RAM (working memory) is the second most common reason a computer slows down, right after the drive. But just as often people blame the RAM when something else is actually wrong. Let’s separate the two.
How much RAM you actually need in 2026
- 4GB: browsing and Office only. Windows 11 barely copes.
- 8GB: fine for most people, but Chrome with 30 tabs will eat it.
- 16GB: comfortable for everything, including lighter games and juggling Office.
- 32GB: professional work (video editing, 3D, virtualisation).
- 64GB+: rare, only for specific professional software.
How to tell the RAM is simply NOT ENOUGH (rather than faulty)
- Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Performance tab → Memory
- Look at “In use” and “Available”
- If “In use” sits close to the maximum all the time (say 7.5GB out of 8GB) → you need more RAM
- If “Available” shows 2-3GB and the machine still crawls, the problem is elsewhere (most likely the drive)
Trick: open everything you normally use at the same time and watch it. If the system starts stumbling once you pass a certain number of programs, RAM is the bottleneck.
How to tell the RAM is FAULTY
A faulty module behaves very differently:
- Programs crash at random — Excel closes on its own, Chrome falls over, for no reason at all
- Blue screen (BSOD) — with messages like “MEMORY_MANAGEMENT” or “PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA”
- The computer shuts down by itself during a game — symptoms look a lot like overheating, but it isn’t overheating
- Corrupted files — files that opened yesterday won’t open today, photos come out with odd stripes across them
Testing for a RAM fault (free)
Windows has a built-in test, and there is a tougher one as well:
- Windows Memory Diagnostic: Win+R → “mdsched.exe” → “Restart now and check”. It takes 15–30 minutes and shows the result after the restart.
- MemTest86: tougher. Download it, make a bootable USB stick and let it run overnight. If it shows red lines, the module needs replacing.
If you have more than one module, test them one at a time
Often only one module is bad:
- Open the case (or the laptop, if you know your way around it) and take one module out
- Try running the computer with just the other module in — does it work fine?
- If it is, swap them over and test the other one on its own
- The faulty one is the module that causes crashes when it’s in the machine alone
What to BUY if you need more
Checking what your slots take:
- DDR4 (most common between 2018 and 2023)
- DDR5 (from 2022 onwards, faster and pricier)
- Speed (2666MHz, 3200MHz, 5200MHz…) — a laptop usually has two or three options, a desktop gives you more room
Specific suggestions:
- Kingston Fury Beast 16GB DDR4-3200 — desktop, around 8,000 RSD
- Crucial 16GB DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM — laptop, around 8,500 RSD
- G.Skill Trident 32GB DDR5-5600 — newer desktop, around 18,000 RSD
Rule of thumb: always fit them in pairs (2×8GB beats 1×16GB) — dual-channel runs twice as fast.
What we do
- RAM diagnostics + MemTest: 500 RSD (free if you buy the new memory from us)
- Fitting new RAM: 500 RSD labour plus the price of the module
- Working out how much you actually need: free consultation
If it’s a laptop, we send a courier. For a desktop you can bring it in yourself or we’ll collect it. The diagnosis is free.