Apple has started raising prices on some Macs and iPads, with reports pointing to rising RAM and SSD costs as one of the main reasons. This is not just an Apple problem. Memory and storage prices affect the whole computer industry, including Windows laptops, because everyone is buying from the same global supply chain. When RAM and SSDs become more expensive, manufacturers have a few choices: raise prices, reduce specs, use cheaper parts, or quietly make the base model worse and hope nobody notices.
Guess which option shows up a lot? We have already seen the baseline shift in Windows laptops. A few years ago, 8GB of RAM was still common in the cheapest machines. It was decent enough for basic users who only used the laptop for email and browsing. By 2025, many entry-level laptops have moved to 16GB of RAM, which sounds like progress, except 16GB is really the baseline for Windows 11, a modern browser with a dozen of tabs, antivirus, OneDrive, Teams, printer software, cloud sync tools, and ten forgotten background apps.
Laptop Specs Matter
And now we are back to new entry-level Windows 11 laptops with 4GB of RAM. Technically, Microsoft lists 4GB as the minimum for Windows 11, but “minimum” does not mean pleasant and fast. It means Windows can boot, load a few programs and slow down to crawling speed. A 4GB Windows 11 laptop may be fine for a very limited task, like a kiosk, a single browser tab, or making its owner question every decision that led to the purchase. For normal use, it is barely enough.
The CPU matters too. Intel N-series and AMD Athlon processors are designed for low-cost, low-power laptops. They are not automatically terrible, but they are not meant for multitasking, business workloads, photo editing, or doing anything except consuming content online. Pair one of these chips with 4GB of RAM and slow storage, and the laptop will struggle even harder. Pair it with 8GB or 16GB and a proper SSD, and it can be usable for light work. The exact combination matters.
Storage is another trap. Many cheap laptops advertise “128GB storage” – same amount of hard drive space that many laptops had back in 2009! Once Windows installs a few updates and you load apps like Microsoft 365, all that storage is typically gone. Cheap laptops also use MMC storage, same technology as USB sticks and SD cards. Slow storage makes the whole computer feel sluggish, especially when Windows starts using the drive as emergency memory because the laptop has run out of RAM. That is when a cheap laptop starts to test you patience.
How It Will Affect You
This is where the Apple price rise matters for everyone else, including Windows laptop makers. Some have increased their prices. Some kept the same price but reduced the value. Some sell new laptops with specs that were already marginal years ago. The sticker price may look attractive, but if the laptop is slow from day one, cannot be upgraded, and becomes unpleasant to use since the day one. You always get what you pay for.
For most people buying a Windows laptop in 2026, we would treat 8GB of RAM as the bare minimum and 16GB as the sensible choice. If the RAM is soldered and cannot be upgraded, be more careful. A laptop with 8GB soldered RAM might be fine for light use today, but it gives you no room to grow. For business, study, remote work, photo work, or anything involving Microsoft Teams, 16GB is the safer starting point. For storage, 256GB is the minimum we would tolerate for basic use, while 512GB is much more comfortable.
Before buying a cheap new laptop, check the RAM, storage type, CPU, screen, and whether the RAM or SSD can be upgraded later. If the listing proudly says 4GB RAM in 2026, walk away before you regret buying it. If the laptop has 8GB RAM, check whether it is upgradeable. If it has 16GB RAM and a proper SSD, now we are at least having an adult conversation.
Better Options
This also makes refurbished business-grade laptops more attractive again. A good-quality used Dell Latitude, Lenovo ThinkPad, HP EliteBook or similar machine with a proper SSD and enough RAM can be a much better buy than a brand-new budget laptop with weak specs. Business laptops are usually built better, often have better keyboards, better cooling, better ports, and in some cases more repairable parts.
If you already have a slow laptop, it may not need replacing. Some laptops can be upgraded with more RAM or a faster SSD, and the difference can be dramatic. Others are stuck with soldered RAM or poor-quality storage, and upgrading them may not be worth the money. The trick is knowing which one you have before spending more.
At Fix My Laptop, we can check whether your current laptop is worth upgrading, help you avoid the worst new-laptop traps, or set up a better-quality refurbished machine that will not make you question your sanity. Computers do not need to be expensive, but they do need to be chosen properly. There is a difference, despite what sales flyers tell you.
