Introduction:
The main memory of a computer is RAM (Random Access Memory). It is much faster to read from and write to than other types of storage, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), or optical drive. Random Access Memory is volatile. This means data is retained in RAM until the computer is on, but it lost the data when the computer is turned off.
But how much memory do you really need, 8, 16, or 32GB?
Day by day, the general usage of the RAM has increased. Web pages, applications, and games are allocating and using more RAM as compared to just a few years ago. A few years back, PC users need only 4 to 6GB RAM for typical use, including gaming. Today we need more than 6 GB of RAM usage just by running a single game, some heavy rendering, or even through just browsing the web with several tabs open.
Running out of RAM can turn a solid system into a slow system, buying too much is a waste of money. Let’s look at what you can do with different amounts of memory and how much RAM do you really need.
8GB: Minimum for Most People
8GB RAM is the minimum for most people. Nowadays, a system with 4 GB is reserved for web/email/casual typing only. Most PC games use more than 6GB RAM Note this is with no other major programs running, just whenever we naturally startup with Windows it uses about 2.7 GB at idle and the game itself. 8GB of RAM is fine for those who just do basic productivity tasks or those who aren’t playing modern games.
16GB: The Sweet Spot
16GB is the sweet spot between price and capacity for most Programmers, Content makers, Video editors, and gamers. This amount can give us the power to do a couple of things at once, without having to close tabs or applications to exceed your available RAM.
Even with playing games using 11 GB (system total), keeping a browser up with 14 tabs, using MS Word, and streaming Twitch in the background, It used around 14 GB RAM, It is even difficult to go over even 16GB
32GB: Overkill?
Getting up to 32GB is quite a bit of freedom as far as leaving applications or lots of browser tabs open without a care in the world. None of the games that I tested used close to 16GB. Only a few users on the productivity side of things who manipulate large files, or more than one at a time, should consider 32GB or more. There are some situations where more than 16GB RAM can be used, Most of the movie and photo editing tasks, especially in 4K+ resolutions, can benefit from more RAM, In those cases, having more RAM can cut project times down, and make general performance more smooth and responsive.
Conclusion
For a casual computer user, 8GB RAM is enough, if you play modern games and/or are doing some demanding productivity work 16GB is preferred. Using 16GB, most users are able to leave the tasks they are working on up and running and play a game or do extra work without creating a negative user experience.
On the other hand, 32 GB is overkill for most of the users today, other than the people who are editing RAW photos or high-res video.
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