If you plan on playing a multi-player game, or any game that has multiple players online, you have to also consider your internet speed. Some games require a constant connection with other people (World of Warcraft), while others are single players and don’t need an active internet connection (Dragon Age). Either way, this article will help you no matter what type of gamer you are with the information provided below on “how does ram affect gaming?”.
The more RAM there is in your computer, the faster it can process information from programs like anti-virus software, word processors, web browsers, etc… . So if you’re going to use your computer for gaming and use other programs at the same time then having more ram is going to help.
If you have a lot of programs running in the background, your computer will slow down slightly while it deals with them. Having more RAM helps to speed up your computer when this is happening by giving it more space to work with and process information. So if you’re going to be gaming and using other programs at the same time then having more RAM will dramatically increase performance while doing so.
However, we wouldn’t recommend playing games without enough ram because there’s really no point in adding extra ram if you can barely play anything as it is! And remember that regular maintenance is also important for keeping your computer running smoothly; including cleaning out junk files and defragmenting hard drives (which can generally help a small amount, but isn’t a big deal if you forget to do it).
If your computer is running out of ram for whatever reason, you can always free up ram by closing programs that you are not using or uninstalling some programs completely.
Related reading: Best Gaming PC and best gaming monitors.
How Much RAM Do You Need For Gaming?
RAM quantity doesn’t affect FPS directly in any way; however, the more RAM capacity you have the less chance your computer will start shutting down programs or even itself! It’s pretty frustrating when it loads all your games perfectly and then crashes right as you’re about to start playing… So it’s advisable to get at least 8GB of RAM from what we’ve learned while researching this article (gigabytes = ram), which is enough for almost any game out there.
Also read: How to get a free laptop.
When To Move To DDR4 RAM?
DDR3 RAM works by sending electric signals from your CPU to the motherboard which then sends it on to the memory chips (RAM), and DDR4 does this even faster than DDR3, but not that much faster. What this means for you is that if you didn’t upgrade your ram in a long time, say about 5 years or more, then upgrading to DDR4 might result in a slightly better experience while playing games like Starcraft 2 online because of its increased speed. However, since most people who are looking at this article want to play newer games we wouldn’t recommend choosing only based on that fact.
For people who want to play games with highly detailed graphics and a lot of players online, we suggest getting at least 8GB of RAM because it doesn’t cost much more for that small gain in performance. With 16GB you’ll have plenty of room for future games (and programs) without having to worry about buying more memory again! Some good examples can be found in the 500-dollar gaming PC and 700-dollar gaming pc.
As an example, the ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 has 16GB of DDR3 memory (which is enough for almost any game out there) and can play Starcraft 2 online with high details without slowing down. We chose this computer as an example because it’s one of the best bang-for-your-buck computers we’ve found that meets our standards.
Also read: How to install windows on mac.
Dual-Channel RAM vs Single-Channel RAM
Dual-channel RAM is when your computer uses 2 separate groups of memory, which are called channels. Single-channel RAM is a bit more simple and does not separate the groups – it all just goes through one channel (for example 8GB of single-channel ram = 8GB in total). While dual-channel can be much faster than single-channel; since you’re technically using two separate channels (chips) for each 16GB group that you have installed, it’s not that noticeable when playing most games.
So in our opinion, if you have enough money to get 16GB of single-channel or dual-channel ram then go with the dual-channel because it’s faster! But if you’re looking for something cheaper or just don’t want to spend the extra cash then go for a single channel. However that being said, if you can buy 8GB of dual-channel RAM and another 8GB of single-channel RAM then you’ll be golden! Just get two sticks of each type (or whatever your motherboard allows for) so you don’t have to upgrade when a new game comes out.
However, if you have less than 4GB of ram we highly recommend upgrading before buying any games because there are some pretty great games these days that require at least 4GB to run maxed out – like Battlefield 3 or StarCraft 2! If 16GB isn’t enough then just add another stick or four… It’s super easy to install; just follow the instructions in your manual and you’ll be fine!
Also read: How to build a gaming PC and Best budget gaming laptops.
RAM Speed & Timing Explained:
Speed Of The RAM
The speed of your RAM is measured in MHz and it relates to how fast the information is sent from your DDR RAM chips to the CPU. The higher the frequency, the faster it transfers – so for example 1600Mhz is better than 1333mhz because it’s sending information quicker (1333mhz sends it every 333 millionths of a second and 1600mhz sends that same data every 250 millionths! So technically you get more done in 1 second with 1600mhz ram compared to 1333MHz.)
Related reading: Best Gaming PC under 800.
RAM Timing
This term has two meanings; one related to memory and another related to processors. With memory timing, usually, when ordering your ram you’ll see numbers like CL7 or CL8 which represent the ratio between width and frequency (for example 7:8 is a common timing for ram). It’s not that important, but it basically means that your memory will have less time to do more work. The maximum you can go with this parameter would be 10:9, though the higher the number gets the more expensive it becomes and there usually isn’t that much performance gain – just better stability at higher clock speeds.
So if you’re buying new RAM then make sure it has similar timings as your old RAM; otherwise, you may experience some instability. The most popular settings are usually 7-8-7 or 8-8-8 because most motherboards accept these two settings which usually offer the best performance.
Also read: How to check laptop fan.
Conclusion
This guide would let you understand the concept “how does ram affect gaming?”. The amount of RAM you have won’t directly affect how good your FPS is, but it will greatly increase the speed at which your computer runs while gaming because RAM helps to store some of the temporary information that an average computer uses.
And as discussed above, upgrading to DDR4 can help with newer games (like StarCraft2) if you’re still on DDR3; however, we don’t recommend choosing a desktop-only one based on this fact alone. You should get enough ram for the games that you plan on playing in the near future because most people won’t upgrade their computers while they’re perfectly working!
And when buying a computer make sure to check out our recommended gaming computers under the $200 article if you are looking for one. These desktops are small, powerful, and can even play graphics-demanding games like Starcraft 2 online!
Also read: How to build a laptop and best pc cases.
