Your laptop's RAM capacity decides how many applications it can handle simultaneously. Having the right amount of RAM is required especially if you're a power user. 2, 4, 6, 8 or 16 GB? While the large amount of gigabytes might seem lucrative, does all that huge amount of RAM really make a difference to your laptop's performance?
Learn MoreFirst things first, RAM does not make your computer faster. You won't notice any decrease in loading times. What you will notice though, is that you will be able to run many applications at one instance. So RAM only improves the multi-tasking capabilities of your laptop as the speed is entirely dependent on the CPU and storage. 2GB of RAM is the bare minimum and no one should consider going lower than this while 4GB is the sweet spot and can handle quite a lot of multi-tasking. You will need more than 4GB only if your work involves lots of hardware intensive applications such as rendering 4K videos or playing the latest games. GTA V for example leaks memory on laptops with only 4GB RAM and so 6GB is recommended for hard core gamers. You will hardly use 8 or 16GB of RAM all at once but at least they're cheap to upgrade and you do get the bragging rights. Just make sure your laptop is running on a 64 bit OS as 32 bit OS' do not recognize more than 4GB of RAM.
RAM is a component that is the easiest to upgrade in most of the laptops, so when doing so make sure to check the type of RAM that your laptop is already running on. PC Ram cannot be used on laptops as SO-DIMM RAM is the only type that is compatible with laptops. DDR3 is the norm these days as DDR4 RAM is yet to be seen on laptops.
To get the best out of your laptop, make sure that your memory is running in dual channel after installing your new RAM stick. As long as your new RAM stick is of the same frequency (1600 or 1333Mhz) as the already installed one, your laptop will run in dual channel. Don't fret about low voltage RAMs as they can be paired with normal RAMs with no problems.
2-4GB - Good enough for everyday computing and gaming. HD Video editing and rendering is also possible albeit with longer render times.
6-8GB - Must for hard-core gamers and video editors who want reduced rendering times and have a lot of programs running simultaneously.
>8GB - Bragging rights!!
Never buy extra RAM from laptop manufactures as they sell them at exorbitant prices. Transcend, Kingston and Corsair are some of the best brands when it comes to RAM.