Why is ram memory important and what speed do I need?

In this RAM guide we will answer a wide range of questions related to how much RAM your system needs to function properly, as well as how often it offers the best compromise between performance and price.

Index of contents

Analyzing the amount of RAM needed

The amount of RAM a computer needs depends on what the user plans to do with it, how long you intend to keep it, and whether or not you can upgrade the memory after purchase. This last point is important, as many notebooks have removed user-upgradeable RAM to reduce the thickness of the computer.

Adding additional RAM to any laptop generally increases power consumption by a small, but measurable amount, although this shouldn't be a problem for most users. Also keep in mind that it is better to have too much RAM than too little, since what you gain in energy savings, you will quickly lose more pagination of the hard disk.

Many laptops are offered with 4GB of RAM, although most high-end systems from major manufacturers are sold with 8GB or even 16GB. A today's operating system can run on 4GB of RAM if it is to be used for basic tasks like browsing, emailing, and viewing multimedia content, 8GB should suffice for current and future future applications, and 16GB provide guarantees for the future, any Amount of more than 16GB is probably excessive unless very specific use is to be made such as video editing or audio post-production. In the case of video games, 8 GB is considered the standard today, although it is possible that with some very specific titles they fall short.

This dataset points to some general trends. First of all, the minimum frame rates tend to increase more than the average frame rate. Second, earnings are title specific: Battlefield 4, Crysis 3, and COD Advanced Warfare see earnings below 10%, while GTA V, Far Cry 4, and The Witcher 3 are all at the 15% or higher mark.. Assassin's Creed Unity splits the difference, with a 15% increase in minimum frame rates and a 6% increase in average frame rates.

Currently, the price of RAM is very high, and there are hardly any differences between the modules at 2400 MHz and the modules at 3300 MH z or even more, therefore, it is logical to go for the higher speed memories, because although the performance difference is not very big, neither is the price difference. In the case of memories at speeds above 3300 MHz, a significant increase in price seems to be seen, so its relationship between price and performance is already much worse.

In addition, very high speed RAM does not work correctly on all motherboards, as only the most advanced and expensive models tend to be compatible with this type of memory, at least without the user having to manually enter advanced settings.. DDR4 speeds 3200-3300 are seamlessly supported by all current AMD and Intel motherboards, in case you want to use higher speed models you should check your motherboard specifications to see if they are supported.

Final words and conclusion about why RAM is important

We have addressed many points in this post, so we will make a summary. If you plan to buy a new laptop, check whether it allows RAM upgrades or not. Users who are going to make a light use can use 4 GB of RAM although 8GB is a good target for most users and will give more scope for the use of more demanding applications. In case you are a player, photo / video editor or plan to do a CAD / CAM job, we recommend at least 8GB of memory and if it is 16 GB, even better, since most likely 8 GB will be short on some cases.

We recommend reading our post on the best RAM memories

Players looking to build new equipment should aim for high-speed DDR4, as prices hardly differ between 2400 MHz modules and 3300 MHz modules. The memories faster than this, yes, they are considerably more expensive and the best in benefits will be quite negligible.

There is not much you can do to make Windows or MacOS use less memory, but more RAM on the computer means you can open more tabs in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc. Also, some websites use more RAM than others. A simple text news story is relatively light on memory, while something like Gmail or Netflix uses a lot of memory.

Programs tend to use more RAM as they increase in complexity. A chat program or game like Minesweeper uses almost no RAM, while a gigantic Excel spreadsheet, a large Photoshop project, or a graphics intensive game can use gigabytes by themselves. Professional programs and engineering software are created to tackle very difficult projects and tend to consume the most RAM memory of all programs.

For something like a Chromebook, which operates primarily in the cloud and has very little storage space, you won't need a lot of RAM. We recommend opting for 4GB of RAM when buying a Chromebook, especially since you can now use the Google Play Store to download Android apps directly.

For Windows and MacBooks you should think about increasing that number to a standard 8GB. Most of the best laptops come with 8GB for good reason. Of course, if you're doing a lot of graphic design work or planning to dabble in some high-end games, we recommend that you upgrade to 16GB.

This ends our post on how much RAM I need in my computer and what speed is better, you can leave a comment if you have any suggestions. Remember to share the post on social networks so that you can help more users.

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