32GB vs 64GB RAM Experience

Ok, so as it is recommended to use 64GB RAM for MS2024, I decided to go ahead and upgrade from my 32GB RAM.

I really didn’t understand why so much RAM is needed as with my 32GB I would only be using between 15-20GB of the 32GB and always thought I was still good.

Anyways, with the 64GB(2x32GB) I did not notice any more fps as I’m already running a 4090 with 7950X3D, BUT, I did notice the sim to be much smoother. Now, I almost never experience any stutters, but I did on occasion get a few tiny stutters with the 32GB. I been on the 64GB for a few days now and have not noticed any stutters at all. Everything just seems smoother over all. My system is still using 15-20GB of RAM.

So, does having all that extra memory really make a difference? I always assumed I still had extra memory left with my 32GB. So hopefully someone more tech savy can explain this for me.

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On the Twitch stream today, 64GB was recommended if you use other apps (streaming apps, development apps, photo editing, video editing, etc., at the same time).

Otherwise, 16GB or 32GB is OK! I personally have 32GB as I do use other apps while playing MSFS with mostly Ultra settings without issues. I don’t foresee MSFS 2024 a change in that.

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Exactly what @Hester40MT said.
If you want to see/hear the dev’s actual comments about that, it’s timestamped in the video below.
Regards

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Did you see any degradation in RAM timing/speeds?

I understood this would be expected with 4 sticks AMD/640E … or did you just buy 2x32?

Even if I can just slap two sticks in LOL, it seems Mushkin got back into RAM for like a week and quit, I can only find it wicked overpriced @ 171$ for 2X16!

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Anyone doing video editing and running MSFS at the same time is not thinking straight.

The XBoxes only have about 16Gb of memory. It has to work on them. Therefore unless you decide to transcode the complete set of Bond Movies at the same time as running MSFS, it will run fine in 32Gb.

What they will likely to is “RAM Disk” it, in that it will cache more in memory, so it will run faster.

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Meaning less to reload. Constantly swapping things into and out of memory is expensive.

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I have the same hardware as you. I recently went to 64gb of DDR5 ram from 32gb. I also have noticed smoother gameplay in ms and tiny stutters have gone so somewhere there is definitely an improvement.

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From what I understand (and I admit I am speaking as a computer luddite), FS relies more on GPU VRAM than it does on ‘normal’ RAM. So, the more VRAM your GPU has you won’t need anywhere near 64GB RAM. As was said by (Seb?) in the livestream, you only need 64GBRAM if you are playing the game and doing some rather heavy editing at the same time.

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Exactly. I don’t think FS2020 Caches very much (outside Windows’ normal caching) and with a bit of luck it will be much zippier, the UI is a bit sluggish at present.

There seems to be some thought in this. I did like the dynamic detail changes, so you can say you want 60fps and it cuts out detail on the fly ; probably reducing the rendering depth so that the experience doesn’t change if you land somewhere like Heathrow.

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In another thread 16 hours ago, I wrote that

Source Msfs2024 - RAM - #39 by TenPatrol

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It might just be Windows caching things more efficiently.

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It’s absolutely stupid for them to recommend RAM based on extra applications people may or may not be using. The only thing the specs should take into account is what’s required for the OS and simulator.

Anyone running other apps should be aware that they will need extra memory, and be able to plan accordingly.

Microsoft and Asobo have simply made this very confusing when it needn’t be. How many people reading the ‘ideal specs’ will be aware of the clarification on what they actually mean?

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Maybe it’s me, but it strikes me as incredibly obvious that you minimise the amount of other stuff using CPU/RAM before running MSFS or any resource heavy game for that matter.

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I bought 64GB (2x32GB) for my new AM5 system, mostly because I use a RAMdrive for caches. Much faster than either disk cache, or even realtime streaming. I really the hope the new (mandatory?) “Rolling Cache” they talk about can have a custom location setting.

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I agree. His response to the question was silly. I think he made it up because he seemed clueless as to the reasons 64 was ideal.

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Well, he did say he wasn’t sure why they did that. Also said that his system has 32GB and it runs FS24 just fine.

I’m glad I watched the stream otherwise I’d have probably ordered 64gigs. How many will do the same having not watched it?? Only a tiny proportion of the entire userbase even read these forums or know the livestreams exist.

Anywho, I’ll hold out and see what performance is actually like once it releases. The zoom in globe thing has me nervous for my CPU though. :face_with_peeking_eye:

But it is another way of saying the XBox with 16GB is less than ideal. A brave admission given his position.

I can almost guarantee you that wasn’t his intention. They always seem kind of caught off guard at the questions, as if they were quickly briefed about the game just 10 minutes before the stream goes live.

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So true. I can’t imagine doing multiple heavy workloads on a single system like that.

Though, my question for the OP is did you only upgrade capacity, or did you also gain extra speed or better timings? When I went from 16 GB 3000 to 32 GB 3600, there was a noticeable increase in RAM usage and slightly better frame rates and smoothness. I later overclocked that to 4000 MHz (yes, outside of XPO settings and stable) and noticed an additional benefit to how smooth the sim was on the same sticks of RAM.