Cheapest 16GB RAM ranked by price per GB

16GB RAM: the standard size for a modern PC or laptop

16GB is the most-bought memory size in the UK and the minimum we would put in a new Windows PC or laptop in 2026. The 1,105 16GB kits above are ranked by real price per gigabyte, from £1.07/GB to £91.03/GB with a median of £7.26/GB; the cheapest kit right now is Lafeier 16GB PC3-8500R DDR3 1066Mhz CL7 240Pin ECC REG Memory RAM 1.5V… at £17.11.

2x8GB or 1x16GB?

Both add up to 16GB, and both appear on this page. A 2x8GB kit runs in dual channel and is 10 to 20 percent faster in games and memory-bound work, so for a desktop with free slots it is the better buy. A single 16GB stick is the right choice when you have one slot (many laptops and mini PCs) or when you plan to add a second 16GB later for 32GB. The Capacity column shows the kit layout, and the price per GB is calculated on the full 16GB either way.

• Gaming desktop: 2x8GB DDR4-3200 CL16 on AM4 or older Intel; 2x8GB DDR5-5600 or 6000 on AM5 or current Intel, though 2x16GB for 32GB is now the more common gaming buy.
• Laptop upgrade: a 16GB SO-DIMM matching the fitted generation and speed, or a 2x8GB SO-DIMM kit if both slots are free.
• Older PC: 2x8GB DDR3-1600 is the practical maximum for many boards of that era and transforms a Core i5 from 2012.
• iMac 2017 to 2020: 2x8GB DDR4 SO-DIMM in the spare slots takes an 8GB machine to 24GB; see the Mac page.

Is 16GB enough in 2026?

For office work, browsing, streaming and the majority of games, yes. Where 16GB starts to pinch is with several current AAA titles that recommend 32GB, video editing, running virtual machines, or keeping a hundred browser tabs alive next to Photoshop. If the price per GB of a 32GB kit on that page is close to the 16GB price here, and it usually is, the larger kit is the better long-term buy for a new build. For an upgrade to an existing machine, 16GB total is the sensible target and the cheapest way to get there is to add to what is already fitted.

Brand pages if you want a specific range: Corsair, Crucial, Kingston, G.Skill, TeamGroup. Sort by £/GB, check the rating, and open the product page for the price history before you buy; a 16GB kit that has come down 20 percent from a spike may still be above its usual price for the year.