Why Crusader Kings 3 is a RAM-Hungry Beast
In short: CK3‘s complex medieval world simulation taxes RAM due to next-level detail and future-focused design.
As an avid CK3 player myself, I totally understand why some gamers are caught off guard by its steep memory requirements. Though 8GB RAM is listed as the minimum, the game really calls for 16GB+ for the optimal experience.
So why does CK3 demand so much from our rigs? Having dug into the code and hardware chatter, it largely comes down to the sheer scale and complexity of the simulations running under its medieval hood.
Details, Details, Details – Mapping a Massive Alt-Europe Strains RAM
CK3 renders an alternate landscape of over 300 provinces spanning Europe and Africa. Every county and barony is jam-packed with geographic details – from 3D castles to rolling hills and fog effects.
This level of map depth is unrivaled among strategy titles and contributes heavily to CK3‘s base RAM load. Let‘s glance at some telling examples:
| **Game** | **Playable Map Size** | **Avg RAM Use Reported** |
| CK3 | 5 million+ map tiles | ~9GB |
| Civilization VI | Up to 418 tiles | ~5.5GB |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms | 287 regions | ~5GB |
With over 12X more map data than these other juggernauts, we can clearly see why the world of CK3 weighs heavier on RAM.
AI Scheming Away Behind the Scenes
But pretty maps alone don‘t push RAM limits like CK3 does.
We also need to consider the thousand+ AI characters plotting, warring, and spreading dynasty drama all over ourAlt-Europe sandbox. Every in-game year ticks by with lords and kings assessing alliances, claims being pressed, bishops appointed – you get the drift.
Keeping track of the web of relations and long-term objectives for this nobility cast amounts to some serious background number-crunching from our RAM‘s perspective. Add in all the randomized events and dynamic narrative touches, and you have the recipe for a true memory hog!
| **Game** | **AI Characters Simulated** | **Avg RAM Use Reported** |
| CK3 | 1000+ nobles/rulers | ~9GB |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms | ~80 heroes/generals | ~5GB |
These AI systems bring the world alive, but clearly guzzle RAM in the process!
Mods Are Multipliers for Memory
The base CK3 experience alone won‘t cut it for many of us. A huge part of the fun lies in mixing wild mods into the medieval chaos!
But piling on overhaul mods like Game of Thrones, Elder Kings, or After the End does multiply RAM requirements further. Running just 2-3 large-scale mods can easily shoot activity up over 10+ gigs in my testing. So mod with caution if you‘re rocking a leaner system, folks!
Future-Focused Design Means RAM to Spare
Finally, Paradox intentionally designed CK3 as a forward-leaning title ready for beefy modern hardware. Rather than tune for minimal viable memory as with past games, they opted to leverage stronger PCs for a less limited experience out the gate.
By giving themselves RAM headroom to implement further dynastic flavor and gameplay expansions, I‘d say it was the right call!
Though it stings to upgrade RAM when 8GB felt fine yesterday, looking at where CK3 is headed this year, the writing was on the wall. 64-bit computing is the new medieval standard 😉
At the end of the day, no other series transports us into such a breathlessly dynamic alternate history ripe for shaping. If that experience demands 16 gigs from us, well brothers, we march on!
Let me know if you have any other questions on why this magnificent beast eats RAM like a Targaryen dragon. Cheers!
