One of the most crucial elements in influencing your computer’s speed and general performance is RAM, often known as memory. So it’s important to know what RAM is and how much memory you genuinely need, whether you’re buying a new laptop or wanting to boost your current PC.Â
What Is RAM?
Before we get started, let us get a basic idea of how RAM works. Â
Random access memory (RAM) is a piece of hardware that stores temporary data for software that operates on computers, cellphones, video game consoles, and other devices. Operating systems (such as macOS and Windows) need a particular amount of RAM to boot up.
Uses of RAM
RAM is used in various ways by applications. For example, when you open a browser, all the information from the sites you visit is stored in RAM. When you visit them, they are constantly there and do not need to be loaded again. Therefore browsers frequently consume a large amount of RAM. RAM contains the applications that run on your laptop, allowing you to use them fast without needing to write to your hard drive.Â
Is 4 GB Adequate as RAM?
The greater the RAM of your machine, the more apps it can run all at once. It would be best to emphasize that RAM is not the only deciding element. Yes, irrespective of the computer’s RAM capacity, a computer user can open a huge number of apps at the same time.
This difficulty is that running so many apps on a machine with limited RAM can significantly slow it down.
In the early days of computing, a system would have had only 32 MB of RAM. It was adequate to deal with the simple software and programs of the day. As operating software and computer systems became more complicated and vast, more RAM requirements became apparent. RAM capacity gradually increased and eventually surpassed 1 GB.
According to the requirements of modern applications and programs, 4 GB of RAM is sufficient for a laptop. You will be able to operate all current apps and RAM-intensive applications such as video editing software and demanding games. Your programs will be speedier, and you can run numerous applications simultaneously.
Of course, RAM is just one factor that influences your laptop’s performance; other factors include CPU speed, graphics memory, and so forth.
How Much RAM Do You Need?
If you like to work on everyday word documents and play your favourite movies and music on your laptop, 4 GB of RAM is enough. However, if you plan to do more, like keeping a good number of tabs open simultaneously and working through it all, 4 GB won’t be enough for you.
Similarly, if you are looking to work with power-intensive applications like Autodesk or Photoshop, you would need a laptop that offers more RAM. If you are a gaming buff, you should want to get a laptop with more RAM.
The latest games demand a good amount of RAM, sometimes as high as 16 GB, and if you get a laptop with a lesser amount of RAM, two things will happen:
- The games will not run
- You will have to play the game with a lower fps
Either way, you wouldn’t like it. In short, we wouldn’t recommend getting a laptop with a 4 GB memory today.
What can you do with a 4GB Laptop?
- Essential office work like preparing Word documents and PowerPoint presentations.
- Surfing the Internet with just a couple of tabs or one application open.
- Light operating systems and desktop environments like Linux and Xfce.
With 4GB RAM laptops being a widely selected model, it is no surprise that there are several options to choose from, with companies like Dell and Asus competing for market dominance. The Dell Vostro 3405 is a great, budget-friendly choice amongst other 4GB ASUS and Dell laptop models.Â
Conclusion
For most people, 4GB of RAM for a laptop is plenty. However, it would be best if you determined how much memory you require – 4GB should be sufficient for essential work and programs.
Furthermore, before committing to any purchases, ensure your laptop has at least 4GB of RAM. This will assure optimal results.
Several factors can influence your RAM utilization; be sure to carefully examine the product specifications and keep track of system memory consumption to determine whether or not additional memory is required.
