How Much RAM Do I Need For Gaming?

If you feel the need for speed, then you probably wonder how much RAM you need for gaming. There are many factors to consider, including the games you play, minimum system requirements, and memory speeds. RAM (random access memory) holds parts of your game in short-term storage for easy access, regardless of the speed of your storage drive. For complicated, realistic games, the short answer is you want as much memory as possible.

What kind of gaming do you do?

As with everything, the answer to “How much RAM is needed for gaming?” depends on what kind of gaming you do, the number of different games you play, and how intensive they are. Games such as Fortnite, League of Legends, and Counter Strike: Global Offense may have lower memory requirements such as 2GB or 4GB, whereas games such as Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) and Rainbow Six Siege have a minimum of 6GB or 8GB. Minimums are just that: the minimum. To maintain higher frames per second rates for smoother gameplay, going above the minimum might be advisable. We all want a system with the best gaming specs to boost our performance.

Gaming memory recommendations

Most games recommend 16GB of memory for speedy, high-performance play. Having this much RAM in your computer will allow you to change what games you play, and to avoid issues with lag and stuttering.

At an absolute minimum, 8GB is usually a good starting point for most games. If you start playing a large landscape game and notice some lag or choppy gameplay, those are good indications you need to install more RAM. If you want to edit your recorded gameplay, then you might want as much as 32GB.

Need for speed

Crucial Ballistix and Ballistix MAX memory is engineered to help you win. Lower latencies, effortless overclocking, aggressive heat spreaders, real-time temperature monitoring, and premium components manufactured to the highest reliability standards all contribute to blistering speeds. With hundreds of awards, multiple esport championships, and numerous overclocking world records under its belt, Crucial Ballistix memory sets the standard for performance and reliability.

Other considerations

Memory is not the only component to consider when you’re looking at your hardware for gaming. Most games also make recommendations about your operating system, CPU, adding an SSD, sound card, and graphics cards. Once you’ve chosen your RAM, it’s easy to install it to your desktop yourself.

Why settle for less? Crucial® Ballistix® is used by professional gaming teams and designed to give you the same performance the pros count on. You can easily upgrade your computer’s memory for gaming. Use the Crucial® Advisor™ tool or System Scanner tool to find the right modules for your system.