Is 16GB or 24GB RAM Better for Gaming? A Comprehensive Guide
The question of whether 16GB or 24GB of RAM is better for gaming is one that many PC gamers grapple with. The short answer, and what most of the evidence points to, is that 16GB is currently the sweet spot for the vast majority of gamers. While 24GB might seem like a natural upgrade, it often falls into a grey area that doesn’t provide significant performance benefits for the average user, and may even come with drawbacks related to RAM configurations. Let’s delve deeper into why this is the case, exploring the nuances of RAM capacity and its impact on your gaming experience.
The 16GB Sweet Spot: Why It’s Still King
For the current gaming landscape, 16GB of RAM offers ample capacity for smooth and high-performance gaming. Most modern titles are optimized to run efficiently with this amount of memory, and while some demanding games may recommend more, they seldom require it. This is especially true if you’re only running the game and a few basic background applications.
Dual-Channel Advantage
It’s not just about capacity; how your RAM is configured is crucial. Running two sticks of RAM in dual-channel mode (e.g., two 8GB sticks) allows for much faster data transfer between the RAM and the CPU, resulting in better overall performance. This is a significant advantage, and this is why a 16GB setup using 2x8GB sticks is typically superior to other configurations, especially to a mismatched set up like an 8GB + 16GB setup.
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Mismatched RAM
One of the biggest problems with 24GB of RAM for gaming is that it often leads to mismatched RAM configurations. This usually happens when people add a single 16GB stick to an existing 8GB stick. When you mix RAM modules with different capacities, speeds, or timings, your system will typically default to the lowest common denominator, and will often run in single-channel mode or in a very limited dual-channel mode, resulting in reduced performance. This defeats the purpose of adding more RAM in the first place as you will get diminishing returns. The performance loss can be quite significant, leading to lagging and stuttering issues that you would not expect.
24GB: When is it relevant?
In certain scenarios, 24GB can be beneficial if you are not using a mixed configuration. If you have two 12GB modules or three 8GB modules (in a triple channel setup) you can see performance gains. However, most consumer motherboards use dual channel configurations and, unless you are on an older platform using triple channel RAM, this makes it difficult to get the correct RAM configuration for a 24gb setup. However, the benefits are primarily seen when running resource-intensive tasks beyond just gaming, such as streaming, video editing, or running virtual machines alongside your games.
16GB vs 24GB: Gaming Scenarios
Gaming-Only Setup
If your primary use case is pure gaming, with only basic background applications running (like Discord or a browser), you’ll likely see minimal to no advantage from 24GB of RAM over a correctly configured 16GB setup. The performance gains will be negligible, and the money would be better spent on other PC components, such as a better graphics card.
Multitasking While Gaming
If you are a heavy multitasker and like to stream, watch videos, or browse the internet while gaming, 24GB may offer slightly improved performance. However, even in these scenarios, a well-configured 16GB setup often performs perfectly well. A good test is to monitor your RAM usage while performing these tasks. If you don’t exceed 16GB, there’s no reason to upgrade to 24GB.
Future Proofing?
Many argue that 24GB or even 32GB is a good idea for future-proofing. While this is true to some extent, it’s important to note that RAM technology is constantly evolving. By the time games require more than 16GB or 24GB, there will likely be faster and more efficient RAM options available. Often, it makes more sense to buy the best option for today’s gaming than to invest heavily in something for a future which may be redundant.
Conclusion
In the current gaming landscape, 16GB of RAM, properly configured in dual-channel mode, is generally superior to 24GB. The additional capacity of 24GB is unlikely to offer significant performance benefits, especially if you are running a mismatched setup. While there are some cases where 24GB or more RAM can provide a benefit (such as very heavy multi-tasking or video editing), for most gamers, 16GB is the best choice in terms of price and performance. As such, the money would be better spent improving your gaming rig in other key areas.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How much RAM do most modern games require?
Most modern games recommend 16GB of RAM for optimal performance. Some less demanding games can run on 8GB, but 16GB is the standard for smoother, high-performance gameplay.
2. What is Dual-Channel RAM, and why is it important?
Dual-channel RAM is a memory configuration where two RAM modules work together to increase the data transfer rate between the RAM and the CPU. This results in better performance compared to single-channel setups.
3. What happens if I mix different RAM sizes?
Mixing RAM sizes can lead to your system defaulting to the lowest common denominator in terms of speed and timings. It can also force your system to operate in single-channel mode, which will decrease performance and can lead to stuttering and lag.
4. Will 24GB of RAM improve my FPS in games?
In most cases, going from a well configured 16GB RAM system to a 24GB RAM setup won’t give you any noticeable gains in FPS. In some cases, with a bad configuration (mixing RAM), it may even make the game perform worse. It may show some improvement with heavy multi-tasking.
5. Is 32GB of RAM overkill for gaming in 2023?
As of 2023, 32GB of RAM is generally overkill for gaming alone. It can be beneficial if you also run resource-intensive applications such as streaming or video editing software alongside your games.
6. Is it okay to mix RAM speeds?
Mixing RAM speeds is not recommended. The system will run all RAM at the speed of the slowest module. For example, a 2667mhz and a 3200mhz RAM module will both run at 2667mhz. This can limit the performance of your system.
7. What’s more important, RAM speed or RAM capacity?
Both RAM speed and capacity are important, but their impact on gaming performance varies. Generally, having enough RAM is more crucial than having the highest speed. 16GB at a decent speed (2666 MHz or higher) will almost always be better than 8GB at a very fast speed.
8. How much RAM do I need for 1440p gaming?
For 1440p gaming, 16GB of RAM is generally recommended to ensure smooth performance. It’s also crucial to have a compatible CPU and GPU.
9. Can I add 16GB of RAM to my existing 8GB RAM?
While you can add a 16GB RAM to your 8GB stick to create a 24GB system, it’s not recommended for gaming. This setup can cause your RAM to run in single-channel mode and can create instability. If you are doing this, ensure that your RAM runs in dual-channel mode by using matching pairs of RAM.
10. How much virtual memory should I set for 24GB RAM?
Microsoft recommends setting virtual memory to be between 1.5 and 3 times the amount of your physical RAM. For 24GB of RAM, this would be between 36GB and 72GB of virtual memory.
11. Is 24GB RAM enough for video editing?
24GB RAM can be sufficient for basic video editing, but 32GB is the ideal capacity for handling larger projects and working with longer videos.
12. Does increasing RAM increase FPS in games?
Increasing RAM can improve FPS, especially if you were previously running out of RAM. A lack of RAM means the system will use the slow hard drive as a temporary memory (page file). This will drastically slow the game down and will lower the FPS. Upgrading RAM would remove this bottleneck.
13. How long will 16GB of RAM be enough for gaming?
16GB of RAM should be sufficient for gaming for the foreseeable future. While game requirements will increase over time, 16GB is likely to be a reliable standard for the next few years.
14. Do I need 16GB of RAM if I’m not gaming?
For casual computer usage and internet browsing, 8GB of RAM is usually sufficient. However, if you use spreadsheets or other office programs, 16GB of RAM would be recommended for smoother operation.
15. How does RAM speed impact gaming?
Faster RAM can improve the overall performance of your system, especially in games that are CPU-bound. The improvements are often marginal when compared to the impact of RAM capacity, but a faster RAM will slightly improve your overall game performance.