For quite some time, the consensus among tech reviewers, including myself, has been to advise buyers to opt for laptops with 16GB of RAM. It was simply the ideal balance, with 8GB being the absolute minimum for decent performance. This recommendation held firm for a good while, staying relevant for over a decade. However, I’m starting to see a shift in this trend.
Now, I wouldn’t label myself as a hard-core “power user,” but I do tend to have a bunch of applications running simultaneously. Think Telegram, Slack, Word, Outlook, alongside a dozen browser tabs, and Spotify pumping out some tunes, with the occasional light photo or video editing sprinkled in. I’d categorize this usage as fairly standard and not overly taxing on any system.
Not too long ago, 16GB comfortably handled this load on a Windows PC. These days, though, apps have grown heftier and more resource-intensive. The likes of Outlook, Slack, and Spotify are built with Electron (JavaScript), and they can easily gobble up anywhere between 500MB to 1GB of RAM each.
Consequently, if you’re considering an AI-enhanced laptop, such as one boasting a certified Copilot+ PC, 16GB of RAM is becoming more of a minimum requirement. My PC often operates with RAM usage hovering around 95%, even without pushing it hard. Sure, RAM is there to be used, but having some cushion would ease my mind.
Interestingly, I’ve experienced laptops fitted with 32GB of RAM on a daily basis and found that I scarcely push them beyond 90% capacity. My typical usage rarely exceeds 20GB, which gets me thinking about Apple’s hardware offerings and why I believe 24GB of RAM is hitting that sweet spot.
When setting up a new Mac, upgrading from 16GB to either 24GB or 32GB is an option. This flexibility allows for a smarter investment if you’re clear about your needs. For me and most people, 32GB remains unnecessary, yet 16GB is no longer sufficient for assured longevity.
When I’m faced with choosing between just 16GB or 32GB models, opting for 32GB often feels like wasting money since I don’t max out its potential. Nowadays, 24GB meets the optimal price-performance ratio, and if I can save a couple hundred bucks by sticking with 24GB against 32GB, I’d take that deal in a heartbeat.
On the Windows side of things, laptops with 24GB aren’t exactly prevalent. For instance, Microsoft’s expanding Surface lineup doesn’t even offer a 24GB RAM option. They do exist elsewhere in the PC market, but inconsistency is common, often absent in premium Ultrabooks from major OEMs.
When I made the leap to purchase my Surface Laptop 7 last year, I felt compelled to choose the 16GB configuration. The price jump to 32GB was £400, a cost I found hard to justify given my actual needs. A 24GB option priced just £200 higher would have been my definite choice.
Apple’s approach to RAM configuration stands out, with 24GB options widely available in their Macs, even replacing the 32GB option in some cases. Apple’s control over its tech stack makes this feasible, while Windows OEMs face different constraints.
Let me clarify, I’m not suggesting we should immediately raise the baseline RAM to 24GB. For many, 16GB is still quite ample and should remain the norm. Yet, there’s a considerable chunk of us who find 16GB limiting but can’t stretch our wallets for 32GB.
The 24GB mark is right on target.
At present, my laptop is teetering close to its RAM limits, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this predicament. It’s time for Windows OEMs and chip manufacturers to start offering more 24GB RAM configurations.
What about your views? Should more Windows laptops come with 24GB RAM options? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
