games with 16gb system requirements...fact? or fiction?

[imported_coho]

i've noticed that there is a growing list of games that are BOLD enough to state system requirements that break the 8gb system memory barrier.

According to the developers, It appears that

Gears of war 4
Gears of war ultimate edition
Titanfall 2
Star wars battlefront
Recore
Dying light
Battlefield 1
Deus ex mankind divided
Quantum break
Dishonored 2
Fallout 4 w/high rez pack
Mirrors edge catalyst
Forza motorsport 6 apex
Halo 5: forge

all require 12-16gb of system memory to perform at the ideal.

Putting this into perspective with build budgets and system configs, it'd be interesting to know if one actually needs 16gb, and if so, how much of a difference it makes. I tried to find information that could confirm these requirements, but results are spotty and certainly nothing from the same source.

I realize that in recent times with the cost of memory, most progressives/enthusiasts just suggest or incorporate 16gb as a precautionary measure. But, curiosity is knocking, and sometimes it's nice to have numbers to back things up. I mean, people seem to compare 4gb/8gb or 3gb/6gb variants of graphics cards all the time, so...it'd just be interesting to see how system memory affects performance in games that actually say they require it. Is 16gb the new 8gb yet?

Unless someone can point me to a source out there that discusses this already, I'd suggest it as a potential article topic.

 

[UsandThem]

There have been several previous threads in this sub-forum where this has been discussed. So first of all here is a link that does some comparing:

http://www.techspot.com/article/1043-8gb-vs-16gb-ram/

Almost all games out right now are fine with 8 GB installed. However, some of the newer games have broken that threshold, and recommend/require 16 GB. It will probably be a while before the majority of the games will require more than that. If a person is playing a game and actually runs out of RAM, the performance will suffer and it will begin to stutter/crash. Basically if the game is forced to hit the HDD, it will be noticeable.

http://www.howtogeek.com/245245/how-much-ram-does-your-computer-need-for-pc-games/

Previous discussion threads:

https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/16gb-vs-32gb.2494589/

https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/faster-8gb-vs-slower-16gb-for-gaming.2495492/

 

[cbn]

According to the developers, It appears that

(snip)

Battlefield 1

(snip)

all require 12-16gb of system memory to perform at the ideal.

I played the beta (or was it the alpha?) of Battlefield 1 and my system didn't stutter (with 64 players) using only 8GB RAM.

So in this case the minimum recommendation was just fine in my particular case. However, the beta (alpha?) only allowed one map to be used.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Seriously? You would think of going with less than 16GB for gaming in this day and age?

I have 8GB in my two Z170 desktops, but I don't really game on them. I have 16GB in my DeskMinis (newly upgraded, as of last month). (I recently ordered a pair of 16GB kits for the desktops, too.)

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

i've noticed that there is a growing list of games that are BOLD enough to state system requirements that break the 8gb system memory barrier.

According to the developers, It appears that

Gears of war 4
Gears of war ultimate edition
Titanfall 2
Star wars battlefront
Recore
Dying light
Battlefield 1
Deus ex mankind divided
Quantum break
Dishonored 2
Fallout 4 w/high rez pack
Mirrors edge catalyst
Forza motorsport 6 apex
Halo 5: forge

all require 12-16gb of system memory to perform at the ideal.

Putting this into perspective with build budgets and system configs, it'd be interesting to know if one actually needs 16gb, and if so, how much of a difference it makes. I tried to find information that could confirm these requirements, but results are spotty and certainly nothing from the same source.

I realize that in recent times with the cost of memory, most progressives/enthusiasts just suggest or incorporate 16gb as a precautionary measure. But, curiosity is knocking, and sometimes it's nice to have numbers to back things up. I mean, people seem to compare 4gb/8gb or 3gb/6gb variants of graphics cards all the time, so...it'd just be interesting to see how system memory affects performance in games that actually say they require it. Is 16gb the new 8gb yet?

Unless someone can point me to a source out there that discusses this already, I'd suggest it as a potential article topic.

In a word/phrase, yes, 16GB is the new 8GB. Several games that also list at 8 really need 12-16, such as the newest batman game (has significant issues on PC @8GB due to poor optimization).

Also add to the above modding. FO4 with high res pack and additional mods will crank up quickly, and my current Skyrim SE install feathers between 10GB and 14GB often. You can get 16GB of quality 3200DDR4 for under $100 often, so why not?

I got 32 because it was on sale for $80 each.

 

[Ranulf]

Is 16gb the new 8gb yet?

For serious gaming or multi-tasking? Yes. It has been for 1-2 years IMO.

 

[DaveSimmons]

For a new build you might as well spend the ~$50 extra to get 16 GB. You'll probably want it in another year or two.

If you have an existing gaming PC with 8 GB, you probably do not need the upgrade yet, but it might, maybe, improve performance for those specific games at higher resolutions with ultra settings.