Over the years, laptop users have started needing more RAM. Apps, games, and web pages use more RAM today than they did a few years ago.

Previously, 8GB RAM was enough for most users, even gamers. But today, games are much heavier, and there are so many apps running in the background that 8GB may not be enough.

Once your computer uses up the existing RAM, it writes out something else to the file on the SSD or the hard drive. If what you're doing on the laptop requires frequent information exchange, you'll notice lagging and slowed performance.

While it's a nuisance to run out of RAM, it's also a waste of money to buy more RAM than you need. But how much RAM do you need exactly? Is 32GB better than 16GB for everyone? Not really.

• 8GB vs 32GB laptop: In today’s time, 8GB is the minimum most people need for their day-to-day tasks. Meanwhile, 4GB is ideal for people who use their laptops for casual gaming, sending emails, and surfing the web only. 8GB is good for people who don’t want to play power-intensive games. But if you want to run memory-intensive tasks, you should look for 16GB of RAM.

• 16 vs 32GB RAM laptop: 16GB is the sweet spot for most people. A laptop with 16GB RAM gives you sufficient headroom to open multiple windows at once or run several programs at the same time. In a 16 vs 32GB RAM laptop comparison, the former wins if you have mid-level needs. But if you’re a creative person who needs to render large files, you should be going for a 32GB laptop.

• 32GB RAM laptop: 32GB gives you plenty of freedom to open multiple tabs or programs simultaneously. If you render a lot of heavy files or need to use different programs at once, it's best to work on a laptop with 32GB RAM. For example, if you're a photo or video editor and occasionally work with 4k resolutions, you need more RAM. Similarly, if you play memory-intensive video games, a 32GB RAM laptop is your best pick.

Choosing the right 32GB RAM for a laptop

When you're searching for a laptop with enough RAM to meet your needs, you might come across some things you're not familiar with. For instance, if we talk about 32GB DDR4 laptop RAM, what does DDR mean? What does the 4 imply?

DDR refers to Double Data Rate. Back in the day, laptops had SDRAM or Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory. With advancements in technology, DDR came into being. In a computer, the clock signal refers to the frequency of oscillation that coordinates the interaction between the system's digital circuits. In simple words, it syncs communication. Digital circuits that operate on the clock signal respond at the falling and the rising edge of the signal. The conventional SDRAM chips only transfer data from the rising edge of the signal.

Meanwhile, DDR RAM also transfers data from the falling edge. In this way, DDR makes RAM twice as fast as SDRAM.

Now that you know what DDR means, what does the number in front of it imply?

• DDR2:It was introduced in 2003 and operates external data at twice the speed of DDR. Although it has the same clock speed as DDR, its transfer rates are faster because of the improvement in output and input bus signals.

• DDR3:You'll see DDR3 in the specification for most laptop RAMs. It was introduced in 2007. The main benefit of DDR3 is that it reduces power consumption. As compared to DDR2, it almost uses 40% less power. Due to this lower power consumption, DDR3 offers lower voltages and operating currents.

• DDR4:It was introduced in 2014 and has higher transfer rates than DDR2 and DDR3. It also has the lowest operating voltage.

• DDR5:DDR5 is quite a recent jump in technology. It helps improve power management, enhance channel efficiency, and optimize performance. You can expect it to deliver double the speed of previous versions.

So, when you get a 32GB DDR4 laptop RAM, you're getting good performance with low power consumption. For gaming or editing, you might also want to get a 32-inch laptop monitor since it will give you a better view and crisp images. A 32-inch laptop monitor is also a good option if you are an entertainment enthusiast.

When do you need a DDR4 3200 laptop RAM

DDR4 was made as a replacement for DDR3. It has many advantages, such as larger capacity and faster data transfer. It is also more power-efficient than other RAMs.

In a DDR4 3200 laptop RAM, 3200 refers to the speed of the RAM. As a rule of thumb, the bigger this number, the better your RAM performs.

Typically, a 32GB laptop DDR4 RAM has the following specifications:

• 16 internal memory banks

• 1.2 volts of electrical power

• 64GB capacity per memory module

Since a 32GB laptop, DDR4 RAM will have increased memory bandwidth and faster speeds, it will be able to keep up with multi-core CPUs and modern processors.

Meanwhile, a 32GB DDR3 1600MHz laptop RAM will not perform as well due to two reasons:

• For one, it's DDR3, which is a predecessor to DDR4. Thus, it has slower transfer rates and higher power consumption.

• Secondly, the speed of a 32GB DDR3 1600MHz laptop RAM is half of what you'd get from a 32GB laptop DDR4 with 3200MHz speed.

Theoretically, a RAM with 1600MHz memory runs at a speed of 12,800 megabytes per second. It's the minimum speed you need for gaming.

On the other hand, a 32GB laptop DDR4 with 3200MHz speed is ideal if you want to build a Ryzen Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) gaming computer. DDR 3200 works best in this case because integrated graphics need memory bandwidth.

Therefore, DDR4 3200 is best for gamers who want sufficient bandwidth or creative professionals who want to run memory-intensive software and programs.

Can I upgrade my laptop RAM to 32GB?

Low memory on your laptop is often the culprit behind poor performance and slow system speeds. You can tackle this by upgrading your RAM. It's possible to upgrade your RAM from 4GB to 8 GB or even 16GB to 32GB.

To check the memory use of your laptop, go to Windows Task Manager. In the performance tab of the Task Manager, check how much memory your computer is using out of the total available memory.

If your laptop is using too much memory, you might need to upgrade your RAM.

Most laptops have an extra slot where you can put an additional RAM module. Are you wondering, can I upgrade my laptop RAM to 32GB if there's no extra slot? The answer is yes.

In this case, you'll have to replace the RAM with one that has a higher capacity. Suppose you have a laptop with 16GB RAM but no additional slot for extra RAM.

You'll have to replace the 16GB RAM with 32GB RAM.

But if you have a laptop with 16GB RAM that has an extra slot, you can just buy a separate 16GB RAM and plug it in the extra slot. Here are some things to consider when you upgrade your RAM:

• Frequency:Every laptop's motherboard only accepts a certain RAM frequency. For example, your laptop may only accept up to DDR3 1600MHz. Even if you pick a faster RAM, it won't be of any use. Either the laptop will run too slow, or the RAM won't work at all.

• Voltage:Some RAMs also need higher voltages. Check how much voltage your motherboard can provide. Keep in mind that you should not use over 1.65V with core i7 processors. It may damage the processor.

• Amount:The amount of RAM you need depends on your requirements. Do you want to use your laptop for gaming? Or do you only surf the web and shop online? If you have high-end needs, you'll need 32GB RAM. For basic needs, 8GB RAM is enough.

• 32 or 64 bit If you're using a 32-bit laptop, you won't be able to upgrade it to 32GB RAM. A 32-bit laptop operating system can only address 4GB of RAM in total. If you want to use 32GB RAM, you must have a 64-bit operating system.

Now, you might think: is my laptop 32 or 64 bit? You can check this in the Control Panel.

• From the Start Menu, go to System in the Control Panel.

• You'll see the operating system here.

• The laptop shows 64-bit Operating System under System type if you have a 64 bit Laptop.

• For a 32 bit laptop, it shows a 32-bit Operating System.

Is my laptop 32 or 64 bit? You now have the answer. You can choose to upgrade your RAM based on this information. Once you have a 32GB RAM stick DDR4 laptop, you'll be able to use it to play games, edit videos, render images, and do everything you want to do. Plus, a 32GB RAM stick DDR4 laptop is also useful for office workers who need to open multiple programs for their everyday tasks.