What ram should i buy for my laptop

RAM is a crucial component to your computer. Without it, all of your information would be stored in a place that is impossibly slow to access, which would make your computer equally slow.

The more RAM you have, the more information can be stored in this super-fast memory, instead of the much slower hard drive. The more applications you have open at once, or the more demanding those apps are of computing power, the more you will notice a speed difference when it comes to how much RAM you have.

If your computer has a small amount of RAM — say, 2GB — it will be forced to read and write to the hard drive far more regularly, which slows things down.

If your hard drive has very little free space, those reads and writes will become slower as the CPU has to spend more time juggling files in order to get to them. For basic, day-to-day computing, 8GB of memory should be sufficient. That gives you enough room to fully load Windows, plus a few productivity apps, and a web browser. Once you start needing multiple apps open at once, for instance, an email client, a browser, Adobe Acrobat, several Microsoft Office apps, and perhaps a communication client like Slack, those 8GB of RAM will be quickly overwhelmed.

More than 16GB is probably unnecessary for most people. Keep in mind: RAM is like seats on an airplane. Having more RAM is only beneficial if your computing needs are going to make use of that extra space. For gamers, your best guide is to look at the recommended not the minimum specs for your favorite games.

Still, there are people who can benefit from more, and 16GB of RAM is perfect for those who like keeping dozens of tabs open in a browser, while simultaneously working on large documents, or, video and graphics professionals who routinely need to work with very large files.

A gaming laptop will give you the greatest amount of options. This amount of memory is a must-have for powerhouse workstations. This is a good fit for the types of jobs that need a lot of computing power, typically in a professional setting. One thing to keep in mind when thinking about your laptop RAM needs is that laptops can be harder and sometimes impossible to upgrade after purchase. This contrasts with desktops, most of which are designed to be easily upgraded over time.

RAM modules take up precious space, so laptops are typically engineered with only two RAM slots, and both are usually occupied by existing memory when you buy it. This means that a laptop that comes from the factory with 4GB of memory, likely has two 2GB memory modules installed. Desktops often have three or more slots, of which only two are generally in use when the computer ships, making it easier and less wasteful when it comes to upgrades.

You can find out for sure by contacting the manufacturer. The support page for your particular model will usually list the exact specifications you need. Failing that, take your laptop to your local retailer where one of their staff can help you make the right selection.

Buying a laptop with the right amount of RAM is like buying a house or a condo — you should try to find one that meets your needs for the foreseeable future, and not just your immediate demands. The difference between 8GB and 16GB is significant, and very few people find that they need that extra memory. Remember: More RAM is only going to make your computer feel faster if you actually use the extra space.

A hard drive that is more than 75 percent full will start to slow things down. Hi Adam, Thanks for your article. Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks for your tips. We get so much knowledge from your post about how to choose the correct RAM for our system. Shop for all your business tech needs at. Close Search. Why might you consider a RAM upgrade? Click the Performance tab. The Memory graph monitors your RAM usage in real time. Task Manager showing RAM usage.

For the bit Windows 8 editions: Windows 8. Here is what to take into account for making a RAM upgrade. Adam Lovinus. Tags: category17 desktop memory memory system specific memory. Buying Guides 16 Comments. Subscribe you company. Popular Posts. Why NeweggBusiness? Michael Levanduski 0. A Guide to Brands and Categories Desktop PC manufacturers offer a tremendously wide range of options for all kinds of users,….

Mark Coppock 0. A few years ago, the answer to the question, "Should you buy an Intel or…. Join the discussion 16 Comments. Dipendra Kumar says:. July 16, at am. Shivam Rana says:. October 27, at am. Cindy Tesler says:. If you have built a PC or bought a laptop in the past five years or so, then there is a high chance that it will have an extra slot to add more RAM.

Consider checking your motherboard or laptop manual to confirm. Next you need to check what version of Windows you are using. There are two versions of almost all Windows versions based on the system architecture. While most have moved to a bit version, there are still many systems that run on bit. If you are running a bit edition of Windows 7, 8, 8. For a full list of compatibility, visit here. RAM comes in various varieties.

Latency or timing is another thing to consider. It is denoted by four digits like All you need to know is that lower the number means better performance. Also it is advisable to use multi-channel kits or basically use two sticks or four sticks that combine to give you the desired total amount of RAM.

Keeping the above in mind, you need to be careful when adding more RAM to your system. You will have to be careful about the variety you choose, it has to have the same clock speed and if possible, the same timing as your previous stick although this can be adjusted automatically by the system.

If your budget allows, I would suggest you go for a dual-kit with a proper heat sink.