How much RAM do you need per year? How much RAM does a computer need?

To this question: “How much do you need?”, you can often hear the answer that random access memory(RAM, RAM) is never too much and it is advisable to install more of it. However, everyone needs to know the exact figure.

Below we will try to determine the requirements operating system Windows 10 to the value of RAM for comfortable work and for new computer games ears.

How much RAM do you need to run Windows 10?

Microsoft has prescribed that the required amount of RAM for Windows 10 to function must be at least one gigabyte.

In reality, with this RAM value, the system is guaranteed to boot, but the user will not be able to fully work in it.

For the purpose of normal functioning office programs and working on the global network requires at least 2 GB of RAM. All minimally equipped personal computers and even the cheapest laptops have exactly 2 GB of RAM.

If the user needs to regularly perform work with the simultaneous use of several applications and use graphics programs, then for optimal functionality you will need at least 4 GB of RAM. Of course, the PC will function with a capacity of 2 GB, but the computer will work slow and sluggish, which is no longer satisfactory for most modern users.


Summing up, we can confidently say that in order to perform the bulk of work in the operating room Windows system 10 is enough for 4 GB of RAM.

How much RAM is needed to comfortably launch and operate computer games?

Every year this area of ​​programming develops towards increasing requirements for system parameters computers, but it would be wrong to say that they will require an unattainable amount of RAM. If your computer has a video card with the appropriate settings for gaming applications, then even with 2 GB of RAM you can run the game at minimum settings. The process of the game itself will be possible, but not pleasant.

You should pay attention to tips for PC performance of modern games, for example, Crysis 3. All such games require at least 4 GB of RAM. Almost all PCs produced today correspond to this indicator.

But if the user wants to enjoy high-resolution images in games, then twice the RAM (8 GB) is required. Special toy lovers install 16 GB on their computers, which is of course justified, but in most cases this is overkill.

How much RAM does Windows 10 support?

Due to limitations in the internal architecture of Windows 10 from Microsoft, only a specific amount of RAM is supported.

Below are the RAM values ​​that Windows 10 supports:

  1. Home x86 - 4 GB;
  2. Pro x86 - 4 GB;
  3. Home x64 - 128 GB;
  4. Pro x64 - 512 GB.

With the 32-bit version, the operating system does not support more than 4 GB of RAM, and in fact it only leaves about 3 GB for use. The 64 bit edition of the operating system has the ability to support a huge amount of RAM, which will undoubtedly please fans of modern computer games, because They will not have a shortage of RAM if the 64-bit edition of Windows 10 is installed.

It would seem that this is not such a pressing issue for the modern consumer. RAM is not an expensive component (in the average modern PC it is cheaper - only the case yes DVD drive, if someone else puts it). However, the question of how much RAM a computer or laptop needs for Windows, work, games, and web surfing is raised often. This material is designed to help you understand and choose the right number of RAM sticks for your PC.

How much RAM does Windows need?

Official system requirements The Microsoft Windows operating system has been almost unchanged for 10 years. With the advent of the Vista system in 2006, developers recommended at least 1 GHz processor frequency for comfortable PC operation (no one was talking about multi-cores at that time: such processors belonged to the top segment and their capabilities were enough for all tasks) and 1 GB of RAM for the 32-bit version of the system. For the x86-64 platform, at least 2 gigabytes of RAM were recommended. These requirements have not changed with the release of Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and now 10.


Windows 10 system requirements: screenshot from the official Microsoft website

But if in 2006 a computer with 1 GB of memory belonged to the middle class and cost about $400, then in 2016 these characteristics look ridiculous. Given the progress, it cannot be denied that “appetites” software have grown significantly.

How much RAM is needed for Windows now depends on the version of the system and the tasks assigned. For a 32-bit OS, a volume of less than 2 GB is a trifle by modern standards. And you still have to try hard to find a RAM stick of such capacity in a store. 3 GB is the minimum you should not go below. This material was created on a PC with 2 GB of RAM, but in the above screenshot you can see: 85% of the RAM is occupied. And this despite the fact that only a browser with a dozen tabs and, in fact, “Scissors” are open in the system. And switching between tabs in Opera takes 3-5 seconds.


On a computer with 2 GB of RAM there is a shortage of it

32-bit Windows has one unpleasant limitation: no matter how much memory is installed in the system, no task can use more than 2 GB of it, and the OS itself “does not see” more than 3-4 GB of RAM. Thus, if the PC is intended for web surfing or gaming, then even between 4 and 32 GB on x86 architecture there will be no difference. This is precisely what caused the transition to 64-bit addressing.


In 32-bit Windows OS, only 3 GB of 8 GB of RAM is available

In x86-64, everything is a little different: there are no restrictions (in fact, they exist, but they are calculated in terabytes), memory is used to its fullest. But 64-bit software itself consumes more RAM, and more memory needs to be stored. 4 GB is the minimum recommended volume. For constant work in “Office” and web surfing, 6 or 8 GB is recommended (more is possible, but the increase in performance is unnoticeable and may not justify the investment).


Similar load on a computer with 4 GB of RAM and Windows x86-64

Gaming is the most resource-intensive task for computers in the consumer segment. They are the ones who need to use the full potential of the PC. But there is a catch here: what older game, the more difficult it is to force the computer to give its all. Most gaming software created before 2010-2012 was written for 32-bit platforms. On a PC with Windows 7 x86-64, such games are executed without using 64-bit instructions and cannot address (occupy) more than 2 GB of RAM. Thus, for them, increasing memory will not provide a significant increase. I am glad that most of these games (for example, “Stalker”) demonstrate good performance even using, at most, half the power of a modern PC. Therefore, for old software, 4 GB will be enough.

It’s a little more difficult to answer the question of how much RAM a computer needs for next-generation games. Sometimes developers are in no hurry to spend effort on thoroughly optimizing their brainchild, leaving some of the shortcomings uncorrected. In such a situation, it is better not to skimp on RAM. 2 8 GB sticks will completely justify the cost for a gamer. You can even install 32 GB, but this is already a reserve for the future, and not an urgent need.

How much RAM does a laptop need?

The laptop is essentially the same Personal Computer, but in a portable version. It faces the same tasks as a desktop PC. Only the scale and intensity can differ. Therefore, all of the above can be applied to a laptop. The only adjustment that should be made is the fact that even 8 GB will be enough for games. A larger volume will not provide a noticeable benefit, since everything depends on other bottlenecks - processor, video card, HDD. The only exception is gaming models, but they are created taking into account optimal performance in games (as far as possible for a laptop) and are equipped with a sufficient amount of RAM.


Laptops consume less RAM: screenshot of a laptop with 3 GB RAM. The load is close to previous examples

If you sometimes like to play modern games and you are interested in how much RAM you need for games in 2017, then this article will be useful to you. I will also focus on games from 2015-2016, but this article will also be relevant in 2018, because the gaming industry is not developing in giant leaps.

On this moment There are four types of memory, DDR-1,2,3,4. DDR-1 was in my first computer, it was bought in 2005 and it was more of an office computer than a gaming computer even for those years, but nevertheless I played many undemanding games. More than 11 years have passed, I had many different assemblies of my computer configurations, I sold and bought components, at the moment I have DDR-2 RAM sticks in my computer. This memory is still used by many, including gamers. DDR-3 - this memory is now more relevant, it is supported by modern motherboards, will you collect new computer under Intel processors or AMD, you will install DDR-3 memory. The new generation of DDR-4 memory is currently not as widespread as the previous one; firstly, it is more expensive, and secondly, it is not really needed, especially considering that my computer flies with DDR-2 memory.

Let's look at how much modern games consume RAM.

GTA V. Game of 2015. The minimum system requirements for RAM are 4 GB, recommended 8 GB. I have 6 GB of memory installed, of which the system consumes a little more than 1 GB. There is about 5 GB left for the game. Paired with a GTX 750 ti 2 Gb video card and a used one. The Q6600 processor for 1500 rubles plays quite normally, and at a resolution of 2560x1080. FPS 30 or higher, depending on the situation. But I didn’t like this game, maybe I’m just getting old.


Game of 2016. Both the minimum and recommended states that 8 GB of memory is required. Judging by the reviews, you can play on medium settings and a low resolution, for example 1366x768, sometimes there may be slight stutters.


Game of 2016. Requires 8 GB of memory.


Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Remastered. Game of 2016. Requires 6 GB.


X-Plane 11: Global Scenery. Game of 2017. Requires 8 GB of RAM.


As you can see, most serious games from 2015-2017 require 8 GB of memory. Even if some games say that a minimum of 4 GB is required, this does not mean that the game will run with that amount of memory. high settings. From this we can conclude that in 2017, the computer should have at least 8 GB of RAM installed, and preferably 16 GB. Here's to playing all the games on maximum settings set yourself 12-16 GB of memory. But the number 12 is not entirely appropriate. This is necessary so that the board supports 4 memory slots, 4 GB in 2 slots and 2 GB in 2 slots. It will be more efficient and without problems to install 2 memory sticks of 8 GB each in the slots. A RAM capacity of 16 GB will be enough for you not only for games from 2015-2017, but also for games from 2018-2020. For 16 GB of DDR-3 memory you will need ~ 7600 rubles as of April 2017. If you take a used one, it will cost 5,000 rubles, but a used one. Finding 8 GB sticks is problematic; usually they are sold up to 4 GB, so you will need a board for 4 memory slots. After this post “How much RAM do you need for games in 2017”, you must draw conclusions for yourself and decide how much memory you will install in your computer. I’ll leave everything as it is for now, 6 GB of memory is enough for me at the moment, I practically don’t play games of recent years, except that I recently played Mortal Kombat XL, it requires about 3 GB of RAM, but I got tired of it literally after 1 hour of play, the unofficial Ultimate Mortal Kombat Trilogy, which runs only through an emulator and takes up 10 MB (13 MB with music inserts), is my favorite.