How much memory do I really need (gaming/video rendering / photo editing)

[waterjug]

I'm building an i7 Haswell system, already have an Asus z87-pro mobo, and I was about to order 16GB of memory, but I realized that I'm not really aware of current memory 'best practices'. The machine will be used mainly for gaming/photo editing / video rendering. The video rendering isn't done often, but when it is I don't want things taking forever. Would 8GB get me by, or would 16 indeed be more appropriate?

 

[ensign_lee]

I think this question requires context. How much extra does it cost you to get to 16 GB? If $30 (like it was for awhile), go ahead and get the extra 8GB.

If $80, then...eh, depends on your budget, but probably leaning not worth it.

 

[razel]

For video encoding, it all about the algorithm not the amount of RAM. I recently played with the AMAZING Intel Quick Sync using Handbrake. A 1.3Ghz Core I3 Sandy Bridge was able to encode a DVD to h264 with a 400+ frame rate near identical DVD quality. That was with 6 GB of RAM.

As for you memory sizing needs, I would follow closer to what ensign_lee mentioned. Since you are unsure how much you need, start with something that doesn't cost you too much. So that if it isn't enough, it won't hurt your wallet much if you need to sell your RAM to buy more RAM.

 

[bonehead123]

wham bam, thank ya ma'am

just get it while the gettin is gooood (and before prices go up !)

Ram requirements are ever-increasing and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, and with your uses, you will be better off with more than less....

 

[Red Squirrel]

4GB is very tight, sure it will run, but it's tight, and you will get low memory warnings at times if you have lot of stuff open. 8GB is a nice amount, and typically you probably wont go over.

 

[Essence_of_War]

How serious is your photo editing?

If you're editing lots of huge, hi-res, photos with lots of layers, Photoshop will greedily slurp down ALL of the RAM you can throw at it. If it's more casual, 8-16 is fine.

I suggest:
4GB absolute minimum (I have roughly 3 GB of RAM in use just idling in windows!).
8GB suggested.
16 if you do a lot of photo editing.
32 if you're a freelance photographer who makes their living with photoshop/LR perpetually open.

Video editing, with the right software, can take advantage of lots of RAM also.

 

[waterjug]

They're usually fairly high res, but I'm not using it to make my living off of, I just happen to usually be doing a lot of it.

 

[Cerb]

Learn to use Task Manager to see how much memory you are using. Ideally, you want a sizable buffer, like 25% or more, as available (free+cached), and you don't want your peak commit (2nd commit value) to be higher than your RAM, if you can help it. Your typical commit should never exceed your RAM (the first commit value is current commit). Committed memory is basically memory given to applications.

However, 4GB is barely enough for basic web/email use, today.

 

[Charlie98]

However, 4GB is barely enough for basic web/email use, today.

I have 4GB RAM in my W7 HTPC (I don't encode on this machine) and it's adequate... My W7 desktop has 8GB and, with tabbed browsing, I regularly tap 4GB in normal use. On any new build I wouldn't go less than 8GB... and, especially one you will be photo editing, even pedestrian level, I would pony up the money for 16GB and be done with it.

 

[gipper53]

In photoshop depends alot of if you do in 72 or 300 dpi. Like somebody told u before, photoshop will eat all of ur ram.Actually u need to show photoshop where ur scratch disk will be, so photoshop can use it like virtual RAM.

I do alot of photoshop, and if u gave me a choise 8 or 16 gb of ram for photoshop, i would go with 16gb. Actually i use 32gb of ram for photoshop. But it depends if u do for example: 1920x1200 72 dpi or one big poster with 300 dpi. More layers in photoshop, more ram u will consume. Then u got things which are on clipboard while u working and so on...

Your quote about DPI makes no sense to me. The pixel dimensions and bit depth will be the big factors in the equation, DPI is just a factor of size vs. resolution. A 10"x10" image at 300dpi is exactly the same size imageas a 30"x30" at 100dpi. But a 30"x30" image at 300dpi is 9x larger in pixel count. Unless you are physically resampling an image to have more or less pixels, DPI means nothing regarding file size.

To the OP - I would suggest 16gb as a minimum. With photoshop, it's hard to say exactly how much RAM you need as it depends on what you do with it. Basic editing of JPG and RAW images does not need much, but editing 16 bit TIFFs with multiple layers can quickly consume 10+ GB of system RAM. HDR compositing can also be a memory hog.

 

[Lorne]

16Gig+ and if your trying to play games and running automation in the background put its scratch location on a drive other then boot drive or you will choke the game.

 

[ronbo613]

I do a lot of photo editing with Photoshop and video editing with Premiere and have 16G of RAM. You could get by with 8G and no harm with 32G if you have money to burn, but 16G is a pretty happy medium.
Video editing uses memory but rendering is mostly CPU. Using a separate hard drive for your scratch discs(I have an SSD and fast 7200rpm scratch HD) really helps move things along.