Steam survey suggests more players are upgrading to 16GB RAM

HardwareTechSteam survey suggests more players are upgrading to 16GB RAMWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. HardwareTechSteam survey suggests more players are upgrading to 16GB RAMWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Future) New PC games are more ravenous for RAM than ever, andValve’s latest Steam hardware survey hints that more players are making the jump to 16GB systems. Traditionally, 8GB tends to be what developers will recommend as a minimum within system requirements for games, but if recent releases like Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League tell us anything, it’s that your gaming PC will soon need more memory just to even reach the menu screen of blockbuster outings. Memory alone isn’t a ticket to thebest gaming PCball, and capacity is only one factor to consider when picking upRAM for gaming. Still, developers still use a face value figure to provide insight into whether Steam releases will actually run, as drifting below minimum requirements can cause a complete performance ruckus. So, it’s not entirely surprising that there’s a shift towards using either upgrading their rigs or investing in new systems armed with more DIMM sticks. (Image credit: Valve) It’s worth hammering home that Valve’s Steam survey isn’t fool proof, and it’s based on a sample of users rather than the entirety of the platform. Nevertheless, it still provides some insight into the habits of PC players when it comes to hardware, not to mention it’s useful for detecting trends early. Again, the stats included in January’s Steam hardware survey results aren’t a shocker, and moving towards higher PC specs is an inevitability. Admittedly, the biggest changes normally involve parts that regularly receive new line-ups, likegraphics cardsand new generation CPUs, but memory standards also change over time. What these results don’t fill us in on is whether players are making the leap to using faster DDR5 RAM kits, or if the majority of players are still rocking DDR4. Since quicker data transfer rates don’t tend to impact performance as capacity, you could say there’s less of a rush to upgrade, but it would be handy to see how quickly the PC scene moves on from one generation of components to the next. How much RAM does your PC need? The question of how much RAM to arm your gaming PC or laptop with will change over time. However, at the moment, I’d say 16GB should be regarded as a minimum. That’s not to say you’ll need that amount to run every Steam game in your library, but when it comes to big budget adventures and fancy new releases, the extra headroom will prevent any hardware headaches. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more In any case, if you think your rig might need a RAM revamp, have a peek below at some memory offers available right now. Today’s best RAM dealsCorsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 3200MHz 16GB$160.99ViewSee all pricesCorsair DDR4$29.99ViewSee all pricesLow StockHyperX Fury DDR4$34.95$29.95ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Today’s best RAM dealsCorsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 3200MHz 16GB$160.99ViewSee all pricesCorsair DDR4$29.99ViewSee all pricesLow StockHyperX Fury DDR4$34.95$29.95ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Today’s best RAM dealsCorsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 3200MHz 16GB$160.99ViewSee all pricesCorsair DDR4$29.99ViewSee all pricesLow StockHyperX Fury DDR4$34.95$29.95ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Today’s best RAM deals Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 3200MHz 16GB$160.99ViewSee all pricesCorsair DDR4$29.99ViewSee all pricesLow StockHyperX Fury DDR4$34.95$29.95ViewSee all prices Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 3200MHz 16GB$160.99ViewSee all prices Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 3200MHz 16GB$160.99ViewSee all prices Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 3200MHz 16GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 3200MHz 16GB $160.99View $160.99 $160.99 See all prices Corsair DDR4$29.99ViewSee all prices Corsair DDR4$29.99ViewSee all prices Corsair DDR4 Corsair DDR4 $29.99View $29.99 $29.99 See all prices Low StockHyperX Fury DDR4$34.95$29.95ViewSee all prices Low Stock Low Stock Low Stock Low Stock Low Stock HyperX Fury DDR4$34.95$29.95ViewSee all prices HyperX Fury DDR4 HyperX Fury DDR4 $34.95$29.95View $34.95$29.95 $29.95 See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Looking for more than memory? Check out thebest gaming CPUandbest SSD for gamingand give your entire rig a refresh. We’ve even rounded up thebest PC casesif you need something to throw everything into. 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Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes 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