SSD vs RAM upgrade: SSD first for the biggest speed boost

Swapping an HDD for an SSD makes a much bigger difference than doubling RAM. Your laptop feels slow because the hard drive is the bottleneck, not the memory—8GB is still fine for browsing, Office, and streaming. A 500GB SSD costs about the same as a 16GB RAM kit but transforms the machine instantly. Only prioritize RAM first if your laptop has soldered memory and you know you need more for specific heavy work.