Most tasks today actually require 16GB of RAM, only a few require more such as 32GB of RAM. So you’re probably wondering what uses does 64GB of RAM have.
Well the truth is not many, 64GB of RAM has a few uses such as 8K video editing, and other niche purposes, but the majority of people wont need this much RAM.
So yes, 64GB of RAM is generally overkill for most people, there’s no need for it if you’re the average gamer, and if you’re a professional video editor, it’s generally said that 32GB of RAM is the sweet spot.
How Much RAM Is Needed?
So the amount of RAM your computer needs completely depends on how you intend on using your PC, if you’re a gamer, then it’s accepted that you’ll need between 8GB-16GB.
If you’re a video editor, then it’s a little different because video editing is extremely RAM intensive, so you’ll need between 16-32GB of RAM.
And for really heavy video editing at 8K, then you may require 64GB of RAM, but this is extremely niche as 8K video isn’t that popular.
8GB RAM
8 Gigs of RAM should be able to suffice for gamers, but a lot of the RAM would be allocated to running the operating system, so your options are cut short.
For 1080P gamers, you don’t need a large frame buffer therefore 8GB of RAM should be more than enough, but for 1440P and 4K gamers, you’ll definitely need 16GB of RAM.
8GB of RAM should also be enough for streaming and light video editing at 720P, other than that, your options are highly limited.
16GB RAM
With 16GB of RAM, you’re able to game more effectively as you’ll have more free RAM available for higher resolutions such as 1440P and 4K.
16GB of RAM is also a decent amount of RAM for video editing, you’ll be able to video edit at 1080P and 1440P, but it’s not the recommended capacity.
16GB of RAM also makes multitasking a whole lot easier meaning you won’t have to close background applications when gaming or performing other RAM intensive tasks.
32GB RAM
With 32GB of RAM, you can pretty much perform most tasks without worrying about RAM consumption, this is because not many tasks will consume this much RAM.
For gaming, most games won’t actually take 32GB of RAM, this is why 16GB of RAM is the sweet spot for gamers, but there very few games that will require 32GB of RAM.
For video editing, this is where 32GB of RAM becomes more useful, you will be able to multitask easier, handle longer videos better, and video edit effectively at 4K.
Overall, 32GB of RAM is a decent amount of RAM, we won’t say it’s overkill but rather a great option for heavily modded and niche video games.
64GB RAM
With 64GB of RAM, you’re entering overkill territory as there is really no point for the average user to have this much RAM.
For gaming, 64GB of RAM is most definitely overkill even if you have multiple applications open. Also, the most RAM intensive game only recommends 32GB of RAM.
For video editing, 64GB of RAM can be seen as future-proofing for when 8K becomes more relevant, but for the average video editor, there’s no need for 64GB of RAM unless you want as much performance as possible.
For CAD(Computer Aided Design), 64GB of RAM is actually a good idea because rendering CAD or 3D objects is intense and complex.
How Much RAM For Daily Use?
For daily use, you can get away a minimum of 4GB of RAM, but 8GB of RAM is probably recommended for a smooth experience.
64GB of RAM for daily use is pretty much a huge waste of money as if you’re just browsing the web, or writing up a document, it would use 8GB of RAM at most.
The best amount of RAM for daily use is 8GB of RAM as it gives the operating system enough RAM to operate background tasks and for it to function effectively.
Is 64GB Of RAM Future-Proof?
Firstly lets define what future-proofing means. Future-proofing means to make a system sustainable for the future by purchasing overkill hardware in the current time.
So if you’re purchasing 64GB of DDR4 RAM today in attempt to make it future-proof for the future, by the time 64GB of RAM is necessary, your DDR4 RAM kit may be out of date.
Also it can be quite expensive in the moment whereas you could save money purchasing better and newer hardware down the road.
So future-proofing won’t always work, and it most definitely is not cost efficient, so if you’re purchasing 64GB of RAM in attempt to future-proof, you’re going to waste a lot of money.
Should I Increase To 64GB Of RAM?
The answer is maybe, it depends on whether what application is running is exceeding the RAM limit, if you’re not maxing out on RAM, then increasing the RAM won’t improve performance.
A good rule of thumb is to increase the amount of RAM you have if you’re constantly exceeding 75% of your total RAM usage.
So in video editing if you have 32GB of RAM, and you’re constantly at 75% RAM usage, then it’s probably a good idea to upgrade to 64GB of RAM.
If you happen to have 32GB of RAM for a gaming system, the chances of you exceeding 75% of your total RAM is rare unless you’re running a highly modded game instance for example GTA V or Minecraft.
RAM Gaming Benchmarks
By the benchmark above, you can tell that the jump between 8GB and 16GB of RAM is huge, this is because 8GB doesn’t provide enough frame buffer.
Besides 8GB, there’s not much difference between the frame rates, this is why we don’t recommend going any higher than necessary for gaming.
16GB, 32GB, and 64GB all have identical average frame rates, and the 1% lows are pretty much the same, so we can confidently say you only need 16GB of RAM for Battlefield V.
With Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, 8GB of RAM still falls back when it comes to 1440P gaming, and this is due to the lack of frame buffer available.
16GB of RAM pretty much holds up as expected, you get the most out of your components with an average frame rate of 95 FPS, and an 1% Low FPS of 70.
32GB is slightly ahead at 98 FPS on average, and an 1% low of around 71 FPS, this is most likely due to less stress being on the CPU.
64GB generates the most frames per second on average with 99 FPS, but the 1% lows is around 66 FPS which is lower than 16GB and 32GB, this is most likely an anomaly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, 64GB of RAM is pretty much overkill for most people, but there are some uses in video editing like 8K and really long 4K videos.
For gaming, the most amount of RAM you’d need is 32GB, there is no realistic scenario where 64GB of RAM is necessary, it’s just going to be a waste of money and bring diminishing returns with FPS.
For CAD, 32-64GB of RAM is the ideal amount of RAM because CAD and 3D design is complex, and the demand on RAM only increases the bigger the assemblies are.
