For this reason, DDR3 RAM can't go into a motherboard designed for DDR4, and vice versa. Editing apps will work on lower amounts of RAM, but you'll become so frustrated with the poor performance you'll soon start yearning for an upgrade. It succeeds  Microsoft Windows 8.1 and was up for sale on July 29, 2015. RAM configurations differ depending mostly on your motherboard. Don't skimp here. However, for better performance and for a heavy workload, 8 GB RAM is advisable. Let’s look at both the systems one by one: The minimum necessary requirement being 1 GB for windows installation in that system. However other jobs like gaming or burning discs shall take over your entire System and make it slow. Let's find out how much RAM you currently have, what type of RAM is compatible with your system, and how much RAM you should have for specific daily tasks. That means you can get high-speed DDR4 RAM with about the same true latency as older DDR3 RAM that's only about half the speed. How much RAM you need in your PC depends heavily on what you use your PC for on a day-to-day basis and on how long you intend to keep the computer. We have a guide for that! Latency, on the other hand, is how fast your RAM realizes it needs to act when the CPU calls on it. (2019 edition) Is there a case for having more than 16GB of RAM in a Windows 10 PC? To take things even further, Crucial System Scanner is a great app that will scan your computer and show you how much total RAM your motherboard and processor can handle, how many slots are available for RAM, and some options for purchasing compatible RAM. I would like to receive mail from Future partners. However, one can take advantage of using the entire 4GB in a 64-bit operating system. However, the device may work a bit slow but basic activities can be accomplished using this RAM. However, too much heavy usage in a 2 GB might make your machine slow and difficult to work with. With this RAM capacity, one can perform video editing, gaming, working smoothly on Microsoft Office, etc. If you use your Windows 10 computer for word processing, checking emails, browsing the internet, and playing Solitaire, you should have no problem using 4GB of RAM. Your PC has to deal with both running the game and streaming video to the internet at the same time. 4GB will be enough for normal use if you are not going to load up a lot of tabs in chrome. I would like to receive news and offers from other Future brands. Using a laptop to power your VR system makes it easy to take it with you wherever you go. If you are performing all of these activities at once, however, you might experience a dip in performance. It succeeds Microsoft Windows 8.1 and was up for sale on July 29, 2015. If you are into a photo or video editing then you require a faster system. Video editing is not at all possible using a 1 GB RAM. VR is a relatively new medium, at least in its latest incarnation, and it requires a good chunk of RAM to run smoothly. A 4 GB RAM allows various applications to run simultaneously with proper speed. This method will simply and quickly tell you how much RAM your PC currently has installed: Verify the Installed memory (RAM) line. However, this may be theoretically correct but for practical purposes, 1 GB or 2 GB ram is not sufficient enough. If you already have a computer you love but want to shift gears into a different daily task that requires better performance, upgrading your RAM as part of the process is a great idea. 2GB should be enough for conducting all kinds of basic activities on your computer. You will see on the right side of the window a list of compatible RAM available for purchase from Crucial. DDR4 is newer than DDR3 and uses a different pin configuration to fit into your motherboard. Now with the release of this new version of windows, the question that comes up is how much RAM does a Windows 10 machine requires for its smooth functioning. The amount of RAM you need in your PC depends on what you plan on doing — gaming, for instance, takes a generous amount of RAM, and media editing can take a lot of RAM. The improvement in the working of a 4 GB RAM justifies the cost it takes to upgrade from a 2 GB. Related: How to install RAM in your desktop or laptop PC. Not only does the speed of the device increases to a great extent but also a number of applications can be run simultaneously at the same time which is useful when running applications like Photoshop and Microsoft Office. If you use your Windows 10 computer for word processing, checking emails, browsing the internet, and playing Solitaire, you should have no problem using 4GB of RAM. I'm referencing HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) here, all of which should have at least 8GB of RAM on the associated PC to run smoothly. 1 GB Ram will allow you really lightweight usage like web-browsing, emails or photo editing, etc. If you have an old PC that you want to eke a few more years out of, adding RAM could make the difference between a couple years of frustration and a couple years of fond memories. Popular esports titles like DOTA 2, CS:GO, and League of Legends will allow you to get away with 4GB, but other popular titles, like Fallout 4, Witcher 3, and DOOM, will need at least 8GB to run properly. Column Access Strobes (CAS) latency has increased as the frequency of RAM has increased, but true latency has remained about the same due to a decrease in clock cycle times. As already mentioned this a 32-bit system, 1 GB RAM is a minimum requirement. If you're editing a lot of HD video, go for 16GB or more. Not only do you need to think about how much RAM you have, you also need to think about the speed of the RAM in your PC. If you're working with photos and a bit of video thrown in, 8GB should get you through. I'm not talking about Solitaire — heavy PC gaming at acceptable performance levels requires a substantial amount of RAM. To get the most out of this processor, you'll need some killer RAM. Let’s take a look at the required specification that is given by Windows itself. When a 4 GB RAM is used only 3.2 Gb can be properly used while the rest is wasted. Windows 10 takes just 0.2 GB more RAM than Windows 8.1 for running the background processes of operating system. In the end, the Bottom Line is irrespective of the kind of user you are, you should have more than 1 GB RAM in your machine for smooth functioning. It's never fun to not have the right amount of RAM for the task at hand. Now with the release of this new version of windows, the question that comes up is how much RAM does a Windows 10 … Well, if you are concerned about the performance of your device, an 8 GB RAM must be used. RAM is available in two common types: DDR3 and DDR4. If you aren't completely confident when buying RAM, worry not. To know the difference between 8 GB and more than 8GB, use various designing apps like Photoshop and others in a system of 8 GB Ram, and then upgrade it to higher capacity of RAM to experience you’re the difference. Let's get one thing straight: adding RAM to your computer is not a process that will magically make everything faster. According to Windows the minimum RAM for a 32 bit Windows 10 PC is of 1GB while for a 64 bit Windows 10 PC the minimum required RAM is 2GB. It will, however, aid your PC in multitasking and performing heavy duties like gaming and multimedia editing. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is an amazing CPU for gaming and productivity at a reasonable price. From the above discussion, we can come to the conclusion that 1 GB or 2 GB in spite of being the minimum requirement is actually not that useful practically. If your budget allows, why not push it up to 32GB? How much RAM does your Windows 10 PC need? This is the type of configuration is ideal for running various virtual machines or multiple resource-heavy applications simultaneously. The Vive only recommends 4GB, but, honestly, go with at least 8GB; you have to take into account the games you'll be playing, many of which require a decent amount of RAM to run smoothly. And it allows a maximum of 4GB RAM. More RAM doesn't make the computer faster, but it will make it harder for it to get bogged down. Once you determined how much RAM you need for your specific PC duties and what type of RAM works with your processor and motherboard, you can start shopping. RAM, or random access memory, is a vital hardware component used by your Windows 10 PC to store temporary data that can be accessed quickly by software, speeding up processes and keeping you from banging your head against the desk in frustration. We're LIVE with the Windows Central Video Podcast today at 2:30pm ET, make sure you're there! 8 GB is currently the most used in the market as it provides a proper environment for carrying out most of the necessary applications. Updated June 27, 2018: We refreshed this article to ensure you're still getting current information about how much RAM you really need in a PC. (In this case, you can see I have 8GB of RAM installed.). ©2020 Bleuwire. Even when a 4GB RAM is used it cannot be used to its full capacity. For practical usage, a 4 GB RAM can be considered minimum which will allow proper use of the device.