Who is 8GB still enough for?
This page covers 8GB desktop kits only: single 8GB sticks and pairs of 4GB sticks. To compare every capacity at once, start at our RAM prices overview.
For a new PC, 8GB is now below the usual starting point. Newegg's 2026 guide begins its tiers at 16GB, which it links to browsing, office work, school work and most 1080p gaming. That leaves 8GB a few clear jobs: a second stick for an older desktop that already has one 8GB module, a replacement for a stick that failed, or a basic office or home server box that runs a handful of programs.
Building a gaming PC? Skip this size. A game, a browser and a chat app open side by side leave very little headroom in 8GB.
Is a 2x8GB kit an 8GB kit?
No. Two 8GB sticks add up to 16GB, so those kits sit on our 16GB RAM prices page. For most desktops that pair is also the better buy: mainstream boards are dual channel, and two matched modules give the processor its full memory bandwidth, where one stick runs in single channel.
Compare both before you decide. The cheapest 16GB DDR5 desktop kit costs $237.00 this week, and the cheapest 8GB DDR5 kit $129.99. A single 8GB stick does make sense when it joins one you already own, giving you 16GB in dual channel. Match the type and rated speed of the old stick.
Does DDR4 or DDR5 cost less at 8GB?
It has not always been DDR4. Samsung, SK hynix and Micron all announced DDR4 end of life in 2025 to move production to DDR5, LPDDR5 and HBM. In July 2025, TrendForce reported that 8GB PC DDR4 modules had become more expensive than 8GB DDR5 modules, a rare price inversion in the module market.
Our own numbers show where US retail stands. Out of 79 8GB desktop kits in this week's check, the cheapest DDR4 kit costs $39.99 and the cheapest DDR5 kit $129.99. Change in the median price per GB over the last 12 weeks: not measured yet.
Price does not pick the type for you, though. Your motherboard does. If it takes DDR4, our DDR4 RAM prices list every capacity; newer AM5 and Intel Core Ultra boards need DDR5 RAM.
Two sticks bought separately were never tested as a pair. Match the type and speed of the module you have, or buy one new 16GB kit and retire the old stick.