Would upgrading to 16gb of RAM make a difference?

[tf_sketch]

I have been pondering for a few weeks on building a new computer. With RAM and Graphic cards being so expensive at this time I am going to put it off for awhile. Currently I am running 8gb of RAM on this build and thought about upgrading that to 16gb. My current build is ---

CPU - Intel Core i5 2500k
MOBO - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3
Memory - 8GB of DDR3 - The brand is G.Skill. Cannot remember the exact model that I have.
Graphics - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
PSU - 650W - Don't know the brand or anything with that.


My current MOBO only supports DDR3 - Would upgrading to 16gb of DDR3 make any difference? Also is there a way that I can tell how many Watts I actually need to run an extra 8gb of ram?

 

[luckymatt42]

On that build, I would say it's probably not worth it. Extra memory provides a performance boost ONLY IF you are running out of memory during your current tasks/gaming. Check your memory usage during your chosen task. If it is less than 7GB, adding more memory won't do any good.

The good news is that graphics cards prices are falling right now, some models back close to msrp. So be patient and put that money towards your new build.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

No, I would not upgrade to 16gb of RAM. You will see a better performance bump by getting a better CPU or GPU. If you want an upgrade, you could look at getting a i7 3770k as with the right bios update, it will work fine. You may be able to find a good deal on a used 3770k. You will see better performance with a 3770k and 8gb of RAM than with a 2500k and 16gb of RAM.

Additionally, GPU prices have came down and you can get a 1060 6gb for $250 which will give you a nice bump in performance over your 970. With that being said, I would hold off on a GPU upgrade and look at a next gen GPU later in the year as the 1060 is 2 years old.

 

[USAFRet]

Increasing to 16GB RAM would only help if you are actually running out of RAM with your current 8GB.

If, out of that current 8GB, you're only typically using 6GB...adding another 8GB does nothing.

 

[cryoburner]

A 1060 is not that much faster than a 970, so an upgrade to one of those probably wouldn't be worthwhile. For a graphics card upgrade, you would probably want to go with something with at least 1070-level performance. I agree about possibly waiting until the next generation of graphics cards are out though, as they should start rolling out over the coming months.

As for RAM, I also agree with the others. Few current games will benefit much from having more than 8GB of RAM, and all recent CPUs require DDR4, so if you plan to build a new system at some point, you probably won't be reusing it.

As for the increased wattage required for additional RAM, it would be minimal, probably less than 10 watts for a dual-channel kit, and any name-brand 650 watt PSU should be more than capable of handing your system's power needs.