All articles tagged with #ram
HP’s OmniBook 3 16 (16-inch, Snapdragon X) costs around $520 and comes with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, delivering solid day-to-day performance and excellent battery life for the price. Its screen, speakers, and keyboard are merely decent, but the overall value is strong enough that the reviewer would pick it over pricier rivals for budget-conscious buyers.
A new ASUS Googlebook leak shows a 16GB RAM CX9406 with an Intel Core Ultra 5 and a 14-inch touchscreen, listed at CAD 1,915 (~USD 1,390); the listing hints at 32GB/64GB RAM variants and an Ultra 7 option, suggesting a multi-price lineup ahead of a September 15 launch.
Google is running aggressive Pixel 11 Pro trade-ins that can make the phone effectively free through carrier credits, but Pixel 10 Pro owners are passing on the upgrade due to a RAM cut at the entry tier (12GB instead of 16GB) and the removal of a thermometer LED; the notable hardware change is a new modem, while the price benefit comes as credits rather than a true discount, making the upgrade less compelling for many users.
A Lenovo Legion 5 laptop claimed to have 64GB of RAM was sent to Best Buy for a warranty repair and returned with only 32GB. A repair ticket allegedly states the unit “only accepts 32GB RAM,” and a 32GB stick was removed, prompting questions about mislabeling, miscommunication, or potential theft. The seller disputes the RAM configuration and the buyer plans to escalate the issue in person.
PC requirements for The Blood of Dawnwalker show a 16GB RAM baseline across presets, with VRAM needs scaling from 6GB+ at 1080p30 to 8GB+ at 1080p60 and 1440p60, and up to 12GB+ for 4K60 Ultra; a capable CPU/GPU is still required for higher resolutions. The game launches Sept 3, 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, and RAM price spikes and tight supply are noted in context.
A Lenovo Legion 5 purchased from Best Buy with 64 GB of RAM was returned from warranty service with only 32 GB installed. Lenovo’s specs show a 32 GB maximum, though the model has two memory slots, and the 64 GB configuration appears to have come from a third‑party seller (PC Heaven). Geek Squad repair notes reportedly removed a 32 GB module to address instability, prompting questions about how the higher memory configuration was offered and who is responsible for the resulting mismatch; no public comments from Best Buy, Lenovo, or PC Heaven are noted.
A Lenovo Legion 5 laptop allegedly configured with 64GB DDR5 RAM was serviced by Best Buy after warranty. The retailer reportedly charged the full price for the 64GB setup, then removed one 32GB RAM module during service and kept it, claiming the upgrade was incompatible with the system, despite the unit reportedly functioning with 64GB for months. The incident, reported on Reddit, has sparked debate over memory compatibility and retailer practices, with suggestions to escalate the issue with Best Buy.
RAM prices have surged over the past 18 months due to AI-driven demand, with major makers Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron diverting wafers to high-end HBM for AI workloads; consumer RAM like 16GB DDR5-4800 has risen from under $100 to over $400, while 32GB DDR5-6000 has jumped from about $250 to more than $1,200. Analysts warn relief is unlikely until at least 2027–2030 as capacity remains tight and new factories take years to come online; AI data centers are absorbing a large share of global RAM, with little surplus for consumer markets.
Prices are up due to a RAM and storage crunch, but you can still get solid college laptops by prioritizing 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage and choosing a recent Apple silicon or Windows 10/11/12-era machine. Be wary of 8GB RAM on Windows, though it can work on macOS in budget Macs. The guide suggests a range of options: MacBook Neo (budget 8GB/256GB), MacBook Air with M5 (16GB/512GB), Asus Zenbook A14 (16GB/512GB, OLED), Acer Aspire 14 AI (16GB/512GB), HP OmniBook 3 16 (Snapdragon X), Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 refurb (16GB/512GB), Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, and Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514. If you can stretch, the Air remains the best balance of build quality and performance for four years, with refurbished/models often offering strong value; plan for continued price pressure into next year and consider refurbished or newer models to future-proof your purchase.
Analyst Jeff Pu says the base iPhone 18 will ship with 12GB RAM—up from 8GB in the iPhone 17—putting it on par with the iPhone 17 Pro models, though Ming-Chi Kuo has reported 9GB RAM for both the iPhone 18 and 18e; both models are expected to use the A20 chip, and Pu also predicts a narrower Dynamic Island across the lineup for the March 2027 release window.
Microsoft’s Windows 11 KB5101684 update adds reliability and performance improvements across versions 24H2/25H2/26H1. It enhances Explorer-related tasks (Jump Lists, recent files), file sharing, and Task View, plus lock/login screen stability and startup responsiveness for Start Menu/Taskbar. The post-update cleanup is lighter, making systems feel faster immediately after install. While benefits are claimed for all RAM levels, devices with 8GB RAM or less should notice the biggest gains in responsiveness.
Taiwan’s United Daily News reports Microsoft boosted Windows license fees for OEMs by about 7–10%, a sharper rise than the typical single-digit increases, a move that could be passed to consumers via higher PC prices amid ongoing RAM shortages. Consumer Windows licenses stay at $99 for Home and $199 for Pro, and Microsoft did not comment on the report.
Engadget's review finds the Dell XPS 13 (2026) is a near‑MacBook Neo competitor praised for its light build, long battery life, and a 120Hz display, but hampered by an 8GB RAM base configuration, slower CPU, and a dated mechanical trackpad; for most buyers the smarter move is to pay extra for 16GB RAM to get a usable Windows 11 experience and future‑proofing, otherwise it's a decent sub‑$1k option with caveats.
Tests show Windows 11's built-in Weather app can consume more than 1 GB of RAM — about 1.2 GB when displaying a forecast and up to 1.5–1.6 GB during basic actions — making its memory footprint roughly five times larger than macOS's Weather (under 250 MB). On an 8 GB PC, that can take a sizable share of memory and impact performance.
Windows 11's built-in Weather app reportedly uses up to 1.6GB of RAM on 8GB systems (about 1GB idle) and is ad-supported, which can slow down lower-memory PCs. By contrast, macOS Weather stays under 250MB. The memory footprint contradicts promises of efficiency for 8GB RAM machines, leading some users to disable the Weather app in the background to preserve performance.