Determining the configuration of a new laptop (or upgrading a laptop) is a delicate balancing act. We often want the configuration to meet the needs of the next few years without feeling pain but also without spending too much money.
Memory is a good example. When opening applications, processing large files in Photoshop, or even handling a large number of browser tabs at the same time, this data is stored in system memory, not on solid-state drives (SSD) or hard disk drives (HDD). The more memory-intensive tasks you perform, the more memory you need.
Many people know this but don’t know how much memory they need. Therefore, we introduce the expected performance of common memory configurations today for your reference.
01
Is 8GB of memory enough in a laptop?
I usually recommend 8GB of memory capacity for most office work and other basic tasks, as well as for gamers, especially if you are considering a model with soldered memory modules that cannot be upgraded later. You should have enough memory capacity to ensure smooth operation over a long period.
02
Do I need a 16GB memory laptop?
For people engaged in office work or gaming, 16GB of memory can meet future needs. Maybe you are just creating simple spreadsheets in Excel now, but later you may process complex documents with large amounts of data. Or you’re just gaming, mainly relying on the memory of a separate graphics card to bear the brunt, but later you may run other programs and open many browser tabs at the same time.
However, for content creators (and people who open a large number of tabs in multiple browsers), 16GB is just a starting point. For example, the rendering process may require a lot of memory. If you anticipate needing more memory in the future, look for laptop models that support user upgrades.
03
32GB and above
People considering using more than 16GB of memory should only be those professionals who consume system memory or need a lot of memory to achieve optimal performance, such as video editing when working on time-sensitive projects. Many professionals are usually willing to pay a bit more to save time needed to complete tasks.
What about high-end gamers? Although some top gaming laptops are equipped with 32GB of memory, this capacity is not much related to gaming needs. Some may think this is to justify the expense of the configuration, or it can be seen as laptop manufacturers maximizing specifications in all aspects to create a sense of leading the trend.
04
Memory Configuration Strategy
① New Laptops
When buying a new laptop, find out whether the selected model supports user upgrades. Laptops can come with soldered memory, meaning the memory is fixed on the motherboard and cannot be upgraded, or they can rely on SODIMM slots, similar to how desktop memory can be plugged and unplugged.
If the laptop’s memory is soldered, choose a memory capacity that you think will meet your needs throughout its life span. For example, if you anticipate needing more memory-intensive tasks in the future, choosing 16GB of memory now is more economical than replacing the laptop prematurely.
If the laptop’s memory can be upgraded by the user, you can choose the minimum memory capacity required for your current workload and wait to add more memory later. For example, you can initially choose 8GB of memory in a budget laptop and then upgrade to 16GB later, saving some money at the start.
For gamers, a note: If you are playing games on a laptop that only relies on integrated graphics (such as Intel’s UHD Iris Xe graphics, or AMD Radeon graphics), you might need to increase the system memory capacity. Integrated graphics use memory to store image data during gaming, reducing the amount of memory available for other programs (such as web browsers or capture software).
② Laptop Upgrades
For older laptops that can upgrade memory, first determine the installed memory capacity in the system. If this capacity meets your usage needs (as mentioned above), you might consider other upgrades first, such as replacing an HDD with an SSD before adding more memory.
If you think you need more memory, first check the installed SODIMM slots. Is there a single memory module? You can buy a memory module with the same specifications to increase capacity and achieve a faster dual-channel configuration. If both slots are already occupied, you should purchase a larger capacity kit to replace both memory modules.
