even play your games on a higher setting than ‘low’ or ‘medium’, then you will need a 16 GB RAM.

Now that you’ve decided how much RAM you need, you need to decide which what size of memory sticks you need. You may opt for a couple of 4 GB sticks as compared to just one 8 GB memory stick, as this will be cheaper. But you need to look out for space on your motherboard.

It won’t be wise if your motherboard could only accommodate two sticks of RAM and you fit two sticks of 4 GB each. Then you’ll have to discard one or even both of them if you wish to upgrade your RAM in the future.

On the other hand, a single 16 GB memory stick will come with a whopping price tag. So the wisest choice is to opt for an 8 GB memory stick.

Another factor you should look out for is the type of memory- DDR3 or DDR4. DDR4 RAM operates on a lower voltage than DDR3 RAM. However, the main difference is the speed; DDR3 specifications start at 800 MT/s (or Millions of Transfers per second) but DDR4, meanwhile, starts at 2133 MHz. DDR4 RAM is becoming more common and affordable with each passing day. However, you may be able to save some bucks if you choose to opt for a DDR3 RAM instead of a DDR4 RAM.