Not having enough RAM while playing a resource intensive game can definitely cause drops in your fps or framerate. Fps drops tend to happen when your system and game use up all the available RAM which will cause a drop in game performance.
Faulty RAM as well as the speed of the RAM both play a role into performance as well while gaming. It’s always best to use a higher speed RAM specifically made for gaming if you are looking to have the highest fps possible.
In this article we will go over a few topics about RAM and how it relates to your fps while in game, how much RAM you need for gaming, and a few of the best brands to look out for when upgrading your ram.
Can Low Ram Cause FPS Issues?
Having low RAM is definitely a big contributor of fps issues in game. If your system only has 8GB of RAM, but your system and game you are playing requires at least 10GB of RAM, then you will encounter a performance hit in the form of fps loss in your game.
If you believe you have enough ram to run your game then there can be another issue at hand. Having a memory leak can be worse than not having enough RAM.
A memory leak happens when your computer closes an open program and fails to release the memory that it was using.
This will cause a temporary low RAM issue in your computer which can carry over to your fps when gaming.
We recommend using Corsair RAM for all your gaming needs. Click here to view the price of Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 16GB.
How Much Ram Do I Need?
It’s always better to have more RAM than not enough. So exactly how much RAM do today’s games need? According to Crucial, it is recommended to have at least 16GB of RAM if you plan on gaming and want a good experience.
The bare minimum amount of RAM a system should have these days is 8GB. This should suffice for most people doing daily tasks on their devices. This can be anything from word documents, light gaming, and even graphic/photo design.
If you are planning on cranking out the graphics or are planning on playing resource intensive games then having a minimum amount of 16GB of RAM is recommended, unless you don’t mind having a hit in performance and fps loss.
Many gaming enthusiasts and professionals preach by having at least 32GB of memory to eliminate any risk of having a loss of performance while gaming.
Does the Speed of the Ram Affect FPS?
The Mhz or speed of your RAM does affect your FPS. However, the frequency of your RAM will only have a small impact, if any at all, on your FPS. Not having enough ram will have a greater impact on your fps compared to the speed of your ram.
Having a faster RAM has been shown to only increase FPS by a few numbers at most when compared to lower clocked RAM. This makes the price to performance not worth it in the long run if you are looking to best spend your money.
There are other pieces of hardware that contribute a much greater impact to your fps in game. These include your processor and graphics card.
These two pieces of hardware alone account for the majority of how well your game performs.
What Is the Best Ram for Gaming?
While the best RAM for gaming can be debatable, we recommend choosing Corsair.
They are one of the most tried and true brands in the gaming industry and I use them personally in my PC builds. Their quality and performance are bar non top-tier.
Corsair
We recommend using Corsair as your go to ram for gaming. Their memory is highly popular in the gaming community and with good reason.
Their memory is built with only the highest quality materials and are tested for quality to provide the highest level of performance and customer satisfaction.
Crucial
Crucial is another big name in the world of RAM, and they are definitely a great option as well. Their ram offers performance and quality at affordable prices.
Their RAM may not look as aesthetically pleasing or as catching as Corsair, but do not let that be your deciding factor.
Kingston Hyper X
Kingston is another top pick in the world of gaming. Kingston has carved out a name for themselves by providing excellent customer service and products.
At the end of the day, Kingston and Crucial are very close competitors and you won’t go wrong with either one. Opt for the best price for performance and go from there.
Final Thoughts
RAM is definitely an important resource when gaming. Not having enough or having a low amount of RAM will have a negative impact on your fps in games. With the era of technology that we are currently in, new games continue to have higher and higher demands for graphical resources.
The minimum amount of RAM required to run your computer and video games 10 years ago are much different than today’s requirements. This will continue to trend in the upcoming years.
If you are experiencing fps drops or any other issues directly related to having a high memory usage, then we recommend adding an additional stick of RAM to allow your computer the room to have more than enough RAM when under a heavy load.