Should You Upgrade RAM or SSD First?
Direct Answer
Upgrade to an SSD first. If you're still using a traditional hard drive, an SSD will provide a much more noticeable performance improvement than adding RAM. Only upgrade RAM first if you already have an SSD and are experiencing memory-related slowdowns.
Why SSD Comes First
An SSD upgrade delivers immediate, dramatic improvements that you'll notice every single time you use your computer. Here's why it should be your priority:
Universal Performance Boost
An SSD makes everything faster: booting up, opening applications, loading files, and general system responsiveness. RAM only helps with specific scenarios like multitasking or working with large files.
More Noticeable Impact
The difference between an HDD and SSD is dramatic — boot times drop from minutes to seconds, and applications that took 15 seconds to open now launch instantly. RAM upgrades are more subtle unless you're running out of memory.
Solves the Most Common Bottleneck
In most older computers, the hard drive is the primary bottleneck, not RAM. If your computer feels slow overall, the HDD is almost always the culprit.
Quick Comparison
| Factor | SSD Upgrade | RAM Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Impact on boot time | Dramatic improvement | Minimal to none |
| Application loading | Much faster | No change |
| Multitasking | Improved responsiveness | Better if running out of RAM |
| General responsiveness | Significantly better | Only if RAM-limited |
| Who benefits | Everyone with an HDD | Heavy multitaskers |
When to Upgrade RAM First Instead
There are specific situations where RAM should be your priority:
You Already Have an SSD
If your computer already uses an SSD as the primary drive, then RAM becomes the next logical upgrade if you're experiencing slowdowns.
You Have Less Than 8GB of RAM
If you already have an SSD but only 4GB of RAM, upgrading to 8GB will make a noticeable difference, especially for modern operating systems and web browsers.
You're Experiencing Clear RAM Limitations
If your system monitor shows you're consistently using 90%+ of your RAM and experiencing slowdowns when multitasking, more RAM will help — but only if you already have an SSD.
What About for Gaming?
For pure FPS (Frames Per Second), neither RAM nor SSD is the primary factor—the GPU is. However, lack of adequate RAM (less than 16GB) causes severe stuttering, while an HDD causes long load times.
For a full breakdown of gaming-specific priorities, check out the Gaming PC Upgrade Guide.
Simple Decision Framework
Follow these rules. If you need a more interactive version, try our Complete Upgrade Checklist.
If you have an HDD (traditional hard drive):
→ Upgrade to an SSD first, no matter how much RAM you have.
If you have an SSD and less than 8GB of RAM:
→ Upgrade to 8GB of RAM.
If you have an SSD and 8GB+ of RAM:
→ Only upgrade RAM if you're a heavy multitasker or work with large files. Otherwise, you're good.
Final Recommendation
For the vast majority of users, an SSD upgrade delivers more value than a RAM upgrade. The performance improvement is immediate, dramatic, and benefits every single task you do on your computer.
RAM upgrades are valuable, but they're more specialized. They help with specific scenarios like heavy multitasking or professional work with large files. If you're not sure which you need, start with the SSD.