RAM is your computer’s short-term workspace. When it runs out, the system swaps data to the much slower SSD, and everything starts to stutter. Buying the right amount up front matters more than ever, because many laptops now have memory soldered to the board and cannot be upgraded later.

8GB: the bare minimum

Fine for web browsing, email, documents and video calls one at a time. Heavy multitasking with dozens of browser tabs will push it to the limit.

16GB: the sweet spot

The right choice for most people. It handles many tabs, office apps, music and light photo editing at the same time, and leaves room for software to grow over the next few years.

32GB and up: creators and developers

  • Video editing, large photo libraries and 3D work.
  • Software development with containers, virtual machines or several dev servers running together.
  • Running AI models locally, which can use many gigabytes on their own.

A note on unified memory

On laptops with Apple silicon and some newer Windows chips, the CPU and GPU share the same memory pool. That makes the total amount even more important, since graphics and AI features draw from it too.

Check how much you use today

The best guide is your current computer. Open the tools you normally use, with your usual number of browser tabs, and leave them running for an hour.

  • On Windows, open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc and look at the Memory figure on the Performance tab.
  • On a Mac, open Activity Monitor and check the Memory Pressure graph at the bottom of the Memory tab. Green is fine; yellow or red means the system is struggling.

If you regularly sit above about 80% of your memory, or the pressure graph turns yellow, your next laptop should have more than this one.

Why browsers use so much

Modern browsers keep each tab, and often each extension, in its own process for security and stability. Web apps such as email, chat, design tools and video calls are full programs running inside those tabs. Thirty open tabs can easily take several gigabytes. Browsers do suspend background tabs to save memory, but heavy web apps still add up quickly.

Speed vs amount

Spec sheets also list memory type and speed, such as DDR5 or LPDDR5X with a figure in MT/s. Faster memory helps, especially for integrated graphics that rely on it, but the difference is modest for everyday work. Running out of memory hurts performance far more than having slightly slower memory, so prioritize the amount first.

Upgradable or soldered?

Laptops with SO-DIMM or the newer CAMM memory slots can be upgraded later, which makes a smaller starting amount less risky. Many thin and light models use memory soldered to the board, often because it saves space and power. Product pages rarely say this clearly, so check the detailed specifications or a teardown review before you buy.

What we think

For most people, 16 GB is the right amount in 2026, and 8 GB is only sensible for a budget laptop used for light tasks. If the laptop’s memory cannot be upgraded, buy one step more than you think you need today. It is the cheapest way to make a laptop last longer.