Above 64 gigabytes of memory.
Above 64 gigabytes of memory.
Basically, I’m showing off my wins. Windows loves to soak up a lot of RAM for caching, which makes everything run faster. Plus, I’ve got a friend who runs a bunch of virtual machines that need a lot of memory.
I have a different perspective. Just because your usage is at 80% doesn’t guarantee your computer won’t need more RAM. Windows might be saving space by writing data to the swap file. I once had 32GB for a few years and it worked well. Then in 2023 I got 64GB, and suddenly my usage exceeded 32GB. I also experimented with 128GB by merging RAM from two machines, but I rarely saw more than 64GB, except when doing photogrammetry (creating 3D models from photos).
Other applications being considered include those that consume large amounts of RAM to run the most demanding game within the dataset over 32GB. Keep in mind the pagefile remains relevant—programs not in use won’t affect performance. These should be tools you’re actively using, such as multiple video players or tabs. A browser with many open tabs also requires active tab processing; simply having YouTube tabs running in the background won’t help, since their memory will be moved to your SSD when idle.
In the DDR5 time, I prioritize speed over storage size. For reasons I haven’t fully documented yet (ranks, banks), 8GB was too small, 16GB was acceptable, and 32GB could be better. That’s why I opted for a 64GB module in my DDR5 setup, even though it wasn’t strictly necessary. In the DDR4 era, my laptop had two 16GB modules, but I chose those to ensure dual-channel operation rather than the single-channel 1GB modules that are more common now. Switching to 32GB was unnecessary and might have affected compatibility. On my desktop, I’m currently using around 7GB with Chrome open (3 tabs), leaving minimal space for other userland apps. Chrome itself uses under 1GB, so most of the memory stays hidden in the Windows background. About 30GB is allocated to cache.
My system is running quietly in idle mode with no background processes. The PC has been active all day, so it seems no startup problems are present. I just started Stalker 2 now—currently using about 39.3/64GB of memory. Snipping Tool isn’t functioning, and the Steam Overlay doesn’t show up in screenshots. Yeah, 32GB RAM builds are definitely better for me.
You have sufficient memory, which means Windows will utilize it effectively. With 48GB available, you can easily reach the 32GB+ range by managing your files. If you had only 32GB, background processes would move to the page file, but since the CPU is running at just 2%, those tasks are accessible for swapping. Your game should perform well even with half the RAM. You could try this experiment using a RAM expansion tool and a 32GB drive. Reloading Stalker 2 should show no significant performance changes.