Does your PC need more RAM for video gaming?

Today, as we all get used to being stuck inside a little more than we probably planned, one hobby that is growing massively is video gaming. As more and more of us get sick of TV and movies, we turn to other forms of digital entertainment to keep our minds occupied. And one of the most enjoyable ways to have some fun at the moment is with video gaming – but when it comes to video gaming on a PC, you need to have the right specifications.

And chief among those specifications is how much Random Access Memory (RAM) your PC has. While RAM is not the only thing that matters when running a PC for gaming, it’s a big part of the performance you get. Noticing a game is loading poorly or stuttering badly? Then you might need to think about upgrading your RAM. But how much RAM do you need?

And is it really going to the main thing to upgrade? Or do other components matter more in comparison here?

Always ready the system requirements

Before installing a game, make sure you check the system requirements online and/or on the box. Typically, we would recommend that you take a look at the system requirements in the ‘Recommended’ section instead.

This is much more useful to let you know what you need for high performance, not just for bare minimum performance. Always look to get something closer to the Recommended specs, which today often means something in the 4GB+ range for most games.

Your CPU matters, too

However, don’t think that simply going out and buying double the RAM being asked for is going to make your games run amazingly at 4K. If your CPU is a good bit below the limitations that are in place on the box, then you should probably look to upgrade the CPU before you do anything else.

RAM can make up for a shortfall, but it cannot make a CPU that is way below the working and quality standard expected magically do the job required.

The same goes for your GPU

At the same time, your video card (GPU) is one of the most vital parts of a modern gaming machine. If you intend to get a smooth performance, make sure you look to buy a GPU that can handle the performance needs. Just as with the CPU, a high RAM number is not going to magically make a PC without a strong enough CPU/GPU perform to the expected standard just because you hoped for it.

Always invest in the whole

While RAM is a big part of the process, don’t expect RAM to be the be-all game changer. If you have a game that is running well, say about 80-85% of what you would want, then some RAM could be the difference-maker. If it’s barely hitting 50-60% of desired performance, though, you’ll likely find that you need a more thorough PC-tune up than simply buying more RAM!