Home > RAM

Is 8GB RAM good enough?

Reviewed By: Kevin Pocock

Last Updated on November 23, 2022
8GB RAM
PC Guide is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More
You can trust PC Guide: Our team of experts use a combination of independent consumer research, in-depth testing where appropriate - which will be flagged as such, and market analysis when recommending products, software and services. Find out how we test here.

If you want to play games or watch movies without lag, you’ll need at least 4GB of RAM. But a higher number will always make your computer run more smoothly, so 8GB is more than enough for everyday tasks.

RAM (Random Access Memory) is a type of memory that allows your computer to store data temporarily. The amount of RAM you need depends on the number of programs running at once. 

You’ll find that the RAM on your computer or electronics is an important selling point for many people. The more memory you have the better, and you won’t run into as many issues such as lagging with a higher RAM. 


Top 5 Cyber Monday deals

This year's Cyber Monday has officially kickstarted, offering up huge discounts on some of the market's leading tech products. Below, we'll list the best Cyber Monday deals we can find.

Prices and savings subject to change. Click through to get the current deal prices.


What Does RAM Mean? 

The most common types of RAM are DDR3 and DDR4. DDR3 has been around since 2009, while DDR4 was released in 2013.

Both offer similar speeds but DDR4 offers much faster speeds. You can get DDR3 up to 1600 MHz, while DDR4 goes all the way up to 3200MHz.

This means that if you’re looking for the fastest possible speed, then you should go with DDR4. However, DDR3 still works fine and is perfectly capable of handling any task you throw at it.

So if you don’t mind waiting until DDR4 becomes mainstream, then stick with DDR3. 

If you have a high-end gaming PC, then you might be interested in upgrading from DDR3 to DDR4. This is because DDR4 offers much faster performance than DDR3. It’s also said to be able to handle more graphics cards. 

How Much RAM Do I Need For My Laptop? 

There isn’t really a set rule about how much RAM you need for a laptop. Some laptops come with 2GB of RAM, some come with 4GB, and others come with 6GB.

It just depends on what you plan on doing with your laptop. Others come with 8GB and some even have much larger RAMs. 

For example, if you only use your laptop to surf the internet, read e-books, write documents, and listen to music, then you probably don’t need anything more than 2GB of RAM.

On the other hand, if you plan on playing video games, watching movies, editing photos, or using Photoshop, then you’ll definitely need more RAM. 

So before buying a new laptop, check out its specs first. Look at the RAM, processor, hard drive size, battery life, and everything else. Then decide whether you need more RAM or not. 

How Much RAM Does My Phone Have?

Phones usually have less RAM than computers do. Most phones have around 2 to 5GB of RAM. That’s why they tend to freeze up when you open too many apps at once. 

However, there are some phones that have 6GB of RAM – the newer iPhones being an example. The iPhone 12 Pro and the 13 Pro used an increased RAM of 6GB. It’s even rumored that the iPhone 14 Pro is going to use a RAM of 8GB. 

Phones don’t often disclose how much RAM they use as there isn’t a need for larger RAMs on phones. You’re not using them to play high-spec video games or intricate programs such as Photoshop. 

The RAM on your phone is most likely going to enhance the camera more than anything else. However, some people will be able to make the most of the 8GB RAM on their phone, so this will be exciting for them. 

Why stop at 8GB of RAM though when you can go for 12, or higher? The Samsung S20 5G has a 12GB RAM, while the Lite version still comes equipped with an 8GB RAM.

This makes sense as Samsung phones tend to have better camera capabilities than iPhones. 

Summary

RAM is one of the most important components of a computer. If you want to upgrade to a new laptop, or if you want to buy a new laptop, then you need to know how much RAM it has.

There are different sizes of RAM available, but we’d always recommend going for at least 8GB to avoid lags and freezing while you’re using it.

Kevin is the Editor of PC Guide. He has a broad interest and enthusiasm for consumer electronics, PCs and all things consumer tech - and more than 15 years experience in tech journalism.