Is 8GB RAM Enough for PC?

Why You Need More RAM?

RAM is an acronym for Random Access Memory. It is used by computers to store the data that the CPU is currently processing. When, CPU processes data, it will transfer the data into the RAM for operation. Then, after the operation is completed, the result will be transmitted out to hard drive.

As we all know, the operating speed of CPU is very fast, which can’t be matched by low-speed hard drives. To coordinate them, RAM is necessary. RAM is a volatile memory, which is fast enough to cooperate with CPU. It can be said that RAM is the buffer between CPU and hard drive.

Nowadays, you may likely consider adding more RAM to you computer for the following reasons:

1. Applications are eating more and more RAM.

A few years ago, PC users were able to get away with 8GB for typical use, including gaming. Today that value is still enough if you just run a single game or any apps. But 8GB is not enough for running both of them.

Compared to a few years ago, app’s features are more powerful and perfect, but they are allocating and using more RAM.

2. You are using RAM-heavy applications.

With app complexity increasing, programs tend to use more RAM. A chat program or a game like Minesweeper will use almost no RAM, while a gigantic Excel spreadsheet, a huge Photoshop project, or a graphic-intensive game like Wolfenstein: Youngblood may use gigabytes by themselves.

3. RAM prices have been trending down lately.

A 16GB (2 x 8 GB) pack of G.Skill TridentZ DDR4 RAM that cost around $215 a year ago is $100 cheaper today. And you can find a 32GB kit for less than $230, which used to sell for well over $300.

4. The more RAM your system has, the more programs it can handle simultaneously.

Generally, more RAM in your computer means that you can open more browser tabs in Chrome, Firefox, Edge etc. If your existing RAM gets used up, your computer will write out anything else to the page file on your hard drive or SSD, which will slow down your computer or even cause hitching to it.

Anyway, the more RAM, the better. The problem is how much RAM do you need? Is 8GB RAM enough?

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Is 8GB RAM Enough?

Whether you use a tablet, a laptop, or a desktop, this will not affect how much RAM you need. It depends on what kind of software you run and use on your PC. In 2020, whether 8GB is enough also depends that. If you are using Windows, you should figure out two things: (a). The OS is 32-bit or 64-bit? (b). What programs you plan to run on the PC?

You Are Running 32-bit or 64-bit OS?

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 that:

Step 1: Open File Explorer.

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

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What Programs You Plan to Run on the PC?

If you just do some basic work like editing documents, 8GB is fine and supports multitasking. If you use a browser, 8GB RAM allows you to open 30+ tabs simultaneously. If you edit photos, 8GB RAM allows you to edit 10+ photos at one time. As for gaming, 8GB RAM can deal with most games except those that need a decent graphics card.

In a word, 8GB RAM is fine for those who stick to basic productivity, or those who aren’t playing modern games. But if you plan on running something memory intensive and doing another task at the same time, you could end up exceeding your limit.

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