RAM Configuration Optimizer
Estimate how much memory you need and plan a desktop upgrade.
Build your memory plan
Your memory plan
- Capacity to plan for
- Memory family
- Stick layout
Compatibility is not verified. Confirm total capacity, capacity per stick, and module type with the board maker before buying. See the buying checks.
Your upgrade plan at a glance
Use the capacity result as a starting point, then confirm the kit in your board's manual. This planner cannot detect your hardware, test stability, or promise a frame-rate gain.
Have an app's RAM requirement already? Use the form's capacity target to replace the preset estimate. Calculations run in your browser.
For desktops with replaceable memory. Have your motherboard model and manual ready.
How the capacity estimate is built
These are this tool's planning defaults, not tested requirements: 8 GB for office work; 16 GB for gaming or development; 32 GB for streaming, editing, or virtual machines; and 64 GB for 3D work.
Multitasking adds 0%, 25%, 50%, or 100%. The planner rounds up to 8, 16, 32, 64, or 128 GB and keeps a higher installed capacity. For a new DDR5 kit, it starts at 16 GB. Other kit sizes are outside this simplified model.
Check the requirements for the software you actually use. For example, Adobe's Premiere requirements recommend 16 GB for HD media and at least 32 GB for 4K on Windows. Your own target replaces the preset calculation.
Check the kit before you buy
Confirm the board and module type
Find your exact board on the maker's support site. Check its manual and qualified vendor list (QVL), which lists tested memory kits. Match the memory generation and module type as well as capacity. Kingston's memory setup guide explains why the CPU, module ranks, and number of installed sticks affect support.
Check slots before assuming channel mode
Slots and channels are different. Two sticks must sit in the correct slots to use both channels on a typical desktop. Follow the board's installation order in the guide above. Workstations need extra care: AMD's Threadripper platform guide lists four memory channels for TRX50 and eight for WRX90.
When replacing RAM, compare a complete matched kit. Adding another kit is not a guaranteed match, even with the same part number. See Kingston's kit compatibility advice before reusing or mixing modules.
Choose a supported speed
Use your exact CPU and board specifications to choose a data rate in MT/s. A family name alone cannot confirm it. The memory setup guide above includes speed tables for different module layouts.
Intel XMP profiles are memory overclocking settings, not a promise that any kit will run at its listed speed. Check platform support before changing them in your BIOS.
Plan the rest of the upgrade
- Compare next steps with the PC Upgrade Path Planner.
- Explore CPU and GPU pairing with the bottleneck checker.
- Estimate power needs with the power supply sizing tool.
- Look up game needs with the game compatibility checker.
