How do I know if I need 32GB of RAM?

Open Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) and watch memory usage during your hardest task. If you’re consistently above 80-90% usage with high page file activity or memory pressure in the red, 32GB will help. If you’re at 60-70%, you won’t see much difference. For most people—coding, browsing, office work, light creative work—16GB is still fine.