CPU/Mobo How long will 16gb RAM suffice for gaming?

Slayer88

Slayer88

Adept
Hey all - I wanted to get your views on how long you guys think 16gb ram will cut it (Purely gaming focus). Do you think 16gb+ Ram will be beneficial/the norm, soon?.

Do any y'all have any games hitting/coming close to that threshold right now?

I intend to keep my system (details in sig) for another 3 years at the bare minimum.

TIA.
 
It's upto you if you like to compromise with closing down browsers and other tasks when you game you can still make do with 16GB and many AAA games can go well beyond 12GB usage on total RAM (not just the game occupying it all).
For me, I want my PC to do what I want everytime and I don't like closing off my tasks when I want to run a game or VM etc hence I've switched to 32GB RAM for now with 2 slots still empty.
Right now with my browsers open (Chrome and FF) and skype, steam I'm occupying 50% of the RAM no game running yet.

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So completely your choice. It may become stutter-fest in 2-3 years with 16GB RAM.
 
I think 16GB will be the standard for at least the time till this console generation lasts, since devs do target games for them as well. Current (next gen) consoles have 16GN of VRAM shared across CPU and GPU, whereas computers have the advantage of having separate RAM and VRAM. So imo 16GB RAM should be the new standard for at least the next 4-5 years, just like how 8GB RAM has been standard since the Xbox One and PS4 gen. I think it'll take at least 3 years when we'll start seeing more than 16GB RAM as recommended requirements, and even then 16GB should suffice since that will be minimum anyway.
So overall I think 16GB should tide over for at least next half a decade of gaming, if not more.
 
16gigs is now becoming the bare minimum norm & so dont be surprised if after 3yrs 32gb becoems the new min. norm esp one getting a single 64gb stick on DDR5 technology sooner or later..
Rest everything depends on your personal usage incl. multiple apps in bg.
 
nRiTeCh said:
16gigs is now becoming the bare minimum norm & so dont be surprised if after 3yrs 32gb becoems the new min. norm esp one getting a single 64gb stick on DDR5 technology sooner or later..
Rest everything depends on your personal usage incl. multiple apps in bg.
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Many laptops still are shipping with 8 gb of ram tho.
 
DrkLord said:
Many laptops still are shipping with 8 gb of ram tho.
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I"m focusing on desktops here. Any new build and you are by default quoted 8gb*2 and unless one is very tight on budget, he will go for 8gb and upgrade later.
Laptops is altogether a different story.
 
nRiTeCh said:
I"m focusing on desktops here. Any new build and you are by default quoted 8gb*2 and unless one is very tight on budget, he will go for 8gb and upgrade later.
Laptops is altogether a different story.
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Yeah you are right. Stil, laptops must have some bearing on the requirements also currently the only game that pushes the graphics is red dead redemption 2. There is also, metro exodus and death stranding but they are bit niche, atleast in India not that Indian gamers have any leverage on game development industry. There is slim chance that we will see a game like RDR2 in next 3 years. Sure, if one wants to run a game and leave some other programs in the background 32 gb is nice to have. But the common denominator isn't going to shift from 16 gb to 32 gb any soon.
 
enthusiast29 said:
It's upto you if you like to compromise with closing down browsers and other tasks when you game you can still make do with 16GB and many AAA games can go well beyond 12GB usage on total RAM (not just the game occupying it all).
For me, I want my PC to do what I want everytime and I don't like closing off my tasks when I want to run a game or VM etc hence I've switched to 32GB RAM for now with 2 slots still empty.
Right now with my browsers open (Chrome and FF) and skype, steam I'm occupying 50% of the RAM no game running yet.

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So completely your choice. It may become stutter-fest in 2-3 years with 16GB RAM.
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Thanks, I have a NUC for browsing/Downloads so the gaming PC is only used for gaming and running any rips so high bitrate that the NUC can't handle.
TheCoolerPlayer said:
I think 16GB will be the standard for at least the time till this console generation lasts, since devs do target games for them as well. Current (next gen) consoles have 16GN of VRAM shared across CPU and GPU, whereas computers have the advantage of having separate RAM and VRAM. So imo 16GB RAM should be the new standard for at least the next 4-5 years, just like how 8GB RAM has been standard since the Xbox One and PS4 gen. I think it'll take at least 3 years when we'll start seeing more than 16GB RAM as recommended requirements, and even then 16GB should suffice since that will be minimum anyway.
So overall I think 16GB should tide over for at least next half a decade of gaming, if not more.
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I'm thinking the same as you mention above. I don't want to invest in 32gb that will lead to 0 returns at all. Thanks for your reply.
nRiTeCh said:
16gigs is now becoming the bare minimum norm & so dont be surprised if after 3yrs 32gb becoems the new min. norm esp one getting a single 64gb stick on DDR5 technology sooner or later..
Rest everything depends on your personal usage incl. multiple apps in bg.
Click to expand...
Hmm.. ddr5 is indeed nearing fast!

Thanks to others for your replies. I'm trying to ensure my investment makes sense.

One might say, that i could always add another 16gb in 2 years if times call for it, but I fear by then, getting the exact same kit as i have in my rig now may not be as easy as it is today.
 
Slayer88 said:
Thanks, I have a NUC for browsing/Downloads so the gaming PC is only used for gaming and running any rips so high bitrate that the NUC can't handle.

I'm thinking the same as you mention above. I don't want to invest in 32gb that will lead to 0 returns at all. Thanks for your reply.

Hmm.. ddr5 is indeed nearing fast!

Thanks to others for your replies. I'm trying to ensure my investment makes sense.

One might say, that i could always add another 16gb in 2 years if times call for it, but I fear by then, getting the exact same kit as i have in my rig now may not be as easy as it is today.
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if only looking for gaming then its good for atleast 2 to 3 years. else get 32gigs. I am using around 19gb plus while gaming + streaming at max. so its pretty close to the current 16gb norm.
 
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princeoo7 said:
if only looking for gaming then its good for atleast 2 to 3 years. else get 32gigs. I am using around 19gb plus while gaming + streaming at max. so its pretty close to the current 16gb norm.
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Thanks. I dont (and have no intention to start) stream. I will get 32gb if i get a good deal, only. I'm anyway pretty tight on funds. Cheers
 
Slayer88 said:
Thanks. I dont (and have no intention to start) stream. I will get 32gb if i get a good deal, only. I'm anyway pretty tight on funds. Cheers
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I think from current market pricing, you will spend around 16k or so on a 32gig kit. keep that in mind.
 
been running 16gb for a while, while idle surfing or streaming, i have rarely ever crossed 4-6 gb usage
during gaming havent seen it cross 10-12gb yet.
there might always be an outlier game or user case which may show more, but as an avg these values should hold good
 
I am building an ITX PC which I intend to drive for as long as possible so I am stuck in the same dilemma; whether to go 32 GB or save a buck with 16 GB.

When I built my last machine in 2011, I had a 2×4 GB DDR3 combo which was adequate till 2016. I started contemplating adding another 8 GB as I experienced functional restrictions but since DDR4 had become the norm, it was impossible to buy an 8 GB kit at a reasonable cost.

If I go the 32 GB route today, I'll end up spending ₹6200 for the additional 16 GB, which seems an overkill, but it will be useful if I intend to use the PC longer.

Of course, 16 GB will suffice you in the coming years but the next upgrade will be a total revamp of the core components and they are always more expensive than a RAM stick.
I've never felt that I had tremendous gains from a CPU or Motherboard upgrade when compared to a HDD to SSD, 8GB to 16 GB RAM or newer GPU version.

So, unless you are absolutely certain to upgrade the CPU, Motherboard and RAM in the coming 3 years, stick with 16 GB. Else, get the 32 GB and delay your upgrade date. I feel, I'm better off spending the money later on extra monitor, GPU, storage or software services instead of spending again on core components whose cost rises with time.

A good processor (5600x 6c12t) today costs ₹27,000 but when I built my system, I spent around ₹9000 on a i5 2500 4c4t. Both of them are good mid-range processors of their time but the cost of a good mid-range processor has risen a lot faster than the cost of a higher capacity RAM. You can expect a good processor to cost over 30k in 3 years but you might spend the same amount of money by today's standards on RAM but get a higher capacity stick.

Also, you also never know what might interest you later (VM in my case) that might need the extra RAM.
 
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I have 32 GB of RAM, for regular use and gaming i almost never cross 50% use. Unless youre going to do some heavy rendering or editing or VM works, 16 gB will suffice for the forseeable future, rest assured.
 
enthusiast29 said:
(Chrome and FF) and skype,
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That's an awful lot of usage. But shouldn't be surprised since it's Chrome and Skype I guess.

Imma stick to 16GB for now since I don't have an immediate need for more RAM. The next jump will probably be to DDR5 (once it matures) unless for whatever reason I'm having to go beyond 16GB before that jump.
 
zero_cool said:
I am building an ITX PC which I intend to drive for as long as possible so I am stuck in the same dilemma; whether to go 32 GB or save a buck with 16 GB.

When I built my last machine in 2011, I had a 2×4 GB DDR3 combo which was adequate till 2017. I started contemplating adding another 8 GB as I experienced functional restrictions but since DDR4 had become the norm, it was impossible to buy an 8 GB kit at a reasonable cost.

If I go the 32 GB route today, I'll end up spending ₹6200 for the additional 16 GB which seems an overkill but it will be useful if I intend to use the PC longer.

Of course, 16 GB will suffice you in the coming years but the next upgrade will be a total revamp of the core components and they are always more expensive than a RAM stick.
I've never felt that I had tremendous gains from a CPU or Motherboard upgrade when compared to a HDD to SSD, 8GB to 16 GB RAM or newer GPU version.

So, unless you are absolutely sure to upgrade the CPU, Motherboard and RAM in the coming 3 years, stick with 16 GB. Else, get the 32 GB and delay your upgrade date. I feel, I'm better off spending the money later on extra monitor, GPU, storage or software services instead of spending again on core components whose cost rises with time.

A good processor (5600x 6c12t) today costs ₹27,000 but when I built my system, I spent around ₹9000 on an i5 2500 4c4t. Both of them are good mid-range processors of their time but the cost of a good mid range processor has risen a lot faster than the cost of a higher capacity RAM. You can expect a good processor to cost over 30k in 3 years but you might end spending the same amount of money by today's standards on RAM but a higher capacity stick.

Also, you also never know what might interest you later (VM in my case) that might need the extra RAM.
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Thanks, I used my last Ivy Bridge system for 7 years only upgraded the GPU across the years. :D
roofrider said:
That's an awful lot of usage. But shouldn't be surprised since it's Chrome and Skype I guess.

Imma stick to 16GB for now since I don't have an immediate need for more RAM. The next jump will probably be to DDR5 (once it matures) unless for whatever reason I'm having to go beyond 16GB before that jump.
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Indeed that's a lot of usage.

Update to all, I got a local deal and pulled the trigger on 32gb. RN, Overkill? Yes. Future proof : Check, Brag rights: Check.

Thanks again, all, for your suggestions. Cheers!

@mods, requirement Fulfilled, y'all can lock this thread.
 
Slayer88 said:
Hey all - I wanted to get your views on how long you guys think 16gb ram will cut it (Purely gaming focus). Do you think 16gb+ Ram will be beneficial/the norm, soon?.

Do any y'all have any games hitting/coming close to that threshold right now?

I intend to keep my system (details in sig) for another 3 years at the bare minimum.

TIA.
Click to expand...
Games like RDR2 (which is a little old today) doesn't work with 16gb if you disable swapfiles. I suppose if at the bare minimum, 16gb should surface of a couple of years.
 
Mann said:
Games like RDR2 (which is a little old today) doesn't work with 16gb if you disable swapfiles. I suppose if at the bare minimum, 16gb should surface of a couple of years.
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I didn't know that. Rdr2 already struggles on my pc when it gets hot but till then 16 gb holds fine. I'm guessing swapfile must be on by default then.
 
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