Steam Survey: 32 GB RAM Becomes the New Standard, RTX 5070 Leads
The September "Steam" Hardware Survey highlights significant shifts in user hardware configurations. The key takeaways include 32 GB of RAM displacing 16 GB as the primary standard and the rapid ascent of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs, which have taken the lead in the survey.
The Shift to 32 GB RAM
For years, 16 GB of RAM has been the de facto standard for PC gamers, but that trend is reversing. According to Valve, 43.28% of Windows systems in the survey now feature 32 GB of RAM—a 4.81 percentage point increase from August, despite high memory prices. Meanwhile, the share of 16 GB configurations dropped to 37.60%.
Systems with 8 GB of RAM continue to decline, accounting for only 6.03% of the total. This shift suggests that 32 GB is becoming the new norm for modern gaming builds, while 16 GB is increasingly relegated to entry-level configurations.
RTX 50 Series Dominance
A new leader has emerged in the GPU segment: the GeForce RTX 5070. Its share grew from 3.77% to 6.15% in just one month, displacing older and more budget-friendly models. It is followed by the GeForce RTX 5060 (4.40%) and the RTX 5060 Ti (4.06%). The once-ubiquitous RTX 3060 has fallen to 3.66%.
There is also notable growth among high-end models, with the RTX 5080 reaching 1.98% and the RTX 5070 Ti at 1.87%.
CPU Competition and Sample Variance
The gap between CPU manufacturers is narrowing. AMD rose to 47.41%, while Intel maintains a lead at 52.59%. If this trend continues, AMD could potentially overtake Intel in the Steam survey for the first time.
However, it is important to note that Steam data is based on voluntary, anonymous user surveys rather than actual sales figures. The significant shifts seen in September may be influenced by changes in the sample composition; for instance, the proportion of users using Simplified Chinese increased by 7.56 percentage points, and Full HD resolution usage dropped by 3.02%.
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