{"id":24245,"date":"2023-10-16T18:11:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T16:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=24245"},"modified":"2023-10-16T18:11:35","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T16:11:35","slug":"how-much-ram-does-my-pc-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-does-my-pc-support\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much RAM Does my PC Support? [How to Check]"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Asking yourself <strong>how much RAM your computer can take<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a good question to ask, especially if you\u2019re eyeing some RAM upgrades but don\u2019t necessarily know what\u2019s compatible with your PC yet. Let\u2019s dive into all you need to know about RAM capacity!<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668441e71a565\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668441e71a565\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668441e71a565\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-does-my-pc-support\/#How_Much_RAM_Can_My_Computer_Take\" title=\"How Much RAM Can My Computer Take?\">How Much RAM Can My Computer Take?<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-does-my-pc-support\/#First_Identify_Your_Motherboard_and_RAM_Slots\" title=\"First: Identify Your Motherboard and RAM Slots\">First: Identify Your Motherboard and RAM Slots<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-does-my-pc-support\/#CPU-Z_to_the_rescue\" title=\"CPU-Z to the rescue\">CPU-Z to the rescue<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-does-my-pc-support\/#Motherboard_Chipset_Specs_Determine_RAM_Speed_and_Capacity\" title=\"Motherboard Chipset Specs Determine RAM Speed and Capacity\">Motherboard Chipset Specs Determine RAM Speed and Capacity<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-does-my-pc-support\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-does-my-pc-support\/#Is_there_a_limit_to_how_much_RAM_a_computer_can_handle\" title=\"Is there a limit to how much RAM a computer can handle?\">Is there a limit to how much RAM a computer can handle?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-does-my-pc-support\/#How_much_RAM_does_my_computer_need\" title=\"How much RAM does my computer need?\">How much RAM does my computer need?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-does-my-pc-support\/#Do_I_need_faster_RAM_or_more_RAM\" title=\"Do I need faster RAM or more RAM?\">Do I need faster RAM or more RAM?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-does-my-pc-support\/#Over_to_You\" title=\"Over to You\">Over to You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Much_RAM_Can_My_Computer_Take\"><\/span>How Much RAM Can My Computer Take?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"First_Identify_Your_Motherboard_and_RAM_Slots\"><\/span>First: Identify Your Motherboard and RAM Slots<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><noscript><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HpycPZAemQU?si=cq-wA_WF7y0uSsld\" width=\"860\" height=\"515\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/noscript><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" width=\"860\" height=\"515\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HpycPZAemQU?si=cq-wA_WF7y0uSsld\" class=\" lazyload\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Before we determine your full RAM capacity, let\u2019s confirm the obvious and find the amount of RAM slots you'll be able to populate<\/strong>. Doing this should be as simple as glancing at the RAM slots on your motherboard.<\/p>\n<p>If these aren\u2019t visible while your PC is in use, be sure to shut down your PC before removing its side panel and finding your RAM slots.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re using a laptop, you will also have RAM slots. Where they are and how accessible they are to you will depend on the laptop manufacturer<\/strong>, but user-replaceable RAM on laptops has been pretty common for a while now.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24249\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24249\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-24249\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Corsair-Vengeance-SODIMM-Laptop-RAM.jpg\" alt=\"Corsair Vengeance SODIMM Laptop RAM\" width=\"1200\" height=\"704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Corsair-Vengeance-SODIMM-Laptop-RAM.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Corsair-Vengeance-SODIMM-Laptop-RAM-300x176.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Corsair-Vengeance-SODIMM-Laptop-RAM-1024x601.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Corsair-Vengeance-SODIMM-Laptop-RAM-768x451.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 100vw, (max-width: 960px) 60vw, 707px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24249\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-24249 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20704%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Corsair Vengeance SODIMM Laptop RAM\" width=\"1200\" height=\"704\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20704%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 100vw, (max-width: 960px) 60vw, 707px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Corsair-Vengeance-SODIMM-Laptop-RAM.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Corsair-Vengeance-SODIMM-Laptop-RAM-300x176.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Corsair-Vengeance-SODIMM-Laptop-RAM-1024x601.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Corsair-Vengeance-SODIMM-Laptop-RAM-768x451.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Corsair-Vengeance-SODIMM-Laptop-RAM.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-24249\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.corsair.com\/us\/en\/p\/memory\/cmsx32gx5m2a4800c40\/vengeance-ddr5-sodimm-32gb-2x16gb-ddr5-4800-pc5-38400-c40-1-1v-cmsx32gx5m2a4800c40\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Corsair<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Many laptops have an unscrewable hatch in the bottom for exactly this functionality.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CPU-Z_to_the_rescue\"><\/span>CPU-Z to the rescue<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you'd rather not open up your PC or Laptop, you can download a handy little tool called CPU-Z, which'll show you how many RAM slots your Motherboard has and which of those are populated already!<\/p>\n<p>Download CPU-Z here, launch it and navigate to the &#8220;<strong>SPD<\/strong>&#8221; section. If you open up the <strong>Memory slot section<\/strong> dropdown, you'll see how many slots are available to you. You can click through all the available slots to see if there is any info being displayed. If so, that slot is populated.<\/p>\n<p>In my example below, I have 4 RAM slots, and all of them are populated:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24372\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/CPU-z-Ram-slots-amount.jpg\" alt=\"CPU-z Ram slots amount\" width=\"413\" height=\"409\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/CPU-z-Ram-slots-amount.jpg 413w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/CPU-z-Ram-slots-amount-300x297.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/CPU-z-Ram-slots-amount-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 413px) 100vw, 413px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24372 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20413%20409%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"CPU-z Ram slots amount\" width=\"413\" height=\"409\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20413%20409%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 413w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 413px) 100vw, 413px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/CPU-z-Ram-slots-amount.jpg 413w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/CPU-z-Ram-slots-amount-300x297.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/CPU-z-Ram-slots-amount-150x150.jpg 150w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/CPU-z-Ram-slots-amount.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>You can also find the number of RAM slots available to you in your Motherboard's manual and on its product page, in the &#8220;Technical Specifications&#8221; section.<\/p>\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve determined your maximum number of RAM sticks by inspecting the RAM slot, let\u2019s talk about how to get your proper maximum RAM capacity and maximum RAM speed specifications.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Motherboard_Chipset_Specs_Determine_RAM_Speed_and_Capacity\"><\/span>Motherboard Chipset Specs Determine RAM Speed and Capacity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21960\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance.jpg\" alt=\"Motherboard Chipsets Impact on PC Performance\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21960 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Motherboard Chipsets Impact on PC Performance\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/Motherboard-Chipsets-Impact-on-PC-Performance.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Your motherboard\u2019s <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/motherboard-chipset-and-impact\/\"><strong>chipset<\/strong><\/a><strong> actually determines many features on the motherboard, including maximum RAM speed and RAM capacity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Using your motherboard\u2019s model number, you'll be able to find your Motherboard's product page, which has all the necessary info you'll need.<\/p>\n<p>This information should also be available in your motherboard\u2019s manual if you have it on hand.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Most modern chipsets aren\u2019t <em>that<\/em> strict on RAM capacity, but RAM speed can be very reliant on higher-end chipsets.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here's what the specifications product page for my particular motherboard looks like on the MSI website (MSI X570 Creation):<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24374\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard.jpg\" alt=\"Find RAM support on Motherboard\" width=\"1872\" height=\"1659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard.jpg 1872w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard-300x266.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard-1024x907.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard-768x681.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard-1536x1361.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1872px) 100vw, 1872px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24374 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201872%201659%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Find RAM support on Motherboard\" width=\"1872\" height=\"1659\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201872%201659%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1872w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1872px) 100vw, 1872px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard.jpg 1872w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard-300x266.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard-1024x907.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard-768x681.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard-1536x1361.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/Find-RAM-support-on-Motherboard.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>As can be seen in the image above, I'm navigating to &#8220;specifications&#8221; and in the table beneath (detailed view) there's a host of info for <strong>Memory.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let's dissect that info:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>My motherboard supports 128 Gigabytes of Memory when using 4x total RAM Modules, so 32GB each.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Depending on the CPU I am currently running (3rd or 2nd gen Ryzen), it supports different RAM frequencies.<\/li>\n<li>It supports RAM Modules running in <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/single-vs-dual-channel-ram\/\">Dual Channel<\/a><\/li>\n<li>(It supports un-buffered memory as well as ECC memory, but won't use the ECC feature)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That last link, though, &#8220;See supported memory&#8221; is what will make it easy for us to actually determine if, out of all the different RAM brands and SKUs available on the market, which of them have been tested to run fine with our motherboard, and in which capacity.<\/p>\n<p>The link leads to a so-called QVL List, a Qualified Vendor List (or Memory Compatibility List), which is available for all popular motherboards from all popular motherboard brands.<\/p>\n<p>That list will display all RAM Modules that have been tested by the motherboard's brand and work well with your motherboard. Is this list exhaustive? It is not. But it's a good place to start if you're not too tech-savvy.<\/p>\n<p>Also check our other RAM Compatibility articles for more info on finding the best RAM for your needs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/faster-ram-vs-more-ram\/\">Faster RAM vs More RAM - Which is Better<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/does-more-ram-make-pc-faster\/\">Does adding more RAM make your PC faster?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/ram-motherboard-compatibility\/\">What RAM is compatible with my motherboard?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_there_a_limit_to_how_much_RAM_a_computer_can_handle\"><\/span>Is there a limit to how much RAM a computer can handle?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Yes! <\/strong><strong>Of course, any given motherboard is going to have a specific RAM limit<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Newer versions of Windows will also have a RAM limit, but well above anything most consumers are putting into their motherboards.<\/p>\n<p>Once we passed the 32-bit RAM limit (4 GB) and normalized 64-bit computing, though, the amount of RAM possible on a motherboard has only kept increasing.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23430\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU.jpg\" alt=\"Memory (RAM) Limitation on x86 32-Bit CPU\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23430 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Memory (RAM) Limitation on x86 32-Bit CPU\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>RAM limitations on modern motherboards varies greatly, but has long yet to reach the theoretical limit of 64-bit computing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Modern consumer boards top out at around 128 GB, but server boards can go much higher than that. We\u2019ll never see motherboards with support for 18.4 Exabytes of RAM at this rate!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_much_RAM_does_my_computer_need\"><\/span>How much RAM does my computer need?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Determining how much RAM is needed for your specific PC is going to take some time and pointed questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The amount of RAM your PC <em>needs<\/em> is reliant on the workloads you\u2019ll be running on your PC, since RAM is basically the CPU\u2019s \u201cworkspace\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>For a modern-day entry-level productivity PC, though, I definitely wouldn\u2019t <em>start <\/em>with anything less than 8 GB, and <strong>recommend 16 GB as a starting point<\/strong> for most PC builders today.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Alex has written a more detailed \u201c<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-do-you-need\/\"><strong>How Much RAM You Need?<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u201d Guide elsewhere on the site that I recommend to anybody who wants a little more guidance on RAM choices<\/strong>, especially for rendering or productivity.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_I_need_faster_RAM_or_more_RAM\"><\/span>Do I need faster RAM or more RAM?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>I\u2019ve written an extended guide on <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/faster-ram-vs-more-ram\/\"><strong>faster RAM vs more RAM<\/strong><\/a><strong> already, but I\u2019m still comfortable saying that more RAM is<em> generally<\/em> the better upgrade<\/strong> before wrapping up this article.<\/p>\n<p>However, there are some workloads that actually <em>do<\/em> see worthwhile boosts from RAM speed upgrades, particularly high FPS gaming.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_You\"><\/span>Over to You<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>And that\u2019s all!<\/p>\n<p><strong>I hope this article helped you determine how much RAM your computer can take<\/strong>. RAM capacity can be a high-impact upgrade on a PC, especially one used for heavy-duty multitasking or lots of productive work and rendering.<\/p>\n<p>Good luck with upgrading your RAM, if that\u2019s what you\u2019ll be doing!<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Any other questions about RAM or PC hardware? Let me know in the <a href=\"#comments\">comments<\/a> and I\u2019ll help as soon as I can. Alternatively, you can speak to the wider G100 Team and Community on our <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\">Forum<\/a>, populated with more Experts and Enthusiasts.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Until then or until next time, happy computing!<\/strong> And remember not to go <em>too<\/em> hard on a RAM upgrade if you may be bottlenecked elsewhere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Asking yourself how much RAM your computer can take? It\u2019s a good question to ask, especially if you\u2019re eyeing some RAM upgrades but don\u2019t necessarily know what\u2019s compatible with your PC yet. Let\u2019s dive into all you need to know about RAM capacity! How Much RAM Can My Computer Take? First: Identify Your Motherboard and...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2339,"featured_media":24246,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[74],"tags":[120],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24245"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2339"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24245"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24245\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24375,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24245\/revisions\/24375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}