How much RAM is good for gaming? (2024)

Having enough RAM (random access memory) is essential for PC gamers who want to make their gaming experience as smooth and enjoyable fun as possible.

If you experience glitches and laggy response times, it may be because you need to add more RAM. But how much do you need to add?

RAM (also known as memory) temporarily stores game data for processing, while your storage device — either a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD) — stores data more “permanently” (or at least until you choose to delete it).

RAM makes it possible to quickly access the data you are using in your game. The more RAM you have, the more gameplay data you can store at hand, which can translate to quicker response time in games, faster loads, sharper graphics and less lag.

The answer to "how much RAM is needed for gaming?" depends on what kind of games you play.

PC games such as Fortnite and League of Legends typically have memory requirements of 4GB.

Whereas more complicated, graphic-heavy games such as A Plague Tale: Requiem and Star Wars: Jedi Survivor usually require a minimum of 16GB.

Game developers always share the minimum specs needed for every title they release. If your PC or laptop doesn’t have the minimum requirements, the game will either not run, or will perform poorly, which can mean anything from stagnate graphics to overheating and battery capacity degradation.

When shopping for a game, look for the minimum requirements on the game's website or on a PC gaming platform like Steam, then compare it to your computer specs to make sure you have the minimum requirements you need. As part of our most beautiful games review, we explored some of today's most graphic-intensive games, and delved deeper into their CPU, RAM, GPU, and storage.

More RAM means better graphics and/or smoother gameplay, the latter of which is measured in frames per second (FPS). The higher the rate of frames displayed per second, the smoother your game will feel. 

RAM is multigenerational, with the three most popular versions of RAM beingDDR3, DDR4, and DDR5. There are differences among DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5, including speed, performance and compatibility.

If you're building a computer from scratch, you may have flexibility in which generation you choose, depending on other components you add. Whether you build or upgrade a PC you already own, you need to select RAM that’s compatible with your motherboard.

To find out which RAM is compatible with your system, use the Crucial System Selectoror System Scanner.

Once you've chosen the best RAM for your needs, it's easy to install yourself.

Memory is one of many components to consider when looking at computer hardware for gaming.

Most games also make recommendations about other computer system specs, including your operating system, CPU, SSD capacity, sound cards, and graphics cards.