Can You Use Photoshop With 8GB RAM?

Photoshop is one-of-a-kind graphics and creative design software. You can use it to manipulate digital art or create creative art based on your creativity. With so many functions available, the software is resource heavy and only functions to its fullest potential when installed on a powerful computer. However, how much RAM is enough for Photoshop? Is 8GB sufficient?

8GB ram is more than enough to run and maintain Photoshop software without experiencing any glitching or experiencing a malfunction. It’s also enough to multitask and open different software while working on Photoshop.

That’s not all, as you still need to know how much RAM Photoshop uses, whether RAM speed matters to Photoshop and how to increase RAM allocation for Photoshop, which you will learn if you read on.

Is 8GB RAM Enough for Photoshop?

Photoshop is resource-heavy, meaning it utilizes much of your computer’s RAM. It’s designed this way, given the functions it carries out. If you want to tap into the software’s full potential, then you need an equally powerful computer. An 8GB RAM computer is more than enough to run Photoshop without experiencing lag time or any malfunction.

With 8GB RAM, you’re guaranteed Photoshop will perform at its highest potential while still remaining with enough resources to run other apps and perform other tasks simultaneously. It also means you’ll utilize all Photoshop’s features and load the plug-ins without worrying about the software crashing. Additionally, the RAM allows you to perform complex tasks with the software, allowing you to deploy the full capabilities of Photoshop.

Here’s what you can do with Photoshop on an 8GB RAM:

  • Work on complex projects like webpages and landing pages
  • Create media-rich content
  • Edit videos

Remember that the operating system (OS) utilizes around 2GB of RAM, which means you’re left with 6GB to divide between other apps and Photoshop.

How Much RAM does Photoshop Use?

Photoshop will use 70% of the RAM by default, leaving you with 30% to allocate to other apps and operations. It could require even more, especially when working on complex projects, such as adding videos and photos to a project.

Looking at these figures shows why having a huge RAM is critical to any Photoshop project. Besides working well with Photoshop, you can still manage to work on other software that comes in handy with creative designing alongside Photoshop.

Does RAM Speed Matter to Photoshop?

Speed is crucial when working with Photoshop as it allows you to work on the designs and complete the projects on time. There’s also the issue of rendering, which takes up much resources and time to accomplish.

With a powerful RAM, you can work on different projects, including resource-intensive ones, and not be bothered by the rendering speed or load-up time. Attempting to run Photoshop on a weaker RAM would result in other applications failing or Photoshop crashing mid-work. It also increases the workload and time to work on media-rich projects, which might cost you in the long run.

When using too much RAM, the computer is forced to utilize its hard disc, which takes time to access and transfer information. In the end, you’re left with a slower computer that ends up frustrating and taking much of your time.

Is it Possible to Upgrade your RAM?

Computers come equipped with RAM sticks which you can remove and replace. If you have a 4GB RAM computer, there are chances it has two RAM sticks of 2GB. Replacing these with a pair of 4GB RAM sticks could help. You can also upgrade the 8GB RAM to 16GB by replacing the sticks, allowing you more memory space to run different software.

How to Increase RAM Allocation for Photoshop

If for some reason, you want Photoshop to access more RAM space, there’s a way to increase this, but you’ll have to know your way around the software. This is how you do it:

  1. Open Photoshop
  2. Navigate to Edit and choose Preference
  3. Scroll down to Performance and locate Memory Usage
  4. Under ‘Let Photoshop Use, ’ increase the value in increments of 5%
  5. Restart Photoshop for settings to reflect

Note: Don’t go above 85%, as doing so will deprive other essential system applications of enough memory to run.  

Outro

Photoshop is an impressive media editing software that requires a lot of resources, especially computer memory, to function properly. An 8GB RAM is more than enough for the software to function at its full capacity without experiencing any lags or crashing. The software uses 70% of the RAM, and you can increase the memory allocation if that’s not enough. You can also upgrade the RAM by replacing the existing sticks with new ones.

For those seeking a graphic design software that uses less RAM, consider Placeit.net because it’s web-based so it uses very little device resources.