The primary purpose of RAM memory is to hold onto data and program instructions that the CPU is actively working on. (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) What does RAM memory do? Having some headroom in terms of RAM can help ensure your computer remains capable and responsive for longer. Technology is constantly advancing, and the requirements of software and operating systems tend to increase over time. It's important to note that these are general recommendations, and specific applications and usage needs may call for more than the minimums set out here.Īdditionally, it's worth considering future needs and the upgradeability of your system. This is only just enough to run the operating system itself, leaving you almost no memory for anything else.ĨGB - For most Windows 11 and MacOS systems, this will generally be enough memory for general computing and productivity work.ġ6GB - This is the ideal amount of RAM memory you'll want for playing the best PC games at a respectable framerate, as well as the bare minimum you need for prosumer-level creative work, like serious photo editing in Adobe Photoshop.ģ2GB & above - There are only a few situations where a minimum of 32GB memory is required, but all of them are going to fall within professional applications like professional film editing, 3D modeling, or engineering work using CAD software. Under no circumstances should you buy a computer running Windows 10 or Windows 11 (even Windows 11 S-mode) if it only has 4GB memory. And while there are going to be some borderline use cases where the amount of RAM you need is going to be fuzzy, this is generally a good breakdown of how much memory you'll need at a minimum for several popular usage scenarios.ĤGB - This amount of RAM memory is only really enough to run a basic Chromebook, thanks to ChromeOS's lightweight design. How much RAM memory you actually need will depend almost entirely on what kind of activity you plan on using your computer for. (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) How much RAM do you need?

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