RAM = working memory of your computer
Data was obtained from the STEAM Hardware Survey, using the InternetArchive for past years.
-most common- predictions follow this pattern:
2x of GB of RAM, i years after average ≥ most common
with i being 1y coming from 4GB \ 2y c.f. 8GB \ 3y c.f. 16GB \ 4y c.f. 32GB \ 5y c.f. 64GB.
The pattern works for past results >4GB and looks about right.
Second pattern: When a new capacity becomes widely available, the average jumps the fastest with the most common capacity following suit shortly after. You could therefore see this as a help for purchasing decisions:
The best time to upgrade is when the average RAM capacity jumps quicker, than it did the year before!
by Carrots_and_Bleach
11 Comments
Living in 2038, no wonder my back hurts.
I feel like the best way to future proof your system is to get more RAM. I have 36GB on my laptop though my choice in games are from like 20 years ago lol
Again, cause servers rules:
Sources for data: [Wayback Machine – Calendar of http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/](https://web.archive.org/web/20080801000000*/http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/) always using Decembers entry for the respected years (they’re all the same). Only exception this years data is straight from [https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey](https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey)
Graphing using Libre Calc and a custom tables.
Reply back for more details or if you want the original .ods
Hey I’m on a 24 Gb Ram Mac Mini M4
Could use multiples of 2 on the scale instead of multiples of 1.5. Not sure how that was decided for the scale
Why are there hardly any number labels on the y-axis? Makes it really hard to read this chart.
For almost the entire history of the PC, the ideal relationship between system RAM and video RAM was 4:1. This even went back to non-PC computing in the 1970s, where VRAM was even a thing.
That ratio is flattening out and not in terms of system RAM, but video RAM being proportionally larger. Since about 2010, video subsystems have supported virtualised VRAM, meaning the contents of VRAM did not need to be maintained also in system RAM, meaning a downward pressure on VRAM (too much would eat too much system RAM) and an upwards pressure on system RAM (need enough for the video card!) has been removed.
48 GB will likely become very popular as 24 GB DIMMs become more widely available, probably over the course of 2026 – DDR5 does internal dual channel and those two internal channels don’t need to be the same size.
I don’t understand this chart at all
This might actually be interesting/useful if there was a y axis.
https://preview.redd.it/blu4xkqsp31g1.png?width=1542&format=png&auto=webp&s=2da902f165391f7a49d61dfca2044fc905336f91
By popular demand, i switched the scale.
(Cuts off 2008 slightly)
Not really related to the chart but most gamers and probably developers grossly overestimate what the majority of gamers are actually running as hardware. 16Gb is the most common RAM, the first 50 series card is a 5070 at just under 1% of users, xx60 dominate the top places and those are budget/oem cards.