Gaming laptops with 8GB RAM are threatening to return to the shelves as the supply chain crisis wears on, but now Microsoft's own documentation is seemingly stepping away from high-memory configurations. The brand has removed its 32GB RAM recommendation for high-end PC gamers looking to run the most demanding games, deleting posts that championed the upgrade for the best gaming laptops. The URL previously pointing to a guide to optimizing your setup (Wayback Machine) now simply lands on the help desk.
Originally spotted by Windows Latest, the quiet retcon comes after Microsoft announced plans to drop a Surface Laptop with just 8GB RAM earlier this year. However, it also lines up with an increase in older gaming laptops appearing at retailers like Newegg and Best Buy with only 8GB to their name.
Of course, that Surface isn't designed to handle your Steam library but it is indicative of a wider shift towards low-memory releases in both the productivity and gaming space. The RAM's gone, but the demand your games place on your system certainly hasn't.
At the time of writing, Best Buy has over 40 gaming laptops listed with just 8GB RAM under the hood, with more mainstream brands running from $745 to $1,249.99. If you're looking to play modern titles, that's going to be money down the drain.
PC gaming has ballooned in cost over the last year, with RAM shortages and inflated SSD prices increasing rates for both manufacturers and consumers. It's why last year's gaming laptops can offer better value for money, though even those older rigs are seeing their own upcharges these days. To keep those costs lower, brands are wheeling out 8GB RAM configurations in lower end models, think the HP Victus, MSI Thin A15, and Asus TUF range.
The problem is Windows chomps through that memory by itself, leaving even less for your games to work with. Most releases from the past few years require at least 16GB to run smoothly, and in some cases, at all.
You can sacrifice your GPU, play on lower settings with fewer bells and whistles. You can drop down a CPU generation. You can even skrimp around a 512GB SSD. But, unfortunately in the current landscape, RAM isn't a sacrifice worth making. If you really want the latest releases to look their best, that 32GB is still necessary for certain scenarios.
While it's still considered a luxury, and far from a necessity for casual play, anyone running larger, more complex strategy titles or burning through a library of mods, will benefit by moving beyond 16GB. While I generally recommend most players opt for this middle ground, you'll find most RTX 5070 Ti-and up machines offering additional memory for better future-proofing.
Microsoft isn't going hell for leather here, it's far from recommending 8GB for your new rig. Its quiet removal of that 32GB power-mark, though, is a little shifty. After all, its original documentation was correct - 32GB is the sweet spot for a future-proofed system in 2026, whether it be laptop or desktop. As that memory supply is squeezed, though, it simply doesn't want you to know that.
So what does it mean for your next gaming laptop?
In short, big spenders should still be aiming for 32GB RAM, despite Microsoft's awkward silence on the matter. On the other end of the spectrum, while it's unlikely mainstream brands will launch 8GB RAM gaming laptops en masse next year, it's worth taking a cautionary approach when hunting cheap gaming laptop deals.
There are four-figure machines out there that appear to be solid deals when on sale but skimp out on your memory, always double check that you're getting at least 16GB. If you're making sacrifices to keep that price tag low, opt instead for IPS displays, less storage, or even a downshift on your GPU. After all, running something in 1080p with reduced textures is always better than not being able to run it at all.
- See all 16GB gaming laptop deals at Best Buy
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