Who is 8GB of RAM still enough for?
A short list of people, and anyone building a new gaming PC is not on it. Newegg's 2026 guide puts the entry tier at 16GB, which it links to browsing, office and school work and most 1080p gaming. In 2026, 8GB is a size for patching up a machine you already own: replacing a faulty module, filling the empty slot next to an 8GB stick, or giving an older laptop some breathing room.
This page is one part of our RAM prices overview, where every capacity sits side by side. Buying memory for a fresh build? Start at 16GB RAM prices or 32GB RAM prices instead.
The table lists 58 8GB desktop kits from Amazon.co.uk, AWD-IT, Box, CCL, Laptops Direct, Overclockers UK and Scan. The cheapest DDR5 option costs £99.95 and the cheapest DDR4 option £50.95, both including VAT.
One 8GB stick or a 2x4GB kit?
It depends on what is already inside the case. Mainstream desktop boards are dual channel, so two matched modules give the processor its full memory bandwidth. On paper, a 2x4GB kit is therefore the quicker way to reach 8GB on an empty board. The single stick has a different strength: it keeps a slot free, so a second matching 8GB module later takes you to 16GB in dual channel.
If you already own one 8GB stick, add one of the same type and rated speed. If you are starting from scratch with two slots, compare the 2x4GB kits here with a 2x8GB kit on the 16GB page before you decide.
Laptops are a separate market. They take SO-DIMM modules, which are smaller than desktop sticks, and neither type fits the other's slot. This week the cheapest 8GB DDR4 SO-DIMM costs £39.99 and the cheapest DDR5 one £108.99. Our laptop RAM prices cover every size. Check the spec sheet first, because many thin laptops have soldered memory that cannot be upgraded at all.
Is 8GB DDR4 cheaper than 8GB DDR5?
Not by default. Samsung, SK hynix and Micron all announced DDR4 end of life in 2025 to move production to DDR5, LPDDR5 and HBM. By July 2025, TrendForce reported, 8GB PC DDR4 modules had become more expensive than 8GB DDR5 modules, an unusual inversion for an older standard. That finding dates from 2025 and says nothing about UK shop prices today.
For the current picture, use our own figures. Counting desktop sticks and laptop SO-DIMMs together, the cheapest 8GB DDR4 module costs £39.99 and the cheapest 8GB DDR5 module £99.95 this week. Change in the median price per GB of 8GB desktop kits over the last 4 weeks: not measured yet.
Price does not choose the type for you, though. DDR4 and DDR5 have their key notch in a different place, so your motherboard decides which one fits.
Look up the memory type and the number of slots in your motherboard or laptop manual. DDR4 and DDR5, desktop and SO-DIMM: only one combination fits your machine.