Is 8GB RAM Enough? Get the Answers Here!

Brithny updated on Jul 24, 2024 to Partition Manager | How-to Articles

With memory prices dropping, you might be tempted to get a high-capacity upgrade? But how much RAM do you need for a laptop or a desktop computer? Is 8GB RAM enough for your computer? You will get the answers here.

Workable Solutions Step-by-step Troubleshooting
How Much RAM Do You Need? There is not much difference between 8GB and 16GB of RAM in daily use of office, entertainment, games, etc...Full steps
Is 8GB RAM Enough? Here is the answer. It depends on what you are going to do on your computer/laptop. If you are going to...Full steps
Extra Tips: How to Speed Up Your PC Without Adding RAM Step 1. Click "Adjust with 1-Click" to extend C drive; Step 2. Click "OK" to extend C drive automatically...Full steps

What Is RAM

Many things could determine the performance of your computer, including the processor, memory, and video card. Among them, RAM plays an important role.

RAM, random-access memory, is an internal memory that directly exchanges data with the CPU. It can read and write at any time at a fast speed. Your computer RAM is essentially short-term memory where data is stored as the processor needs it. As you open programs, it stores data that they need access to quickly in system memory.

How Much RAM Do You Need: 8, 16, or 32GB?

There is not much difference between 8GB and 16GB of RAM in daily use of office, entertainment, games, etc. 16GB of RAM will not bring a very obvious gap. But if you are engaged in professional use such as using PS or playing games, 16GB of RAM can bring a faster processing speed. The following is a detailed introduction.

How much RAM do you need for daily use?

8GB is enough. 8GB of RAM is a good choice for those who stick to basic productivity or those who won't play modern games. You can do plenty of productivity work without swapping out to the page file.

How much RAM do you need for gaming?

At least 16GB. If you want to use your laptop to play games, you'll need at least 16GB of RAM. Most games, even the latest ones, will take advantage of a full 16GB of RAM. Instead, the extra capacity gives you some wiggle room in running other applications while your games are running.

How much RAM do you need for high-end editing?

32GB. For professional users engaged in video, audio, etc., the difference between 16GB and 32GB will be more obvious. In the process of loading, a larger capacity of video RAM will help speed up the calculation process. Thus, 32GB is needed.

To sum up, this gives us a guideline for choosing tablet RAM:

  • 8GB is OK for lightweight users.
  • 16GB is a better fit in most tablet cases.
  • 32GB  is needed if you plan to use a tablet as your primary PC.

If you are still confused, you can check the Chart.

Usage Description 8GB 16GB 32GB
Office productivity  Basic document work
Web browsing Basic multitab browsing
Photo editing  10+ photos × ×
Gaming High-end × ×
Media streaming Audio or video × ×

Is 8GB RAM Enough?

Here is the answer. It depends on what you are going to do on your computer/laptop. If you are going to do a lot of heavy virtualization applications (such as starting a VM, You will need more than 8 GB for that to be done properly). If you are going to play on a high resolution (such as 8K or higher) then getting more than 8 GB is necessary.

If your PC is 32-bit, RAM size beyond 4GB would be of no use to it since it would not access it. Only 64-bit OS can use RAM beyond 4GB. Here is the tutorial on how to check your system type:

Step 1. Open "File Explorer".

Step 2. Right-click on "This PC" and choose "Properties". Then, you will see System type information.

Extra Tips: How to Speed Up Your PC Without Adding RAM

As I have mentioned before, many things could determine the performance of your computer. Except for the RAM size, you can speed up your PC performance by extending the system drive. You can easily increase C drive space with EaseUS Partition Master. This disk management tool makes it easy to extend C drive space.

Step 1. Click "Adjust with 1-Click" to extend C drive.

When your C drive is out of space, hover your mouse over the C drive, you will see the Low Disk Space alert on EaseUS Partition Master. Click "Adjust with 1-Click" to extend it.

Step 2. Click "OK" to extend C drive automatically.

By clicking "OK", EaseUS Partition Master will automatically allocate space to your C drive to solve the low space issue.

Extra Option: You can also click "Manual Adjustment" to extend the C drive manually.

When turning to Manual Adjustment, select the C drive, and drag dots rightward to add more space to C drive. Click "OK" to confirm.

Step 3. Confirm to resolve low disk space in C drive

Click the "Execute Task" button at the top corner and start all pending operations by clicking "Apply".

Conclusion

To sum up, 8GB RAM is fine for those who aren't playing modern games. But if you want to run something memory intensive, you must choose a device with at least 16GB RAM.