AP Buyline’s content is created independently of The Associated Press newsroom. Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content. Learn more about our policies and terms here.
You and your computer have the same memories. Not actual memories, of course, but types of memory: long-term and short-term (although for your computer, they’re better referred to as its hard drive and its RAM, respectively). RAM — random access memory — is essential to your computer doing anything, including gaming. If you want to game at peak efficiency, you should know not all types of RAM are equal and that you could be missing out! If you’ve been wondering, “What does RAM do for gaming, anyway?” then here’s everything you need to know about RAM, and how you can potentially improve yours.
In a nutshell
- RAM is your computer’s short-term memory, required to run any program, including video games.
- The higher your RAM, the more memory it has.
- The more memory your RAM has, the better it can handle graphics and gameplay.
- RAM isn’t the only factor to consider when it comes to gaming.
What is RAM and how does RAM work?
Random access memory looks like just another circuit board inside your computer, but without it, your computer would be little more than a pile of files and programs you couldn’t access.
“It's used to store data that the CPU (central processing unit) needs quick access to while performing tasks,” explains Paul Santoro, vice president of gaming and esports at game-based tutoring company Heroic Game Day. “RAM has no moving parts, making it the fastest form of data communication for a computer. Whenever you run a program or open a file, the CPU loads data from the hard drive and turns it into RAM for quick processing.”
To put it simply, picture it like a board game. While you’re not playing it, it sits on your bookshelf waiting to be played, just as a program lies in wait on your hard drive. When you decide to move the box to your table and open it — like a program being transferred to RAM — it can now be played. Your short-term memory allows you to remember what you’ve done so far in the game, whose turn it is, what your next goal is and so forth, and your computer’s RAM does the same thing, whether it’s what you’ve typed on a Microsoft Word document or the position of your character in an online battle royale game like “Fortnite.”
Why do I need RAM for gaming?
“Gaming requires RAM to store data like maps, textures or in-game mechanics while you play,” explains Santoro. “The more RAM, the more your computer can handle at once without slowing down.” Specifically, this means how fast your game data gets loaded, which can have a great effect on performance. When RAM isn’t sufficient, you can have frame-rate drops, stuttering and visual lag, limiting a game’s playability and potentially leaving your character vulnerable to opponents, or free to barrel off a cliff as your computer struggles to register your commands. Suffice it to say, it’s important.
What type of RAM is right for your gaming computer?
There are two main types of RAM: SRAM (the “S” stands for static) and DRAM (where the “D” stands for dynamic). “SRAM is faster but more expensive, uses more power and is typically found in processors,” says Santoro. “DRAM is cheaper, more commonly used and is ideal for common computer tasks.”
So while having SRAM would be better for game processing overall, even a single gigabyte of it can run up to thousands of dollars, while a gig of DRAM costs less than $100, making it far more likely your personal computer is using the latter — specifically DDR, or double data rate. Fifth-generation DDR5 is becoming the industry standard for PCs, so that’s what you want to look for when buying.
What RAM speed do I need?
DDR4 and DDR5 are what you’ll usually find in most modern computers, but if you guessed DDR5 is better than DDR4, you guessed correctly. DDR5 is simply faster than DDR4, which means a better, more accurate gaming experience. “Each new DDR upgrade brings faster speed and efficiency,” says Santoro, so look for DDR5 when buying a new computer or looking to upgrade your current PC’s RAM.
What about gaming laptops?
“For a gaming laptop, the current industry standard is DDR4, but DDR5 is rapidly emerging next,” says Santoro. “Laptop technology is usually a generation behind what computers are on.”
But before you start pulling your laptop apart, a warning: “Keep in mind that laptops may not have slots for additional RAM, and most laptops solder RAM onto the motherboards, so you won’t be able to remove it or swap it out,” says Keith Mitchell, IT professional and avid gamer.
However, some gaming-oriented laptops may use socketed RAM called SO-DIMMs, or small outline dual in-line memory modules. Their benefit is that they’re very easy to take out and replace. “You’ll want to look for SODIMMs with low latency and fast speeds,” says Mitchell.
How do I check how much RAM I have, and what type it is?
Easy! For a PC just open the Start Menu, click on Task Manager, click on Performance and finally, RAM. For a Mac, click on the Apple logo on the upper-left of your screen, and then About This Mac. Both places should tell you how much RAM you’ve got and what type it is.
How much RAM do I need?
“It’s recommended to have 16GB of RAM, as we’re seeing that newer games require more memory, and thus you’re going to need to plan for your OS (operating system) to use that memory as well,” advises Mitchell. “We’re slowly moving to 32GB being recommended, but we’re not there yet and 16GB will be a good starting place for most people.”
But as you may have picked up by now, for gaming, you should at least be interested in how fast your RAM is — and, if you’re hoping to upgrade it, that your computer’s processor can handle it. Right now you generally only need DDR4 RAM, but DDR5 will become more essential as time goes on.
Other gaming performance considerations
How do I install more RAM?
It differs with every PC desktop and laptop computer, so you should look for individual guides to your device on the exact procedures to insert, remove or replace any RAM module, or to check if it’s even possible (don’t bother with Macs, though; Apple has their RAM firmly soldered in their desktops and laptops).
Many laptops have extra RAM slots, while some require the old module to be removed and a new module put in its place. But remember, your computer can only handle up to a certain amount of RAM. A top-of-the-line, modern gaming computer should be able to use 32GB of RAM, but computers even just a few years old may top out at 16GB. Again, you’ll need to check your computer’s specs to know for sure. One more warning: It’s possible that opening your computer will void its warranty, so research that, too.
How much RAM do today’s top games require?
Games don’t require RAM like they do a hard drive. A hot new game like “Helldivers 2,” for instance, takes 100GB of hard drive space when it’s installed. But while “Helldivers 2” can be played with 8GB of RAM, 16GB of RAM is recommended and it would run even better on 32GB or 64GB. As Santoro said above, it handles information like maps and image textures, so if you have less RAM, you may need to do things like lower the game’s texture resolution, so the images being loaded take up less space.
The AP Buyline roundup
RAM is key to your gaming experience. For now, most gamers can get by with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, but upping it to 32GB (or even 64GB) and DDR5 will make your experience even better — and you’re going to need it to play the hottest games sooner rather than later.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Does more RAM increase FPS?
FPS, or frames per second, refers to how many of the still images that make up video can be squeezed into a single second. The higher the number, the smoother the motion of the game looks. It’s primarily handled by your computer’s GPU (or graphics processing unit, usually referred to as a graphics card), not by your RAM. “(More RAM) will, however, reduce stuttering and frame drops for resource-demanding games,” says Santoro. “More RAM prevents bottlenecks while gaming.”
Is 32GB RAM enough for 4K gaming?
Again, your graphics card determines whether or not you can game in 4K resolution, not RAM. “When it comes to 4K gaming, RAM isn’t a big factor at all,” promises Mitchell. Your computer screen, of course, is the other major factor of whether it can even display 4K resolution, but virtually all modern computer monitors have 4K or even 8K resolution. Unless your computer is over a decade old, you almost certainly don’t need to worry about it.
What is dual-channel RAM?
“Dual-channel RAM doubles the data transfer rate between RAM and the CPU, another layer of enhancing gaming performance by improving frame rate and reducing lag and delays,” explains Santoro. Dual-channel RAM is commonly used in today’s PCs, but check your computer’s specs to be sure.
Read article:
AP Buyline’s content is created independently of The Associated Press newsroom. Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content. Learn more about our policies and terms here.