How much RAM do you need in a laptop? Here’s how to figure it out

Determining the specs for a new laptop (or a laptop upgrade) can be a delicate balancing act. You want to spend enough so you won’t be miserable in the future, but not so much that you don’t make use of all the hardware you get.

Memory (or RAM) is the perfect example of this. Your PC uses RAM to hold data temporarily: When you’re opening applications, working on large files in Photoshop, or even juggling dozens and dozens of browser tabs, that data is being stored in the system memory, not on your SSD or HDD. The more memory-intensive tasks you do, the more RAM you should have. It’ll keep your computer feeling fast and responsive.

Many laptop shoppers know this, but not exactly how much to get. So we’ve broken down what to expect from common RAM configurations, plus some tips at the end for purchase strategies.

Further reading: The best laptops we’ve tested

Is 2GB of RAM good for a laptop?

For modern Windows computers, 2GB of RAM will feel slow. You won’t be able to run many programs simultaneously, much less have more than a few browser tabs open at one time. These days, most Windows laptops come with 4GB as the baseline configuration, and for good reason.

(As for Apple laptops, they’ve long left even 4GB RAM behind as a baseline.)

If for some reason you encounter a laptop with only 2GB RAM—perhaps an older budget model being sold secondhand—it’s only worthwhile if you can immediately upgrade it to 4GB RAM or more. That means the laptop should have user-accessible SODIMM slots, ideally with one unpopulated so you can immediately drop in another module.

For Chromebooks, 2GB of RAM will still limit the number of browser tabs you can have open, but that amount is liveable. We recommend you buy a model with expandable memory (user-accessible SODIMM slots) so you can upgrade down the road.

Is 4GB RAM enough for a laptop?

our favorite budget chromebook comes with 4GB of RAM

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook

Budget shoppers can start with 4GB of RAM for a Windows laptop. Combined with an SSD for storage, you’ll get a responsive PC that handles the basics smoothly—e.g., having a few low-intensity programs plus a handful of browser tabs open all at the same. When possible, look for laptop models that have user-accessible RAM that can be upgraded. You can start with 4GB as your budget configuration then add more memory later as needed.

Chromebooks with 4GB RAM should handle a decent number of browser tabs easily, so when faced with the choice of more memory or a faster storage drive (i.e., an SSD instead of eMMC storage), pick the faster storage drive. It’ll make the ChromeOS experience smoother overall.

How much is 4GB of memory on a laptop?

A laptop with just 4GB of memory should cost under $300 in today’s pricing. The Acer Aspire 3, our favorite laptop under $500, comes with 8GB of memory despite costing just $260.

the best budget laptop we've tested

Acer Aspire 3

Read our review

Price When Reviewed: 606 Euro

Is 8GB RAM good in a laptop?

Most people with a moderate budget ($400 or more) for a laptop should aim for at least 8GB RAM. We generally recommend this amount of memory for most people doing office work and other basic tasks, as well as gamers—especially if you’re looking at a model with soldered RAM and can’t upgrade it later. You should have enough capacity to comfortably see you through the machine’s lifetime.

As for Chromebooks, you typically only see 8GB RAM on the more luxe models. It’s not strictly necessary, but it will contribute to a highly responsive experience overall, as the other components in such systems tend to be on par with similar Windows laptops. The same applies for models with 16GB RAM, too.

Do I need 16GB RAM in a laptop?

our favorite gaming laptop has 16gb ram

Alienware m16 R2

Read our review

For people doing office work or gaming, 16GB of memory can be a hedge against future needs. Maybe you create simple spreadsheets in Excel now, but later you’ll be working on complex documents overflowing with data. Or perhaps you strictly play games at the moment, putting most of the load on your discrete GPU’s VRAM, but later might also juggle other programs and lots of browser tabs in the background. In laptops where you can’t later upgrade the memory, you’ll be more future-proofed.

However, for content creators (and people who keep dozens and dozens of tabs open in multiple browsers) 16GB is a starting place. Renders can gobble up memory, for example. If you anticipate that you could need more RAM down the road, look for laptop models that support user-serviced upgrades.

Further reading: The best gaming laptops we’ve tested

32GB and up

the fire-breathing msi titan 18 hx comes with 128gb ram for serious work

MSI Titan 18 HX

Read our review

Price When Reviewed: 6.199 Euro

People considering more than 16GB of RAM should be actively using programs known for gobbling up system memory or requiring it for optimal performance—for example, video editors working on time-sensitive projects. Many professionals would often rather pay more money if it cuts down on the time it takes to finish tasks.

But what about high-end gamers, you ask? While some top-of-the-line gaming laptops come with 32GB of memory, that amount has little to do with gaming needs. The cynical might call it a way to justify expensive configurations; or you could see it as the laptop maker maximizing the specs across the board to create a bleeding-edge vibe.