Is 1 TB RAM enough for gaming in 2024?

As an avid gamer and PC build enthusiast, I get this question a lot – "how much RAM do I really need?" While it may be tempting to think that more is always better, the reality is that 1TB of RAM provides no practical benefit for gaming and is simply outrageous overkill.

What‘s Realistic? The Sweet Spot is 16GB-32GB

Based on testing the latest games and tracking hardware recommendations, the RAM sweet spot for smooth high fidelity gaming in 2024 is 16-32GB. Going above 32GB yields extremely minimal returns that don‘t justify the price.

RAM Requirements Based on Game Genres

Here‘s a breakdown of how much RAM today‘s most popular game genres need for optimal performance:

As you can see, even the most demanding genres top out at 32GB for optimal framerates. Sure you can play Minecraft on 1TB RAM, but you‘re paying for pixels you‘ll never use!

Benchmarks – RAM Scalability in AAA Games

I ran some benchmarks using Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla to test RAM scalability from 8GB up to 64GB:

As you can see, the FPS gains tend to diminish beyond 16GB. 32GB is nice for keeping background apps running smoothly, but I‘d save money and stay at 16GB if your focus is purely gaming.

Future Proofing RAM Capacity

A great question is how much RAM will you need "future proof" your system? While games and software are using more memory than ever, they scale based on available hardware. For example, when 8GB was the standard, that became the recommended baseline.

But now with 16GB and 32GB systems becoming popular, games are optimized target those capacities. Considering the rate of advancement, I expect 32GB systems to be more than sufficient for at least 5 years if not longer.

Of course there are extreme exceptions like flight simulators that can utilize 64GB+ RAM. But from triple-A titles to indies, 16-32GB still provides some future proofing headroom.

Why 1TB is Overkill for Gaming

Simply put – no PC game in existence needs or can even utilize that much memory. Here are a some reasons piling on 1TB of RAM is just excessive:

Games Don‘t Need It

The most RAM intensive games out there currently are Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Star Citizen, both simulator genre games. They recommend having 32-64GB system memory. Realistically, no video game in the next 5+ years will need anything close to 1TB.

Consumer Platform Limitations

Modern consumer PC platforms like Intel Alder Lake or AMD Ryzen Zen 4 have a maximum memory capacity around 128-256GB. You would need a high-end workstation or server platform to support 1TB, which brings me to my next point…

Costs Are Astronomical!

At current DDR5 prices, a 1TB kit would cost you somewhere in the ballpark of $20,000-$30,000+ ! 🤯 Who in their right mind would dump that kind of money for literally zero discernible gaming benefit? You could build 5 top-tier gaming PCs for that price!

For reference, you can build a high-end gaming PC with 32GB RAM for under $2,000. I recently built an i9-13900K / RTX 4090 rig with 32GB DDR5 that runs buttery smooth.

The Verdict – 1TB RAM is Ludicrous Overkill

While it‘s fun to fantasize about building a gaming supercomputer, the reality is 1TB RAM provides absolutely no benefit to real world gameplay. I guarantee even professional gamers and eSports athletes will tell you the same.

For buttery smooth performance focused exclusively on gaming, save your cash and stick to 16-32GB RAM capacity. Trust me, as a gaming enthusiast and PC builder, that sweet spot hits the ideal balance of great performance and smart value.

Let me know if you have any other gaming performance questions! I‘m always happy to share insights on building better gaming rigs.