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Every gamer wants a fantastic gaming experience. In other words, nobody wants to spend time playing a game that lags. It is annoying and frustrating if this situation persists. Most times, gamers like yourself try to find out how they can make their gaming experience better.
And this leads to many questions like: How important is RAM when it comes to gaming? Will more RAM help? Do they need more RAM? Do they need faster RAM? And many other equally important questions.
The truth is that the answers to these questions are not just a simple yes or no. If it were, life would be more comfortable, and you would not have to go through all this information to understand the technicalities.
However, before you delve further into the topic, you must get conversant with some keywords.
What Is RAM?
RAM is a simple abbreviation for Random Access Memory. It is short-term storage for your computer. Moreover, it helps store data for your current activities, which you are doing right now. Thus, it helps your computer to gain access to the information it needs faster. And makes your whole experience more seamless.
If your computer had to access your hard drive every time it needed a bit of information, then your whole experience would be slower. That’s not what you want. The truth is, most people want things to happen fast, and your RAM helps to ensure that it happens.
Most computer users believe that the more RAM they have, the more sophisticated their computer becomes. They think that having 32GB RAM will turn their computer into gaming monsters. That, however, is not the full story.
Yes, your RAM is important in getting better performance from your computer. But it is only one piece in this puzzle. That’s because your computer has other components as well that make up the system. And if you do not upgrade those components, you would not get optimal functionality.
Other essential parts on the computer are the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and your Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). If these two are not in great configuration, then you will struggle to get better performance. Learn more about RAM here.
What Is FPS in Game?
It is short for frames per second. FPS is simply the number of full screens i.e, still images, captured on a screen per second of video recording or video gameplay. In videography and video games, the quick movement of still images creates an illusion of motion. It means that the higher the FPS, the better the motion looks. And if you are playing games that come in HD or 4K, you will need better FPS.
Does RAM affect FPS?
When you are playing a game on a computer, temporary files need to be stored. And these files are stored on your RAM. That’s because it is faster to retrieve these files from your RAM rather than your hard drive. However, if your RAM fills up and its memory runs out, your temporary files will store on the hard drive.
To retrieve files from your hard drive is slower than when you are getting it from your RAM. And because of this, it will reduce your FPS and impact your gaming experience. To solve this situation, you would have to increase your RAM, and when you do so, your FPS will undoubtedly increase.
So, it is true. RAM does affect your FPS, but only when your computer has a lower RAM than is required to play the game. If you have a good Graphics card and CPU, increasing RAM may not make much of a difference. That’s because every other thing is in place.
For instance, let’s say the game you installed on your computer requires 4GB of RAM. So, if you have 8GB RAM, the game will run alright. Likewise, even if you get 16GB RAM, it will not make any difference because you already have the minimum requirements.
However, if you have 8GB of RAM and the game requires 16GB of RAM, your FPS will be significantly affected.
Does RAM Increase Gaming Performance?
As pointed out earlier, computer RAM helps access gaming files faster when playing a game. And this means that RAM does affect your gaming performance. When you are upgrading your gaming laptop or PC for a better gaming experience, you must consider this.
Ask yourself – how much RAM will the game require? Because the truth is, if you do not give it what it needs, it may end up not playing at all. It is that bad.
It urges the question, is more RAM better? Well, this is not always the case. As illustrated earlier, if you have excess RAM, then that excess goes to waste. You do not need 16GB RAM for a game that requires 4GB RAM; it is a waste.
What Does More RAM Do for Gaming?
It’s simple, the more RAM you have, the better your gaming experience. But more in terms of what? Is it in terms of RAM speed or RAM size? Well, both! How much does RAM speed matter? It matters. The faster your RAM is, the better it performs.
But as we have seen from the examples above, more does not always mean better. Sometimes more is a waste. So if your computer does not need more RAM, you do not need to get more.
All you have to do is get what is required to run your gaming computer, and it will be fine. Now, it raises the next question – how much RAM do you need for gaming?
How Much RAM Do You Need for Gaming?
Generally, research shows that having a computer with 8GB or 16GB RAM is alright for gaming. Most game requirements fall within this range. So, is there any game that does not fall within this range?
Well, it may not have been invented yet. Some years ago, you would have gotten away with a 4GB RAM computer because most of the games were comfortable with this. But times have changed; computer games have become more sophisticated and need more memory.
Thus, to stay safe and future-proof your computer, it is advisable to get at least 16GB of RAM to avoid any issues. But as stated earlier, your RAM is just one part of the problem in gaming. Another crucial component you must consider is your CPU.
Does CPU Affect FPS?
The CPU is nothing but a Central Processing Unit of the computer. It is also called the processor. It helps to carry out most of the computer’s instructions. Thus, it is an integral part of the computer system. It helps to receive, direct, and process computer data. That’s why most people refer to it as the brain of the computer. And when it comes to gaming and FPS, it is pretty much a big deal.
Before now, CPUs only had one core; this means that it could solely focus on one task at a time. But as time went by, it started having more than one core, and today a CPU can have up to 28 cores.
So if you want a computer that would be more efficient and free-flowing, you need to get a more recent CPU. Generally speaking, the CPU of your computer affects your FPS when you are playing a game.
The more cores it has, the better. However, as seen in the case of RAM, individual games have different requirements. And once the CPU meets those requirements and exceeds them slightly, adding any more will not make much difference.
Apart from the CPU and the RAM, another vital component for gaming is the Graphics Processing Unit. And it has to be in the right configuration, too, so you can have the best gaming experience.
Conclusion: So, does RAM affect FPS in gaming?
It is great to have a gaming experience that is free of lags and hiccups. And this can only happen when you have the right tools. If you do not get the right components, you will struggle. And one of those components when it comes to gaming is your RAM.
It will help if you get a 16GB RAM computer to have enough memory to run any game. And your FPS will be faster with no complaints. If you are still carrying around a 4GB RAM, then you aren’t ready yet. However, if your budget restricts you from getting 16GB RAM, then 8GB RAM will still be alright, depending on the games you have in mind.
So, does RAM affect FPS in gaming? The answer is yes, and now you know how and why. Furthermore, now you are equipped with a better knowledge to make the right decisions. This way, you can have a better gaming experience than most people do.
