If you’re in the market for a new device such as a MacBook or iPhone you might have heard people comparing RAM when discussing the features of a particular piece of tech.
Computer memory or random access memory (RAM) is your system’s short-term data storage. Essentially RAM is what makes your device able to carry out all sorts of functions including moving a cursor on the screen or powering on and off. RAM doesn’t have a stored memory in the same way a hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD) can store data or information such as documents and games.
The most basic way to think about how much RAM you’ll need is to consider how many functions you’ll need your device to carry out at once and how complex (and therefore demanding on RAM) these processes are. An important feature to consider is that the amount of demand we have on our technology has increased over time. This is why GB of RAM available has also increased over time. For reference the first MacBook had 128 KB RAM, (1GB = 1000000KB) whilst the latest Macbook Air comes with 8GB of RAM as standard.
If you are trying to work out how much RAM is right for you, take a look at our user guide below to work out what type of tech user you are and see the minimum amount of RAM we recommend.
Casual User
Internet browsing, emails, listening to music, or watching videos – we recommend at least 8GB.
Intermediate User
Internet browsing, emails, Word Processing, spreadsheets, running simple graphics programs, flash games, music, videos or multitasking. We recommend at least 16G.
Professional User / Gamer / Graphic Designer
High performance gaming, multimedia editing, high-definition video, graphic design / 3D modelling, intensive multitasking. We recommend least 32GB.
When buying a device, regardless of what type of user you are, we always recommend getting as much RAM as you can for your money – providing you aren’t compromising on other areas that are really important to you. This is because as you do more on your device and have more data stored on it, this will start to slow things down and your RAM will need to work harder than it previously needed to. This is often the point where people feel they need a new device as their current one is no longer able to keep up with the everyday functions they wish to carry out.
If you are looking for a more affordable way to upgrade your tech take a look at refurbished devices available from The iOutlet. If you have any questions about what device is suitable for you please get in touch with our team, they would be happy to assist you.
