Size Does Matter
8GB
QIf you’re looking for a standard PC,
8GB of RAM is the way to go. Capable of
handling any office work and low-end
gaming, 8GB of dual-channel memory
will serve any basic build well. It’s
worth bearing in mind that if your GPU
doesn’t have much VRAM, some games
attempt to cache large texture files to
the system’s DRAM. If you’re running
an older graphics card with less than
4GB of video memory, 16GB of memory
could be a better call. This only applies
for more graphically demanding games,
though; if your poison is lightweight
indie gaming, 8GB is plenty. Older
triple-A titles ought to be fine, too,
if you’ve got an appropriate GPU to
back you up. Make sure you go for dual-
channel; a single stick of 8GB DDR4 will
work, but the performance difference
will be more noticeable in games.16GB
QFor mid-range gaming supported by a
decent GPU, 16GB of DDR4 is a necessity.
Games are becoming increasingly
demanding when it comes to RAM; if
you’re looking to play in anything higher
than 1080p, 16GB may not always be
enough. The uptick in multiplatform
games being ported to PC has resulted
in a lot of poorly optimized triple-A titles
hitting our screens, too, which have a
tendency to gobble up RAM. 16GB should
be able to cope with other tasks, though;
image manipulation and intermediate
video-editing work shouldn’t be an
issue. You’ll likely have two options: 4x
4GB or 2x 8GB. Doing your research is
worthwhile; one kit might appear better
value for its performance, but if your CPU
and mobo are only going to support dual-
channel memory, you won’t be able to
reap the benefits of a quad-channel kit.4GB
QConsider this a bare minimum. If
you’re building on a seriously tight
budget, or just looking for a basic PC
for office work (think word processing,
not giant spreadsheets), 4GB of basic
DDR4 will do. As memory frequency has
less of an impact on Intel processors
than AMD ones, we recommend opting
for slower RAM, such as DDR4-2133,
paired with a cheap Intel Core CPU. This
memory won’t cost much—a stick of
4GB RAM shouldn’t run you much more
than $20 right now. Dual-module kits
are also an option, using two 2GB sticks
to improve performance, but these can
cost more, and the difference is likely to
be minimal. Rigs such as this also make
for affordable home theater PCs or
cryptocurrency mining units, although
some cryptos can be CPU-intensive, so a
slightly better processor is a good idea.WHEN LOOKING AT MEMORY KITS, there are three key elements to
consider: capacity, speed, and latency. We’re going to take a look
at capacity first, as it tends to be the biggest deciding factor when
choosing your RAM. Industry regulation from standardization body
JEDEC (more on that later) means that memory only comes in
certain multiples: 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, and so on, doubling each time.
For consumer use, the standard maximum capacity of DDR4
chips is 1GB, due to limitations in transistor size, although a
theoretical 2GB per chip is possible, so the largest commonly
available capacity per DIMM slot is 32GB. 64GB sticks are available,
but not for general consumer use; they’re more likely to be found
in server farms. With a mobo supporting full memory capacity, the
current maximum available for desktop systems is 128GB.
Of course, 128GB is far more than the average PC will ever need.
RAM should be chosen based on the requirements of the system; it
can be one of the more expensive components of a fresh build, and
it’s easy to overspend on capacity that isn’t required. With that in
mind, here’s our guide to how much RAM your system should need.best RAM upgrades
24 MAXIMUMPC SEP 2019 maximumpc.com