The vibrant graphics, stunning realistic image quality, and virtual details make 4K gaming desirable. These qualities also add a whole new level of immersion that takes the 4K gaming experience to another level.
For 4K gaming to be possible, you’ll need a system with top-notch hardware. But when you consider how much games have evolved, you’ll be forced to ask the simple question, “how much RAM for 4K gaming is enough?”
Keep reading to learn more!
How Much RAM For 4K Gaming Is Enough?
The minimum required to run 4K graphics is 8GB, though 16GB is the recommended memory size. And keep in mind that most of the latest graphics cards can run 4K.
Besides choosing a powerful RAM, you must also focus on other hardware such as CPU and GPU. You need a powerful GPU and CPU to run 4K games without experiencing stuttering, lag, or other performance-related issues.
Another thing you need to consider is the monitor. If you want to run 4K games, you need to have a 4K monitor.
Is More RAM Important In Gaming?
One of the major discussions people have when building PCs is whether to go for higher or faster RAM. But the thing is, gaming performance doesn’t entirely depend on RAM, though it plays a massive role in FPS.
The build type, such as AMD or Intel processor, also plays a key role. Some central processing units take massive advantage of faster RAMs, whereas others may be slightly affected.
One thing is clear. RAM isn’t the only hardware that impacts gaming performance. The GPU and CPU are also essential.
Here are basic RAM specs to consider.
1: Capacity:
The memory capacity is a crucial factor to consider when choosing RAM. Note that the higher the RAM, the more data the applications can store.
A larger memory will allow more games to run simultaneously and smoothly. In addition, games will be able to store a large chunk of temporary data.
2: Speed:
The measurement for RAM speed is MT/S (mega transfers per second).
It’s also given as speed in megahertz (MHz). A higher rating indicates a faster response to reading and writing requests, leading to improved performance.
In a nutshell, a RAM’s frequency can have a massive impact on performance. And as earlier explained, frequency implies how many times the memory can read and write data per second.
For instance, a frequency of 1600MHz means the memory can read and write 1.6 billion times per second. Thus, the higher the frequency, the more data it can read and store. A higher frequency can also enable game assets to load faster, delivering a better gaming experience to players.
3: CAS Latency:
CAS (Column Access Strobe) latency is another crucial factor to consider. It refers to the time delay data requested by the CPU is delivered by the RAM and the lower the CAS latency, the better.
DDR3 kits boast a latency of approximately 10, while DDR4 boasts a latency of 15.
However, DDR4 is better than DDR3. Why? It boasts faster clock speeds, higher storage density, and power efficiency.
A Handy Tip: Memory speed doesn’t affect all applications and games equally. For instance, if you’re playing a game at a resolution of 1080p, RAM speed might not have much impact. You might not even notice any significant changes.
There’s a massive difference when playing a video game at 4K resolution (and you have a powerful GPU too). In this case, the impact RAM speed will have on performance will be significant.
Finally, to witness significant performance improvement, ensure you have a faster CPU and pair it with speedier memory. The CPU processes data faster than the RAM. Thus, it requires quick and consistent transfer of memory.
If this doesn’t happen, the CPU will remain idle. And in this case, the onboard memory will end up processing and moving data to the CPU. The drawback in this is that it consumes more power, plus it’s time-wasting.
Is 4GB RAM Enough For 4K Gaming?
4K resolution games are high-end titles. These types of games also require powerful hardware. Unfortunately, 4GB memory isn’t ideal for 4K games.
For gaming, there are obvious benefits to running RAM that boasts highly-rated speed. Though it won’t have as much impact as upgrading your GPU or CPU, you will still notice some improvement. Faster RAM improves game performance, including the frame rate.
That said, 4GB memory isn’t ideal for 4K gaming. The games won’t run smoothly, and you won’t enjoy the process. You also can’t multitask when playing 4K games on a 4GB memory. It’s not possible.
The essence of playing a video game is for entertainment and pleasure. However, 4GB memory and high-end 4K games cannot guarantee such output.
A Handy Tip: If your laptop has a powerful GPU, CPU, and 4GB memory, you won’t enjoy playing 4K games. As we said earlier, the processor needs faster RAM. And what’s more, having enough space in your RAM will allow you to multitask.
Is 8GB RAM Enough For 4K Gaming?
Are you wondering if 8GB RAM is enough for 4K gaming? First, you’ll accept that 8GB is an upgrade on the 4GB memory. But then, is it enough for high-end 4K gaming?
It’s possible to play 4K games on 8GB memory, but how well the system will perform is another thing to consider. So, keep in mind that you’ll encounter plenty of in-game stuttering when playing 4K games on 8GB memory.
A Handy Tip: You can play games at 1080p high settings on 8GB RAM without encountering any issues. But with 4K or even 2K gaming, the game could stutter throughout.
Is 16GB RAM Enough For 4K Gaming?
Yes, 16GB is enough memory to play 4K games. It will improve your gaming experience, especially if you’re the kind of person that likes to leave other background tasks running while playing any modern game.
In plain terms, 16GB of memory is the baseline. However, you may need higher memory to play certain games in 4K resolution. An example is the Hogwarts Legacy, which requires 32GB minimum memory. You also have other games in this category that require similar RAM.
If you’re building a gaming PC or buying a pre-built one that can handle most games in 4K resolution, I would say 16GB memory is a reasonable option. You can play most games with this much memory and enjoy every bit of the game. In other words, you’ll enjoy a better gaming experience.
Is 32GB RAM Enough For 4K Gaming?
32GB memory will significantly impact your system’s performance when playing modern games at high settings. It will make the processes and gaming graphics more pleasant.
Contrary to many claims, 32GB of RAM isn’t overkill for gaming. It’s even the minimum requirement for a host of AAA titles.
With 32GB of RAM, you’ll experience zero stuttering issues and top-speed performance, including zero lag, performance, or graphical hiccups.
Here are some of the latest games with 32GB of RAM as the minimum requirement.
- Icarus
- Far Cry 6
- Returnal
- Battlefield 2024
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Galactic Civilizations 3. The largest map recommends 32GB of RAM.
- The popular Microsoft Flight Simulator states 8GB RAM as a minimum requirement, recommends 16GB memory, and mentions 32GB of RAM as the ideal option.
32GB of memory should be the minimum requirement if you plan on modding. Heavily modded games will benefit from 32GB of RAM or higher, depending on the game you’re playing, the number of mods, and the modding process itself.
You can see the list of games that require 32GB of RAM. You can play some of these games with 16GB of RAM. However, with 32GB, plus a powerful GPU and CPU, you won’t experience any performance-related issues that may surface with 16GB.
Let’s consider the game, Returnal as an example. Sony claims players will be fine with 16GB of RAM. However, if you play with ray tracing or at 4K, you’ll be better off with 32GB memory.
A Handy Tip: 32GB of RAM is a wise investment for avid gamers thinking about the future and like personalizing games. In addition to a performance boost, you’ll be future-proofing your PC with 32GB of memory.
The gaming industry is changing fast, and developers are going big on graphics and others. Thus, expect 32GB to be the minimum requirement for future AAA titles.
Furthermore, most games support DLSS and ray tracing. And for these, you’ll need powerful hardware. For example, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Man Remastered both support DLSS and ray tracing, but only their highest ray tracing options need 32GB of memory.
Let’s not forget that activating ray tracing will impact gaming performance and cause the frame rate to drop. But the good news is AMD’s FSR and Nvidia’s DLSS can help to counteract this loss.
Is 64GB RAM Enough For 4K Gaming?
64GB is more than enough for 4K gaming. You may not even require this much memory to run 4K games. RAM is quite expensive, and you need other powerful hardware, not just RAM alone. So you don’t have to purchase 64GB of RAM for 4K gaming.
16 GB or 32 GB is more than enough to play high-end games. You can even settle for 32GB memory to future-proof your laptop or custom-built PC.
64GB is a considerable amount of memory and is needed for highly demanding tasks which require a lot of memory. These include 3D rendering, high-performance video editing, high-performance data analysis, scientific computing, and running several virtual machines simultaneously.
The bottom line is you need powerful hardware for 4K gaming. If you can invest in a powerful CPU and GPU, then you can go for 64GB. Remember that having such powerful memory and low-end GPU or CPU won’t make much difference. You will only enjoy running games when all three hardware is powerful.
Tips On How You Can Optimize Your PC To Achieve Better Gaming Experience
You can take a few steps to optimize your gaming PC to improve gaming performance. Optimization helps to put your PC in a better state to enhance gaming performance.
One of the first things you need to do is your graphics drivers. Check your drivers to ensure they’re up-to-date. If they’re not, you have to update them before you proceed.
The next step is to disable startup programs that you don’t need. And defragment your hard drive. Note that defragmenting will create more space in your hard drive, and it’s a wise choice for users who have almost reached the limit of what their hard drive can hold. It also ensures a better gaming experience.
Another thing you need to do is to stop all unnecessary processes in your computer so that you can free up more memory space. Then, lastly, which should be the first anyway, consider the game’s requirements. With this, you’ll know if you need any of the hardware upgraded.
Conclusion
The question is, how much RAM for 4K gaming is enough? The minimum memory required for 4K gaming is 8GB, but the recommended is always around 16GB. You might experience stuttering and lag when running 4K games on 8GB.
The minimum requirement should be 16GB. But remember that some games require as much as 32GB of memory. In addition, 64GB is overkill for 4K gaming. However, you can invest in it, provided you have the financial capacity, including a powerful GPU and CPU.
