How much RAM do I need : When it comes to speed, we need our computer to respond. In this note, you will find some tips to make the best choice.
Whenever we think of a computer, some keywords come to minds, such as storage, connectivity, and memory. And the latter may occupy a large percentage of queries when it comes time to choose. The memory of a computer is one of the elements that determine how fast a PC is.
Those of us who use technological devices such as PCs or smartphones daily know that the more RAM they have, the faster they will be and the more expensive.
How Much RAM do I Need for Gaming, Laptop, Window 10
The RAM is a fundamental component of any PC, and you need to say the least with a minimum capacity that allows work with some fluency.
This “Random Access Memory” is mainly used to load instructions from the CPU together with the cache memories that the processor itself incorporates and handle system data and increasingly “greedy” applications.
All operating systems, applications or games usually set the minimum RAM requirements necessary for their execution. There is an excellent distance from theory to practice, and these requirements are often too “minimal”, so it is always advisable to go above them.
We review them so that you have an idea as an approximation because each user and team is a different “universe”, and it will also depend on the tasks you perform.
1 GB
It is the minimum requirement established by vendors such as Microsoft for the 32-bit version of Windows 10. It has not changed in the last five years, and we will tell you that you do not know.
Although the system can run with it (boot and little else), the experience is unfortunate. If you have a computer like this (old netbook or similar), you should expand the memory.
2 GB
It is the minimum requirement set by Microsoft for the 64-bit version of Windows 10, and it is the absolute minimum that you should handle.
You’ll go just right for basic operations like web browsing (although don’t expect to run a browser with dozens of tabs open), email, word processing, or basic multimedia.
4GB
It is only twice as long as the previous one, but it is going from night today. The applications not only run faster, but you can also run more applications simultaneously.
In a memory gobbler like the Chrome browser, we can already open a few tabs (without going overboard), and more advanced applications like Photoshop can be run (or so Adobe says).
Keep in mind that if you use 32-bit Windows systems, you will only be able to use 3.2 Gbytes of that memory due to the memory addressing limitations in that version of the system.
8 GB
It is the standard in a current mid-range PC up. Most manufacturers offer it in new equipment and look for (minimum) in a 2021 equipment in that market range.
This is the amount of RAM recommended by Adobe for users running Creative Cloud applications and generally can start to handle photo or video editing and rendering applications with resolutions up to FHD.
It also allows you to use databases or spreadsheets and multitasking without going overboard because the RAM will fill up soon. You need 64-bit systems to handle this memory size and higher.
16 GB
It is the amount to look for in a newly acquired premium equipment, although – depending on the budget – 8 GB can be purchased and later updated.
Here, a world of new possibilities opens up to us, including professional work with CAD and 3D, RAW image processing or 4K videos with applications such as Premiere Pro or After Effects, without going overboard because, as we say, the RAM will end up running out.
Multitasking is noticeably improved, and we can accumulate multiple tabs/web browser sessions.
32 GB
Although you can work with lower amounts, with these 32 Gbytes, we already add to all the above the possibility of executing tasks as virtual machines to which a part of the resources of the leading computer must be dedicated.
Larger images and videos can be uploaded and edited with ease. This is usually the maximum supported on consumer laptops.
64 to 128 GB
It is the maximum supported on client machines and is usually reserved for professional workstations, both desktop and mobile workstations that have recently expanded their support to 128 GB.
It allows you to edit 8K video, work with large RAW images and run professional CAD and 3D applications in complete comfort.
In terms of operating systems, you will not have a problem because Windows 10 Home 64-bit supports up to 128 Gbytes, and Windows 10 Pro, Education and Enterprise can handle up to 2 Tbytes.
How Much RAM do i Need for Gaming
Running games on PC deserves a complete stop. They are very demanding, and the big titles demand 8 or 16 Gbytes. Also, keep in mind that RAM is also used as video memory in integrated graphics.
A week ago, we published a special on VRAM memory, the visual memory that graphics cards include.
They are dedicated chips included in the same card and handle the loading of textures and other requirements by themselves, although they also consume RAM.
However, the integrated graphics that manufacturers like Intel use in their processors, instead of incorporating their memory, use the available RAM of the system.
They can use up to 2 Gbytes of it, which we must consider when evaluating the memory requirement.
Is 8GB RAM enough for gaming
The execution of video games deserves a separate mention. Many of the fantastic games are cross-platform and designed for consoles and PCs.
Considering that PS4 and Xbox One have 8 Gbytes, it is not surprising that this is the recommended measure for big games, although some already require 16 Gbytes.
The recommended 8 Gbytes apply to computers that have dedicated graphics cards that include their memory. If the computer has integrated graphics, either in processor or chipsets, the question may vary.
Discrete graphics cards include their video RAM ( VRAM ), are helpful, for example, for loading textures and are independent of RAM.
In contrast, the integrated graphics that Intel uses in its processors, instead of incorporating its memory, use the available RAM of the system.
Intel reports in this article that the maximum amount of RAM your integrated graphics can reserve is approximately 1.8GB, which we will need to consider when evaluating memory requirement.
In any case, the recommended size of 8 GB is also valid for integrated, knowing that high-end titles will be practically unplayable on an Intel integrated and will need a dedicated one with its memory.
Also Read : What is Computer?
How Do I Upgrade RAM?
Expanding RAM has direct and immediate benefits on the performance of any computer (such as changing from a hard drive to an SSD).
It is one of the maintenance/expansion operations that you will ever have to perform.
What type and how much memory does the equipment have
The first and foremost thing is to know the memory that we have installed in the equipment.
Check if we have available space to increase it, either as a replacement for the current one, or better, adding a module to take advantage of it, and up to what amount our PC supports.
Each computer is different, and you will find any scenario, including memory chips punctured on the board, that you will not be able to replace.
To find out what to expect and before considering the purchase of the new module or the opening of the equipment, we run a tool that offers us the information we need.
One of them is explicitly RAMMon from PassMark. It is freely available. We download it, install it, and there we will have all the necessary information.
Purchase and Installation of RAM
From here, it’s time to look for the necessary modules to carry out the expansion if we can take advantage of the memory that is already installed or its replacement with new modules if this is not possible.
There is a lot of RAM (Amazon) offer, from 1 to 16 Gbytes, and generally, you will find it in single modules to kits with multiple units.
Please note that laptop modules are different from those installed in typical desktops and are included in LPDDR (Mobile) format versus standard DDRs for desktops.
You also have to consider the interface they use, currently DDR3 and DDR4 as the most used.
A recommendation that must be followed when expanding the RAM. The operation of this component is susceptible, and we need to include a model that is as similar as possible in characteristics (quantity, frequencies, voltages, latencies) to the one we already have to be identical and from the same manufacturer.
Otherwise, we will run into a bunch of random bugs that will drive us crazy.
Once the second module (or the necessary ones) is installed, we must check it using tools such as MemTest86, one of the most complete on the market.
It is available in commercial versions, and it is also free with everything you need, supporting 32 and 64 bit Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.
If any of the tests fail, it is possible that there is an incompatibility between the modules you have purchased or that one of them is defective.
Also Read : Third Generation Computers
How Much RAM do i Need Laptop and Current PC
Considering that any component of the PC uses this «Random Access Memory», it is necessary to have at least a minimum capacity that allows working with the equipment.
But how far can we go with that “minimum”? We review it to give you an idea, although each user and team is a separate “universe” and will depend a lot on the team’s use.
1 GB
Microsoft’s minimum requirement for the 32-bit version of Windows 10, and although the system can run with it (boot and little else), the experience is unfortunate.
If you have a computer like this (old netbook or similar), you have to look for a second module.
2 GB
It is the minimum requirement set by Microsoft for the 64-bit version of Windows 10, and it is the absolute minimum that you should handle.
It’s just suitable for basic operations like web browsing (although don’t expect to run a browser with dozens of tabs open), email, word processing, or basic multimedia.
4 GB
It is only twice as long as the previous one, but it is going from night today. The applications not only run faster, but you can also run more applications simultaneously.
In a memory gobbler like the Chrome browser, we can already open a few tabs (without going overboard), and more advanced applications like Photoshop can be run (or so Adobe says).
Keep in mind that if you use 32-bit Windows systems, you will only be able to use 3.2 Gbytes of that memory due to memory addressing limitations. In 64-bit versions, you can use 4 Gbytes.
8 GB
It is the current standard from the mid-range on PC. Most manufacturers offer it in new equipment and look for (minimum) in a 2021 equipment in that market range.
This is the amount of RAM recommended by Adobe for users running Creative Cloud applications and generally can start to handle photo or video editing and rendering applications with resolutions up to FHD.
The same computing tasks with databases or spreadsheets and multitasking, without going overboard because the RAM will fill up soon. You need 64-bit systems to handle this memory size.
16 GB
It is the amount to look for in a newly acquired advanced equipment, although – depending on the budget – 8 GB can be purchased and later updated.
Here, a world of new possibilities opens up to us, including professional work with CAD and 3D, RAW image processing or 4K videos with applications such as Premiere Pro or After Effects.
Multitasking is noticeably improved, and we can accumulate multiple tabs/web browser sessions. You need 64-bit systems to handle this memory size.
32 GB and More
Although you can work with lower amounts, from 32 Gbytes, we already add to all the above the possibility of running virtual machines with some ease to which you have to dedicate resources from the central computer.
The 32 Gbytes of RAM is the maximum recommended for a consumer computer. If you use it for professional subjects and need more, there are already mobile workstations supporting 64 and 128 Gbytes.
In desktop machines, the maximum standard in consumption reaches 32-64 Gbytes, while in professional desktop workstations, you have as much as you want.
Windows 10 Pro, Education, and Enterprise can handle up to 2 Tbytes, while Windows 10 Home (always talking about 64-bit versions) supports up to 128 Gbytes.
ALSO READ: What is UPS, Types Of UPS, 5 Benefits of UPS
