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haqqaton on 03 November 2016
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setsunatenshi said:
haqqaton said:

In fact, it does.

Computer memory is hierarchically organized because fast memories are expensive but HDD, RAM, processor cache are just the "same" memory (some faster than others). If your HDD was as fast as processor cache you wouldn't need RAM at all (or any other memory). 

Cartridges won't be as fast as RAM but having a faster media to read on than optical discs  means that you don't need to have a big RAM (used as cache) to pre-load things. Some of the resources can be read on demand. That's why a 6MB cache for your processor is enough; because your RAM is fast. Now, change "cache processor" for "RAM" and "RAM" for "cartridges" and the last sentence stays true.

To summing up... If you had a game media (let it be cartridges) that is as fast as your RAM and big enough than you could run it on a RAM-less console.

wow what a nice hypothetical you have there mate...

if the cartridge memory would be as fast as RAM, it would be called RAM.

if my mom had balls she would be my dad

if my gramma had wheels she would be a skateboard

etc...

So again, to sum it up, no, the game being on CD, DVD, Bluray, Cartridge, digital download, HDD, SSD, cloud or whatever else you can come up with, it will have literally no impact on the RAM usage during the game itself.

The fact that you even try to muddle the waters with the reply you did is simply disingenuous and will keep leading some people to confusion.

English is not my first language but I'll try to explain one more time. I hope to be more clear this time.

The RAM is just a cache for a slower memory. As the primary memory gets faster (CD, DVD, HDD, etc.), you will need less RAM to be used as a cache.

For example, the main reason some games installs on PS4 and XONE is to use the console HDD as a "cache". They move some data to a faster memory. 

What I tried with my last sentence was to show that the importance of the size of the RAM is dependent of the speed of your main memory source. In this way, having a faster media to read on (cartridges) means less importance of the RAM as a cache.

I'm not saying that in NS the size of the RAM is not important but that it is less important than in an optical disc-ed console.

You said that the RAM has nothing to do with the media used. It has. That's my only point.