Week 3 Blog Post - How much Ram/Memory do I really need?

Have you ever shopped for a laptop and gotten overwhelmed by all the memory options? You’re definitely not alone. The truth is, how much memory you need really depends on what you want to do. For everyday stuff like checking email, scrolling social media, or watching YouTube, 4GB might get by and usually comes at a lower price. But 8GB is a much better choice. It keeps things running smoother and can handle more open tabs without slowing down your system. If you’re working from home, juggling video calls, spreadsheets, and web searches, 16GB gives you some extra breathing room. It’s also a great pick for students or casual gamers who want solid performance without spending too much.

Now if you’re a gamer, content creator, or someone who edits videos and runs multiple programs at once, 32GB might be the way to go. It can handle heavier apps and still keep things moving. For anyone using virtual machines, editing 8K video, or working with big design files, 64GB or more might be worth it, but for most people, that’s probably overdoing it. As Crucial explains, 8 to 16GB is plenty for most users, while Intel suggests 16 to 32GB if you are gaming or multitasking heavily. So before you drop a bunch of money on RAM, think about what you actually use your laptop for. You might be surprised at how much you do not need.

Refernce:

Crucial. (2024). How much RAM do I need? https://www.crucial.com/articles/about-memory/how-much-ram-do-i-need

Intel. (2024). Gaming memory recommendations. https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/resources/how-much-ram-for-gaming.html