In the last year, I have built my very first PC from scratch. From my short experience, I have learnt a lot about what you should and shouldn’t buy for a new gaming PC. RAM or Random Access Memory is a very important component for a new PC. without it, the PC simply wouldn’t boot.
RAM holds the data that your CPU has not yet processed. It is the go-between for the Hard drive (Be it HDD or SDD) and the CPU. All applications that you have running, are saved in the RAM. Therefore the greater amount of RAM you have, the more demanding programs you can run without being a bottleneck. For games, this means reduced chances of FPS drops especially with more demanding games.
How Much RAM should I have?
This entirely depends on your motherboard (where all the components are placed) and the games you play. Smaller form PCs will have fewer RAM slots. Cheaper motherboards will unlikely have the latest version of RAM. The lower the ram slots and the lower version reduces the maximum you can have.
| RAM Version | Max RAM per Module | Release Year |
|---|---|---|
DDR5 | 256GB | 2020 |
DDR4 | 64GB | 2014 |
DDR3 | 16GB | 2007 |
Even though DDR5 has a higher capacity, it is not yet in mainstream production. DDR4 is the most common. Most games that are currently released recommend at least 16GB. So depending on your Motherboard, try to aim for 32GB.
Should the RAM size be the same across modules?
Each motherboard will have a different number of memory slots. These will always be even numbers, usually 2 or 4. The next factor you need to look into is whether the slots support Dual/Quad-channel RAM. If they support dual-channel then preferably the two RAM sticks that are linked must be of the same capacity and bandwidth for it to work optimally. If Quad Channel, and has 4 slots, then all 4 should be of the same capacity. You can have a mix of capacities and manufacturers however the RAM will work sub-optimally.
What Games Currently Require in RAM size
Below are the top 10 most played games on Steam and their RAM requirements:
| Game | Minimum (GB) | Recommended (GB) |
|---|---|---|
Farming Simulator 2022 | 8 | 8 |
Football Manager 2022 | 4 | 4 |
Battlefield 2042 | 8 | 16 |
Forza Horizon 5 | 8 | 16 |
Death Stranding | 8 | 8 |
FIFA 22 | 8 | 8 |
Age of Empires IV | 8 | 16 |
Myth of Empires | 8 | 16 |
Satisfactory | 8 | N/A |
Back 4 Blood | 8 | 12 |
As you can see from the table above. 8GB is the bare minimum that you can have to play the latest games. 16GB will be best, however anything more will last a lot longer. I’m currently running 2x8GB DDR4 setup and it works flawlessly with most of these games. But I should have gone for more.
How easy is it to replace RAM?
This entirely depends on your PC/Laptop. Most Laptops will have an easy to find removable cover which can be removed that exposes the existing RAM. For towers, it will depend on your setup as well as how messy the cabling is. Once you’ve located the RAM, unclip it and remove it. Place the old RAM in an anti-static bag. Then pop the new RAM in and clip it back into position.
The first time I did it myself the PC wouldn’t boot up. I figured out that it was because the RAM wasn’t seated fully in the slot. If you have the same problem make sure you have positioned it the right way round. For a difficulty rating, it would be around a 2/10.
Final Thoughts
You should now know what RAM does inside a gaming PC. And how to get the right RAM for your motherboard. It is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to upgrade a PC. If you get DDR4/5 RAM this can be used in future builds.
Use this website to find out the requirement