Do you need 32GB RAM? Some users will not even need that much (the system will swap), while others will find it an unnecessary and useless waste of money.
Ask yourself the question, “What will I use my computer or my smartphone for?” For playing the best adult games PC or for work? You need this to make a choice based on need.
2GB of RAM is below the minimum requirement
Computers with 2GB of RAM now require an upgrade. Sometimes it’s not possible to add more RAM to a system (in netbooks or smartphones, in desktops due to motherboard limitations).
To maintain the performance in such devices, you will have to use the old software. We may even have to give up updates, which is not safe from the point of view of closing software vulnerabilities.
2 GB of RAM is not enough for new programs and applications, we will have to use the old ones, and that is not safe.
If new hardware is chosen, such a small amount of RAM might make sense in small Linux servers. For example, in systems that provide cloud storage.
That is, it should be some kind of professional or commercial task with a modest load. Spending on a large amount of memory for them is simply unnecessary.
4GB RAM is the minimum
We recommend a 4GB configuration as a starting point on PCs and mobile devices.
It is enough to perform simple tasks in Windows 10 and Windows 11, Linux, Android, iOS, macOS. The minimum at which relatively comfortable Internet surfing is provided, office applications work, cloud service clients function, and so on.
For example, with 2 GB of RAM, work at some point will become a torment on any device.
In addition, for smartphones and tablets, RAM plays a special role of temporary data storage, because this method is non-volatile, in contrast to the NAND-memory. And this means that when you increase the amount of RAM and perform massive applications, the battery will be conditionally slower to discharge. Of course, you should understand that in practice there are many more power-saving factors, but the memory subsystem is one of them.
You should not expect that a system with 4 GB of RAM will run any resource-intensive applications. For example, graphic editors, video editing studios, 3D games with large locations, and other similar programs will create a load on HDD or SSD, as well as flash memory (if we are talking about gadgets) and at some point will start to fail or regularly “drop out”.
We have found the minimum size of RAM which will be enough for basic tasks. We suggest taking a step-by-step look at all the other options for choosing the amount of RAM in computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
8GB of RAM for easy editors and simple games
If you’ve wondered how much RAM you need for your laptop, a built-in 8GB bar would be a “comfortable minimum.” Usually, on the motherboard, the manufacturer provides a free slot to install an additional module in the future. At first, you work with the regular capacity, and then expand it to 16 GB if necessary.
For desktop computers, 8 GB of RAM is needed to equip workstations in offices, in the workplace or as a home system with support for simple unpretentious games. Light editing or basic image processing, simple video editing, cloud software, and online applications run smoothly and smoothly.
In professional content production or for powerful computer games choose a larger capacity.
In mobile devices for 6-8 GB of RAM are now stopped by most manufacturers. This is the amount of RAM needed for a smartphone or a tablet to perform all the tasks assigned to Android- and iOS-applications. There are already variants with 16 GB, but the cost of such solutions is still unjustifiably high.
16GB RAM – multitasking and modern gaming
Virtual machines, rendering, coding, and other resource-intensive processes run smoothly on systems with 16GB of RAM. Install this amount of memory in computers that require maximum multitasking, where video editing, content editing and production, and data processing systems are used.
It will not be excessive in working systems where you run Adobe Photoshop or Premiere Pro, real-time editing of lossless-quality audio recordings or video clips at up to 4K resolution, running client applications of major cloud services. Office computer with at least 16 GB of RAM should be chosen for the employees-craftsmen when their work depends on the result of the team. Sometimes their needs go far beyond that.
Who needs 32GB of RAM?
If your employee is faced with the need to render long-form video in 4K, organize a hosting server, run several virtual machines and apply other professional tasks, then you can’t do it without increasing the amount of memory on this workstation. 32 GB of RAM will ensure its smooth operation and smooth multitasking.
For students and students, or inexperienced employees, an extra amount of RAM lets you make mistakes and reckless actions without overloading the operating system, and still achieve some great results. It’s a good investment to “grow up with.”
In other words, 32GB RAM is in demand:
- in games with “heavy” content and for modding enthusiasts,
- in work – for complex professional purposes,
- in education, as it helps to avoid errors and overloading on the PC.
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2GB of RAM – below the minimum requirements of modern programs and applications. May be used on servers with low load (professional or commercial tasks) or in devices with a basic set of services (smartphones, for example).
4 GB of RAM is a tolerable minimum for computers and mobile devices (tablets and smartphones). You can work with Internet services and perform basic tasks in applications on Windows 10 and 11, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS with this amount of memory.
8GB of RAM is a comfortable minimum for games and editors, a price/performance compromise for laptops, home computers, office workstations. At the moment it’s a common size of RAM for mid-budget mobile devices, but there are more and more flagship smartphones with 12 GB and even 16 GB RAM.
16GB RAM is the choice of most experienced computer users. That’s how much you’ll need in 2022 and 2023. According to current Steam data, 46% of players have exactly that much RAM on their PC [Steam stats].
32GB of RAM is the choice of those who intend to leave enough space for in-depth interaction with digital technology or virtual machines. We recommend that you consider increasing the amount of RAM (leave the slots) if your tasks can load 32GB to 100%.
64GB and even 128GB RAM is the least requested capacity, but in narrow niche tasks (science, engineering) it’s not enough. You should definitely understand exactly how to recoup the cost of such a significant stock of memory resources.