It wasn't long ago that a laptop with 8 GB of RAM seemed more than adequate to handle routine to moderately resource-intensive tasks. However, desktop software has rapidly evolved in recent times, adding more features and, unfortunately, requiring more memory. While a bunch of affordable laptops still ship with 8 GB of RAM, you should avoid them if you are a moderate to intense user. That's because RAM plays a critical role in your computer's performance, and low memory can affect your entire computing
experience.
The primary reason driving this shift is a concoction of heavier operating systems and resource-hungry apps. Modern browsers, for example, work on a multi-process architecture, which adds to their safety and reliability, but also makes them resource hogs. Browsers can easily consume anywhere from 2 to 4 GB of memory with only a few tabs open. Add system processes to the mix, and any budget laptop will quickly feel as unusable as using a 4 GB one from five years ago, especially while multitasking. However, some casual users might still benefit from an 8 GB laptop under a light workload.
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Memory-Intensive Apps Are A Reality
Limited memory can quickly bottleneck the entire laptop, especially under an intense workload. Here's an example from my own workflow: most of my work revolves around a few browser tabs and Slack running in the background for communication. This simple workload often takes 9 to 10 GB on my laptop running Windows 11 with 16 GB of RAM. The browser alone accounts for 3 to 4 GB of memory usage with 5 to 6 static tabs (and a few browser extensions), and the number rises with dynamic or multimedia tabs. That said, some browsers use less RAM than others. On top of that, background processes like Microsoft Defender constantly consume system memory.
MacBooks generally perform a notch better, even with less memory, due to Apple's memory management. They can use the startup drive to supplement the RAM when the device runs out of memory. Nevertheless, swapping the memory isn't foolproof, and you may still notice the performance drop due to memory bottlenecks. That's also why modern MacBooks ship with at least 16 GB of RAM, even on the base models. Pre-owned MacBooks with 8 GB can be tempting, considering Apple sold them just a generation ago; however, they, too, will likely struggle with intense multitasking. Also, Apple restricts memory upgrades on many recent models, leaving you stuck with the same hardware.
Who May (Or May Not) Benefit From An 8 GB RAM Laptop
Some professionals might also need specialized software that further pushes the laptop. 8 GB laptops can feel severely underpowered with creative or coding apps. Video and graphic editing tools like Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro may test your patience with load times and sluggish response. Your laptop might even freeze while rendering high-resolution files. Other resource-intensive tasks, such as AI applications and machine learning, may also take longer on basic laptops. An 8 GB of RAM is well below modern gaming standards; so, an entry-level machine might struggle even in lighter gaming. You will notice lower FPS and frequent crashes in most titles, even if the laptop has a powerful GPU, simply due to a memory bottleneck.
Having said that, 8 GB laptops are not entirely obsolete. They are still pretty usable if you are a casual user who mostly only browses webpages and uses some lightweight apps. Entry-level laptops can act as great secondary devices for entertainment or light computing. Older users, students, or anyone on a tight budget can get a great deal on pre-owned 8 GB laptops and still use them for most casual tasks. If you use a Windows PC with 8 GB of RAM, switching to some beginner-friendly Linux distros might make the experience even better, but you should consider upgrading to at least 16 GB of RAM if you face performance issues. A more future-proof option is to upgrade to 32 GB of RAM in a dual-channel configuration, especially if you are into gaming or professional video editing.
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