How much RAM does my computer need?

Memory, or RAM (Random Access Memory), is a fundamental component of the modern computer. It’s the working space that allows your PC to do pretty much anything and everything. Whether you're typing an email, viewing a web page, using AI to improve a picture or video, or playing the latest games, everything you do needs memory.

But just how much memory do you need? And how will you know if you need to upgrade? Is 4GB enough for the modern PC? Should you upgrade all the way up to 64GB, or even more? It’s time to find out.

More demanding tasks require more memory, and if there isn’t sufficient free memory available then you can run into problems: unresponsive applications, laggy experiences, slowdowns, and even crashes. If you’re gaming, then not having enough memory can be particularly bad, resulting in corrupted textures, game freezes, and long load times – hardly what you’re looking for when trying to kick back a bit and relax.

The more you do with your machine, the more memory you will need. And as the programs and applications have evolved to do more, the system requirements for those applications have increased correspondingly. These days it isn’t unusual for games to require up to 32GB of system RAM to run optimally, while video editing and photo applications can require the same amount, or even more – up to 64GB for more serious work. You may think that if you’re just web browsing that you won’t need so much, but having multiple tabs open at the same time can be one of the biggest drains on your memory.

If you experience any of the following, then consider upgrading your memory:

• Applications frequently hang or stop responding
• You find yourself having to wait for your PC to catch up
• Starting a new application takes a long time
• You can’t run multiple programs at the same time
• You get notifications about lack of memory
• Your PC takes a long time to boot

You don’t want to be in a position where your memory is holding you back, basically. Particularly as upgrading your memory is one of the easiest things you can do to your system to improve its performance and stability. Thankfully the design conventions of motherboards have the RAM front and centre, easily accessible (Huge air coolers notwithstanding).

There are many ways of finding out how much memory you have in your computer, but the easiest way is to right-click the Start button and select System from the pop-up list. You’ll find how much memory you have installed under the Processor entry. In this is case we’re looking at 32GB. Don’t worry too much about the bit in brackets, as this is reserved for specific uses, unless it’s a lot and then it may be worth some investigation how to free up some of that space.

Yes. For the most part, adding more memory will improve performance. There are exceptions to this rule, that mainly concern systems that have been upgraded already or were bought with the maximum amount of memory pre-installed – although that is a very rare occurrence as system builders like to keep pricing low by installing just enough memory to not cause immediate problems. This is particularly true for mainstream systems from the big OEMs (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.) as well as for laptops.

In fact, laptops often ship with a single stick of memory installed, while the processors that can be found inside those portable systems are significantly faster when at least two memory sticks are used as they can access both at the same time. These chips support dual-channel memory configurations and simply adding another identical stick of memory can boost performance by a staggering amount.

Check how much memory is in your machine using the technique outlined above and then you can see what your options are.

How much memory your computers needs depends on what you use it for. For more casual usage, such as emailing, social media, and browsing, 8GB is just about enough. As you move towards more traditional office programs and image editing, then 16GB quickly becomes the recommendation. As you move up to using more demanding tasks including gaming, video editing, and high-end image work, then we’d recommend 32GB.

Professionals handling larger data sets and running several applications at the same time should look at 64GB or more. Larger images, videos, and AI training can all benefit from having plenty of RAM to make sure that you don’t run out of space. You’ll need to check your motherboard or system documentation to see how much memory your machine can support though, as there are limits to how much memory you can plug in to your system. They tend to be large though.

This is the minimum amount of memory recommended by Microsoft for Windows 11, which means that Windows will boot with this amount of memory, but there’s no guarantee you’ll have a fun or productive time when you do. Even the simplest of tasks will max this out and you’ll find you’re waiting on your computer a lot with just 4GB of RAM. This is the reason we’d recommend at least 8GB even for the most casual of uses.

With 8GB of system RAM you’re looking at a reasonable experience under the latest versions of Windows. Browsing, emailing, and normal work tasks are all possible with this much system memory, although you’ll probably have to limit yourself to one or two applications at a time and keep your browser usage to a couple of tabs.

Whether or not 8GB of RAM is enough for gaming is another question. Some older 3D titles and simpler 2D games should be fine with this much memory as well, although we recommend that you check the system requirements first.

16GB of system RAM has been the recommended capacity for years, covering plenty of tasks from day-to-day office work to full on gaming. When it comes to work you should have a smooth time MS Office and its ilk, and image editing should be smooth enough too, at least as long as you’re not working on too many massive images at the same time. You’ll struggle a little when it comes to video editing, and we’d recommend going for at least 32GB for serious multimedia work.

Is 16GB of RAM enough for gaming? 16GB of memory is beginning to be a bit of a squeeze when it comes to the latest gaming titles, especially at 4K where 32GB is often recommended instead. That said, even the most demanding games should still run with 16GB of system RAM, even if you need to dial down some of the settings. Check the games system requirements to make sure though.

We now recommend 32GB of RAM for most systems. This gives you plenty of room to handle all manner of tasks, whether you’re looking to enjoy the latest games, handle advanced office work, video and image editing, and so much more. You can enjoy working with several programs at the same time, and you should find that your machine is snappy and responsive.

While we recommend 32GB for most users, there are still going to be occasions where 64GB and more are needed. Professional users with massive datasets will need more memory to just move things around smoothly, while 3D renders will need as much memory as possible to manipulate detailed models and high-resolution textures. Serious videographers will also see a significant improvement at 64GB than at lower capacities. Gamers that like to play and stream at 4K will benefit from the added space that this affords too.

So, while 64GB of RAM isn’t essential for most general uses, it still has its place, and it isn’t the outlandish high-end option that it once was. Upgrading to 64GB of RAM should also ensure that your system performs optimally for a long time without needing further upgrades.

Microsoft has kept the system requirements for its operating systems relatively low for a while now, to help ensure that it works on a wide range of system. Windows 11 requires just 4GB of RAM to work, while its predecessor, Windows 10 needs only 2GB for the 64-bit version of the OS and just 1GB for the 32-bit version. Of course, that’s just for the operating system, not for whatever you want to do on that machine.

If you’re looking for the quick answer then, yes, you’ll need more memory than just the bare minimum of the operating system. As a quick rule of thumb, we’d recommend at least 16GB for most general use, rising to 32GB for more capable systems.

Upgrading your memory is one of the easiest and most affordable ways of giving your system a performance boost. Most machines are sold with available slots that you use to upgrade with the minimum of fuss and without needing any specialist tools. Remember to use the corrects slots, though. Unless you're filling every slot, you must use the right ones. Laptops are a little different to desktops, but we've produced this guide showing you how to upgrade your laptop.

We’ve produced a utility called the CORSAIR System Scanner Tool that you can use to check what is already in your machine and offer compatible memory options. Alternatively, you can use the Memory Finder Tool to enter the information about your system yourself.