The SSD advice goes hand in hand with the memory advice, since your CPU will swap to system storage once the RAM fills up, so it's good to have a fast drive. Also, with features like DirectStorage poised to become the standard going forward, SSDs truly are a zero-compromise component. Unfortunately, we're in the middle of a global shortage right now, so even though the 32GB RAM recommendation is technically valid, it still comes off as tone-deaf for a company that's reportedly spending $190 billion on AI this year, which is the reason the shortages and high pricing exist.
Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News , or add us as a preferred source , to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.
Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he\u2019s not working, you\u2019ll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun. ","collapsible":{"enabled":true,"maxHeight":250,"readMoreText":"Read more","readLessText":"Read less"}}), "https://slice.vanilla.futurecdn.net/13-4-22/js/authorBio.js"); } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } Hassam Nasir Social Links Navigation Contributing Writer Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he’s not working, you’ll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun.
usertests Bj5v52R4qnk It's been a while since I watched this, but I think some of the subtesting demonstrated 16 GB RAM + 16 GB VRAM being a good pair to reduce spillage compared to 8 GB VRAM. But usually, 16 GB RAM is fine. And the Tom's article mentions this aspect as well. 24 GB kits could be a good compromise in theory, but the $/GB was bad compared to 32 GB last time I checked. Maybe we'll see a 16 GB + 8 GB HUDIMM push. Better to ignore it and look for a 32 GB bundle deal or something. Some folks were freaking out about these recommendations but they are not that crazy. Close other applications if 16 GB is cutting it close. Reply
Jabberwocky79 Tsk tsk, 16GB has been my personal bare minimum since 2011. Having more RAM would also extend the life of your SSD since it would require fewer page file writes, would it not? Reply
Zaranthos Jabberwocky79 said: Tsk tsk, 16GB has been my personal bare minimum since 2011. Having more RAM would also extend the life of your SSD since it would require fewer page file writes, would it not? You're correct. The problem with "benchmarks" is they're just lab testing, usually on a clean Windows installation, with little else installed to interfere with the benchmark testing. That doesn't reflect real world use for the average gamer who might have many other things installed and we all know that most everything today wants to run some crap in the background. Even Chrome pushes a default keep your browser running in the background setting that you have to toggle off or it doesn't actually close. If you're a serious gamer that doesn't run Windows 11 in a clean lab environment get 48GB or 64GB of ram. When Microsoft says 32GB is enough today you can bet it's only a few Windows update before Windows is gobbling up much more and all the other poorly optimized software is doing the same. You're likely to get better performance from ram in a two stick configuration than if you try to fill 4 slots later, and if you're really going for the best performance you probably should be buying a matched kit to begin with so you never have to upgrade and try to gamble on matching RAM on specs alone, especially if you want to run EXPO or XMP profiles. The SSD argument is valid as well, even though modern SSD's generally last pretty long. But at 64GB of ram the swap file is barely needed for most gamers. Reply
Jabberwocky79 Zaranthos said: If you're a serious gamer that doesn't run Windows 11 in a clean lab environment get 48GB or 64GB of ram. When Microsoft says 32GB is enough today you can bet it's only a few Windows update before Windows is gobbling up much more and all the other poorly optimized software is doing the same. You're likely to get better performance from ram in a two stick configuration than if you try to fill 4 slots later, and if you're really going for the best performance you probably should be buying a matched kit to begin with so you never have to upgrade and try to gamble on matching RAM on specs alone, especially if you want to run EXPO or XMP profiles. Indeed, which is why I went "overkill" and bought a two-stick, 64GB kit on my last system build. I never plan on upgrading unless building a new system entirely. Gaming aside, my workload often requires having PowerPoint, Word, Photoshop, and Illustrator open simultaneously. On top of that, I usually have a browser open with multiple tabs, streaming music, and I'm driving 3 screens all with live wallpapers. I frequently see as much as 30-35% of my RAM capacity being utilized, which is above the "minimum" threshold of 16GB. – It's nice to not have to worry about it though, and so glad I built before the RAMpocalypse. I thought my price of $275 was expensive for the kit – at one point I saw that it had climbed to over $1000. Reply
das_stig But Bill promised 640Kb is enough for anybody and 1MB for Windows. Windows Memory Requirements (Release 1 to 11) Windows VersionEraArchMinimumRecommendedMax SupportedWindows 1.0/2.0198516-bit256–512 KB640 KB–1 MB1 MBWindows 3.0/3.1199016-bit1–2 MB2–4 MB16 MBWindows NT 3.1199332-bit12 MB16 MB64 MBWindows NT 3.51199532-bit12–16 MB32 MB4 GBWindows 95/98199532-bit4–16 MB16–64 MB512 MB–1 GBWindows NT 4.0199632-bit16 MB32–64 MB4 GBWindows Me/2000200032-bit32 MB128 MB1.5–4 GBWindows XP200132-bit64 MB512 MB4 GB64-Bit256 MB1 GB128 GBWindows Vista/7200732-bit512 MB–1 GB2 GB4 GB64-bit512 MB–2 GB4GB128 GB–192 GBWindows 8/102012+32-bit1 GB2 GB4 GB64-bit2 GB8 GB2 TBWindows 11202164-bit4 GB8–16 GB6 TB+Windows 11 (2026)202664-bit16 GB*32 GB6 TB+ *Starting point for modern multitasking and Copilot+ PCs. Reply
TechieTwo Dump Co-pilot and 16 GB. should be good for 99% of users. Reply
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-now-recommends-32gb-of-ram-as-the-future-proof-no-worries-config-for-gaming-16gb-becomes-the-new-practical-starting-point-during-the-ramageddon#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
- Crucial Taiwan undersea cable severed by old shipwreck — backup microwave communications activated to keep population connected
- Chinese court rules companies can't fire workers just because AI is cheaper — ruling says automation alone doesn't justify layoffs
- Redditor gambles $20 on a 4TB Temu external HDD — receives a microSD card reader hot-glued inside a plastic box
- Rethinking AI TCO: Why Cost per Token Is the Only Metric That Matters
- ASML's roadmap for chipmaking lithography tools examined — from DUV to Low-NA, High-NA, Hyper-NA, and beyond
Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.