16GB is the new minimum for AAA gaming.

Yes — especially for stuttering and load times in heavy games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Flight Simulator. 8GB might have been fine five years ago, but those days are over.

Modern open-world games are memory hogs. Cyberpunk 2077 can use 12-15GB easily, and Flight Simulator will eat whatever you give it. With 8GB, your system starts swapping to disk constantly, which is the main cause of stuttering. Load times get longer too, because the game can’t keep as much data ready in RAM.

The upgrade won’t magically double your FPS, but it will smooth out the experience. Frames will be more consistent, and you’ll stop seeing those random hitches when you turn a corner or load a new area. Load times improve, but not as dramatically as going from HDD to SSD – still, it helps.

If you’re still on 8GB and play anything modern, this is the single best $40-50 you can spend. Future You will thank you.