This is how much RAM you actually need for gaming

The amount of RAM needed for gaming is a constant subject of argument among PC users, with gamers advocating memory amounts from as low as 4GB to as high as 128GB.

In addition, debate exists over the benefits of DDR4 memory versus the older DDR3 variety.

Gamers are most interested in the effect that different amounts and types of RAM have on their PC’s gaming performance, and we’ve compared various benchmarks in order to simplify your next RAM purchase.

Benchmarks

Below are the results of video game benchmarks courtesy of Techspot, which compare the performance of 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB memory amounts across a selection of games while having 65 Google Chrome tabs open:

The following benchmarks measure the difference in performance between 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB RAM amounts when playing games at a resolution of 4K, courtesy of Hardware Unboxed:

Capacity versus Speed

It is important to understand that with regards to PC gaming, it is more important to have enough capacity rather than high speed.

Memory speed does not significantly affect gaming performance, and you would be better off using 8GB of 1,333MHz value RAM rather than 2GB of 4,000MHz RAM.

As seen from the benchmarks above, the amount of RAM your PC has makes very little difference as long as it is above 4GB.

Gamers would currently be better off investing in an SSD or a more powerful video card than upgrading from their 8GB RAM kit.