Testing finds 16 GB of system memory is still fine for most PC games

A tester examined memory use across 27 recent big games (maxed 4K with DLSS Performance) then ran focused five‑minute playtests on eight titles, comparing average and 1% low frame rates and process memory with system RAM limited to 16 GB and 32 GB. Each test was repeated using an RTX 5090 (32 GB VRAM) and an RTX 5070 (12 GB VRAM).

Most games showed little difference between 16 GB and 32 GB. Cyberpunk 2077, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Black Myth: Wukong and Stalker 2 ran similarly with 16 GB on the RTX 5090, while on the RTX 5070 some titles still held up but Stalker 2 saw an 11% improvement in 1% lows with 32 GB and Escape from Tarkov posted a 34% bump in 1% lows.

Flight Simulator 2024 and Star Citizen were notable exceptions: Flight Simulator exhibited stutters and memory thrashing when VRAM and system RAM were limited, and Star Citizen performed poorly at both RAM totals and even warned about insufficient memory at 16 GB.

system memory, 16 gb, 32 gb, pc games, maxed 4k, dlss performance, 1% low frame rates, process memory, rtx 5090, rtx 5070, cyberpunk 2077, stalker 2, escape from tarkov, star citizen