[SOLVED] Can RAM actually bottleneck a PC?

Mar 9, 2019
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I want to build a new PC and i'm low on budget. Can not enough or too slow RAM bottleneck a PC? Is 8GB 3000Mhz RAM enough for a RTX 2080? If no is 12GB enough?
 
Solution
If you have an RTX 2080 I'm sure you plan on playing games at or near Ultra settings. If that's the case then yes, 8 gb of ram will not be enough.

A 16 gb ram kit (2 sticks of 8 each) is what you should aim for. The good news is that RAM prices have dropped.

For Intel CPU's: 2666mhz would be what to aim for. Anything higher than that will only increase your FPS very little (if any at all)

For AMD CPU's: The faster the better. I would aim for 3000mhz.
Bottleneck is the wrong term. Faster RAM especially with Ryzen cpu's can bring better performance. Not having enough RAM can cause issues like stuttering or excessive cpu and hdd/ssd usage. Most systems support dual channel RAM, the best gaming combination for dual channel is 2x8gb. 2x4gb is the bare minimum and will stutter in some games, 2x16gb is over the top with no benefit over 2x8gb.
 

RacAtat007

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Aug 8, 2012
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I want to build a new PC and i'm low on budget. Can not enough or too slow RAM bottleneck a PC? Is 8GB 3000Mhz RAM enough for a RTX 2080? If no is 12GB enough?
RAM can have a big impact on a PC when it comes to gaming or doing pretty much anything. A lot of new games are using well over 8GB of RAM if you want to run them on high settings. To answer your second question "can 8gb RAM bottleneck a 2080" the answer would be yes...or kind of yes. If you plan on getting a 2080 I would recommend 16GB at least and 3000MHZ is fine for most uses
 

mgallo848

Commendable
If you have an RTX 2080 I'm sure you plan on playing games at or near Ultra settings. If that's the case then yes, 8 gb of ram will not be enough.

A 16 gb ram kit (2 sticks of 8 each) is what you should aim for. The good news is that RAM prices have dropped.

For Intel CPU's: 2666mhz would be what to aim for. Anything higher than that will only increase your FPS very little (if any at all)

For AMD CPU's: The faster the better. I would aim for 3000mhz.
 
Solution