I'm debating whether to upgrade my current 16GB DDR4 RAM to 32GB now or to hold off for another couple of years until I upgrade my CPU and motherboard to switch to DDR5, hoping the prices might drop by then. My setup includes a Ryzen 5 5600X CPU and a Radeon RX 6800 GPU. I'm curious about how much of a performance boost I'd really get from adding more RAM, especially since I usually have around 50 tabs open across two browsers and tend to multitask with Discord, Spotify, and gaming at the same time. Would it actually help, or is it better to just wait for a full upgrade?
5 Answers
If you can score a decent price, definitely upgrade. Many people with 16GB are starting to feel limited, especially for multitasking. But don’t go overboard if it’s expensive right now; the market is a mess.
Honestly, just hold off for now. Upgrading to 32GB might not yield noticeable benefits unless you're running out of RAM right now, which it sounds like you're not. Prices might stabilize too, so you can upgrade everything when you're ready.
I say wait for a bigger upgrade if you can hold out. Most games run pretty well on 16GB these days. But for heavy multitasking, 32GB can definitely make a difference. If you decide to stick with 16GB, just ensure you're using it wisely.
If you're not running into any issues right now, you might as well stick with what you have. But if you ever spot a good deal on used RAM, you could grab it without too much concern.
I do have some slowing down when I multitask with tons of tabs open. Do you think going to 32GB would actually smooth that out, or is it not worth the spend?
It really depends on the kind of performance improvements you're hoping for. If you want to keep many tabs and apps open, extra RAM could definitely help. Just be sure to get a good price because RAM prices can vary a lot lately. If it feels worth it to you, then go for it, but avoid paying a premium if you can.
Yeah, I've found 16GB isn't enough for my usage with Chrome alone keeping a bunch of tabs open. It might be wise to upgrade to 32GB if you can.
Exactly, I experienced a shortage of RAM recently too and it influenced my friends using only 16GB—so they’re not happy about it.