Ram ?
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Hi. How much system ram is needed for bms? I am thinking of buying a new computer. 64gb, or 96gb.
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@m1tp2king With 64 you already overshoot the aim. Besides M1TP2 was my favourite ground based “sim”.
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I recommend 32GB for the future as well. If you have 64GB then great but BMS won’t use most of it.
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BMS can run on a potato. OK, I’m exaggerating, but it really has much lower requirements than basically any other current sim.
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No such thing as too much of RAM, but 64 should be plenty. Those saved $$ can be used for better GPU, PSU or VH headset.
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Just download more RAM
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No such thing as too much of RAM, but 64 should be plenty. Those saved $$ can be used for better GPU, PSU or VH headset.
In some cases, having too much RAM can actually slow down system performance as the operating system may spend more time managing a larger amount of memory regardless of the speed of other components such as the CPU. (likely not gonna experience that until you get at or beyond 128GB)
EDIT: Can also have too much RAM in the sense that your motherboard will dictate the maximum capacity of memory modules installed, and so you are limited to that - can’t just slap in 4x256GB chips in any old motherboard and expect it to recognize it, and again, referring to the motherboard documentation for validated memory (QVL) and specifications for maximum capacity is key.
That’s regardless of the fact that the cost of high speed/low latency RAM increases dramatically as capacity increases. The best RAM is always the fastest, lowest latency memory and most certainly listed on the QVL of the motherboard you are using, and then only so much capacity as you can actually take advantage of (even if that includes 20-50% unused memory for overhead).
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I know this is the BMS forum, and BMS is my love.
But if at any time you intend to play with DCS then I’d highly recommend 64GB of ram as I’ve seen DCS use 32GB+ of ram on several occasions, granted usually large complex multiplayer missions. But the upgrade to 64GB made my DCS flying much smoother.
And hey, who know what the future of BMs may bring, always good to have plenty spare!
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@SemlerPDX don’t forget that the OS limits ram too. windows 11 home is limited to 128gb, pro to 2tb.
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biggest cost of too much ram, beyond literally paying for something that will never be used, is for laptops in S3/S4 sleep
(Take a look at your hiberfil.sys )
And the time it takes to hibernate/resume … and the current draw to keep ram alive in S3 sleep
For typical desktop with dual-channel memory bus, there is a slight perf penalty for having 4 sticks vs 2. But it’s just a tiny bit, like 1% in practice for a game engine… not worth worrying about if you do need the capacity
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Hey I said it!
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One thing you have to think of is not very well known. When using a motherboard with DDR5 memory the speed of the memory is reduced when you use 4 sticks instead of just 2 sticks. Most motherboards have 4 slots and can have 4 sticks but the speed depends on the lanes used.
Normally you would try to buy the fastest RAM module you are willing to pay for. So if you buy lets say two 16GB sticks with 6000 MT/s and use them, your motherboard will reach that speed. But if you buy two more later and use all four slots, your memory speed will likely drop to about 4000MT/s or less because of the lanes architecture.
When I built a new pc last december, I too wanted to start with 2x16GB and upgrade later when needed. I had my eyes on 6400MT/s memory. Then doing research I learned about this and decided to only use 2 out of the 4 slots, maintaining the high speed. I went for 2x32GB 6400MT/s memory with fast timings.
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I think one question really is how much performance is gained or lost in terms of memory speed vs. size/capacity of RAM.
I know this is the BMS forum, and BMS is my love.
But if at any time you intend to play with DCS
Gasp!! Ban him!! Burn him at the stake!! I call dibs on his rudder pedals!
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