Laptops with 16 GB RAM

Windows 11, a modern browser with lots of tabs, a video call and Office together quickly use more than 8 GB. If there isn't enough RAM, the system swaps to the SSD – and the laptop becomes noticeably slower. With 16 GB you have headroom for multitasking, photo editing and many games. AI features that run directly on the device also increasingly require 16 GB.

Many thin notebooks have the RAM soldered directly onto the mainboard (LPDDR4x/LPDDR5). That saves space and energy, but rules out upgrading later. On devices with SO-DIMM slots (DDR4/DDR5), you can expand to 32 GB later. If you buy a model with soldered memory, choose the size you'll need in the long run straight away.

Also look out for dual-channel operation: two 8 GB modules are faster than a single 16 GB module when using integrated graphics.

8 GB is only enough for very basic tasks or Chromebooks. 32 GB is worth it for video editing, large photo libraries, software development with containers, virtual machines or local AI models. For the average user, 16 GB is the best compromise between price and future-proofing.

Plenty of RAM only helps if the rest is right. A laptop with 16 GB RAM but a very weak entry-level processor (such as an Intel N95 or N100) remains slow with demanding tasks. Ideally, pair 16 GB with a Core 5/i5, Core Ultra 5 or Ryzen 5 and an NVMe SSD of 512 GB or more. That way the device is well equipped for studying, working from home and hobby photo editing.

This page shows new devices only. Used business laptops with 16 GB RAM can be found on our page about refurbished business laptops – the specs there are often generous, but the processor is older.