How Much RAM Best for Gaming

yes they are 64 capable, which means they will run in a 64 bit environment, but they are not native 64 bit games, otherwise you would have 2 launchers for them, very much like adobe c5 which has a 32 bit launcher which resides in your programme files x86 folder, and a 64 bit launcher which resides in your programme files folder, the same as your internet explorer which has 2 launchers one for 32 and one for 64, the executable has to be writen in 64 bit code to work in 64 bit which games simply do not at the moment because the majority of pc gamers are still on 32 bit platforms,
 
BF3 uses around 6gb of my RAM on demanding MP maps so 8gb I would say is the best as it never goeas above that for general use or gaming but does go above 4gb in a few games, any more than 8gb you may not be able to overclock your CPU as well so could make your performance slightly worse and not benefit in any way.
 
I agree with Stulid, that on a 64bit OS, I would consider 8gb as the minimum amount now.

In two of my pc's both built around a Asrock Extreme 4 Gen3 with 2500K's overclocked to 4.6ghz, I'm running 16gb of memory in each, without any affects on the overclocking.
 
well i only have 6 gb ( triple channel ) i have around 2gb used for windows and other progs, when i boot up bf3 it uses 1.9 gb of ram add that witht the 2gb my system is using and i have around 2gb left over, i cannot see why your systems are using 6gb when the game can only make use of around 3gb as it is a 32 bit programme, unles you are all using eyefinity which could possibly use 3 time the ram that my system uses, a bit like the vram that gpus do where it loads the same info into both/three gpus maybe.

im not saying more ram is worse, but if cash is tight it isnt a big factor,
 
nalla said:
well i only have 6 gb ( triple channel ) i have around 2gb used for windows and other progs, when i boot up bf3 it uses 1.9 gb of ram add that witht the 2gb my system is using and i have around 2gb left over, i cannot see why your systems are using 6gb when the game can only make use of around 3gb as it is a 32 bit programme, unles you are all using eyefinity which could possibly use 3 time the ram that my system uses, a bit like the vram that gpus do where it loads the same info into both/three gpus maybe.

im not saying more ram is worse, but if cash is tight it isnt a big factor,
Click to expand...

I use 6gb on a worse case scenario, tested it the other night, with BF3 multiplayer running and like 20 open web pages and obviously my background stuff it used 6gb but no more than that. But BF3 did use about 3gb on its own so its nbot locked to 1.9gb

Unless you use programmes like lots of photo editing and you only use your PC for regular stuff and gaming there is no need to have more than 8gb and you will never use it up untill a few years when operating systems and games start to change.

The only thing using more than 8gb of RAM will do for you if all you do is game and browse is put more stress on your CPU than needed without any need or reason (It may put hardly any stress on your CPU atall, but with SB processors it does hinder overclocking slightly in some chips while using 4x 4gb dimms, and theres no point in taking that chance or wasting the money if your never going to benefit from it IMO)
 
Last edited:
so that isnt bf3 on its own which is what i am saying, it is a 32 bit game which only allows a memory usage of around 3gb, which is the max an individual programme can use ( unless 63 bit ), so if your on a budjet then 8 gb isnt essential but if you have the coin then yes go for it as you will need less virtual memory for swap files.
 
I know... thats why I just said in a worst case scenario with like 20 internet windows open to prove there is no way you need more than 8gb for just gaming and general use, and that BF3 on its own only used up to 3gb but did use more than 1.9gb so not sure about the whole 32bit thing because I have lots of games that are 64 bit.

Also I wouldnt call 4gb enough, the operating system uses about 1.2 at the least without anti virus and other stuff like drivers running in the background, lots of people with 4gb ram have reported when playing BF3 running out of ram
 
im not saying that 4 gb is enough but 8 isnt essential for gaming, espescially if you are short of cash.

and you dont have any 64 bit games because theyre arent any, they are only 64 bit compliant, they can use 3gb each so if u had 2 running at same time then they could use 6gb but not as an individual programme, its physically impossible until they write games in 64 bit code as well as 32bit which they do not at the moment,
 
nalla said:
im not saying that 4 gb is enough but 8 isnt essential for gaming, espescially if you are short of cash.

and you dont have any 64 bit games because theyre arent any, they are only 64 bit compliant, they can use 3gb each so if u had 2 running at same time then they could use 6gb but not as an individual programme, its physically impossible until they write games in 64 bit code as well as 32bit which they do not at the moment,
Click to expand...

The extras RAM does have an effect even though BF3 itself is only a 32 bit application.

Some information in this thread:

4GB vs 8GB
 
Last edited:
The extras RAM does have an effect even though BF3 itself is only a 32 bit application.

Some information in this thread:
Click to expand...

only in the situation where system resources are low to start with, but if you have 3 gig spare b4 launching any game then there isnt going to be a difference, problem is so many people have programmes that use memory when the pc starts up, like itunes, anti virus, etc etc, some progs use so much mem and people not in the know dont have a clue whats going on and complian of high mem usage, when they can simply shut down progs and have perfect performance in games.
 
nalla said:
only in the situation where system resources are low to start with, but if you have 3 gig spare b4 launching any game then there isnt going to be a difference, problem is so many people have programmes that use memory when the pc starts up, like itunes, anti virus, etc etc, some progs use so much mem and people not in the know dont have a clue whats going on and complian of high mem usage, when they can simply shut down progs and have perfect performance in games.
Click to expand...

Does it really matter how or why it works?

Not everyone wants to sit there shutting down programs so they can play a game.

I assume that if you have a 64 bit OS and 8GB of RAM then BF3 can have 4GB to itself and leave the rest to whatever else is going on leading to a better playing experience.
 
Does it really matter how or why it works?

Not everyone wants to sit there shutting down programs so they can play a game.

I assume that if you have a 64 bit OS and 8GB of RAM then BF3 can have 4GB to itself and leave the rest to whatever else is going on leading to a better playing experience.
Click to expand...

it realy dosent matter to the point that you have not read or taken in any of the comments that have been posted here, i have said that a 32 bit application cannot use more than approx 3 gig of ram, so bf3 cannot have 4gb of ram to itself because it cannot acces 4gb of ram due to it being a 32 bit application,

why come in to a thread and comment that no one cares when someone obviously does when they ask is 8 gb better than 4, the answer is obviously yes but if you simply cannot afford 8 gb over 4 then the difference is nill if you are prepared to close a few unnescesary programmes.
 
I dont think anyone including me is actually disagreeing with you. I never said that a 64 bit game has to or can use up 8gb of memory.. I think 64 bit versions of games allow to use up what the game needs to run (which isn't allot with our console ports or optimized games) and not go over say 3.5 gb so the system still has resources to use.

If a 32 bit version of a game allowed it to use up 3.5gb of ram then you would be run off the HDD because of the operating system and stuff in the back ground.
At least thats the way I guess it works, will do a test to see. Because allot of games come with the 32bit version and 64 bit version in different folders.

But tbh I think your just arguing with yourself and dont know much as fact either because at first you said BF or any game are all 32bit (when they arent, you can get 32bit or 64bit versions of games, but that doesnt mean they use up a ton of ram.... the games simply dont need to, it just lets them use up what they need I suppose) and you said can only use up to 1.9gb of ram, then I said BF3 peaked to 3gb of ram and now thats your new standard.


IMO if your looking to play demanding ram hungry games like BF3 and are running windows 7 (well obviously) you should and can afford just £15 to get another 4gb stick of ram to ensure you dont use up the RAM
 
nalla said:
it realy dosent matter to the point that you have not read or taken in any of the comments that have been posted here, i have said that a 32 bit application cannot use more than approx 3 gig of ram, so bf3 cannot have 4gb of ram to itself because it cannot acces 4gb of ram due to it being a 32 bit application,

why come in to a thread and comment that no one cares when someone obviously does when they ask is 8 gb better than 4, the answer is obviously yes but if you simply cannot afford 8 gb over 4 then the difference is nill if you are prepared to close a few unnescesary programmes.
Click to expand...

I came into the thread to say that 8GB was better than 4GB.

I didn't come into the thread to say that no one cares, and I didn't even say that.

I said that if people report a better playing experience with 8GB over 4GB then it doesn't matter to them how or why it works.

Perhaps you'd care to give us the technical explaination of why a 32 bit application can't access more than ~3GB of RAM.

I don't profess to be any expert in the matter but it would seem possible that it can:

Memory max of 32 bit apps in 64 bit OS
 
Delta12 said:
Makes me feel old :( i remember having the same debates about 8 meg and 16 meg of ram :( terrifying to think i'm using 4000 times more memory in my rig today than when i started pc gaming :( my first pc was 4 meg which i spent hundreds of pounds upgrading to 8meg.
Click to expand...

Well if that makes you feel old just spare a thought for me. I remember getting exited when a mate was getting a 16k ram pack for his 1k speccy lol.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom