I was wondering if 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD is fast enough?

[SpaceGhost92]

I plan on getting a Dell XPS 13 i5 with a 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD, but I want to be sure it is enough for a student. I am not running anything stronger than stuff like Microsoft Word, Spotify, multiple tabs running chrome, at the same time etc. The strongest thing I would run would be something like photoshop or maybe stuff like watching movies.

I have a macbook pro that I use now which I will have to sell to pay for my classes in college that runs on 4GB Ram and 128GB SSD and it seems to run completely fine with multiple tabs and programs open. I guess that kind of answers my question, but I wanted to make sure it isn't any different on a laptop that runs a Windows OS.

 

[TheNewGeek420]

I use the Dell XPS 13 as a student myself and I have 128GB SSD and 4GB Ram, and it's worked well for me. I haven't really watched movies or done photoshop but I'd say you shouldn't have ti worry. I encourage you to buy the XPS 13, you wont regret it.

 

[blazorthon]

Depending on features and settings used, Photoshop may complain about 4GB of RAM, but otherwise I see no issues. So no, whether is a Macbook or a Windows laptop, a 128GB SSD and 4GB of RAM shouldn't be an issue for most students. Just be careful about filling up that SSD, 128GB isn't a whole lot these days if you aren't a little careful about storing media files or installing too many programs.

 

[Enthusiast Builder]

There is not enough info here - what model is your MacBook Pro - what processor? That said, reasonably sure you should be fine.

The CPU will drive how fast the machine can chew through tasks. The Dell XPS 13 has a mobile version of an i5 - not a slouch, but not a beast either. Some of the MacBook Pros have stronger processors.

Both have SSDs, and 4 gigs of RAM. The SSD really just speeds up the access times for apps and the OS - Windows should boot roughly as fast as your MacBook pro because both have a fast SSD. And your machine ability to multitask (multiple tabs up without slowing down) should be about the same as both have 4 gigs of RAM.

But as to whether the machine will feel as snappy, that depends on the processor, and we don't know which processor you had in the MacBook.

Like I said though, think you should be fine.

 

[Enthusiast Builder]

I imagine your experience with Photoshop will be a little slow, especially if you're editing a lot of pictures at once. Its a memory intensive program.

 

[geofelt]

Since your usage pattern has no problems with 4gb, I see no difference.
But... ram is cheap so it should be easy to add ram if your os is 64 bit.

My usual laptop plan is to buy one with minimal ram and hard drive.
It is cheaper to add ram and change to a ssd yourself.

 

[SpaceGhost92]

There is not enough info here - what model is your MacBook Pro - what processor? That said, reasonably sure you should be fine.

The CPU will drive how fast the machine can chew through tasks. The Dell XPS 13 has a mobile version of an i5 - not a slouch, but not a beast either. Some of the MacBook Pros have stronger processors.

Both have SSDs, and 4 gigs of RAM. The SSD really just speeds up the access times for apps and the OS - Windows should boot roughly as fast as your MacBook pro because both have a fast SSD. And your machine ability to multitask (multiple tabs up without slowing down) should be about the same as both have 4 gigs of RAM.

But as to whether the machine will feel as snappy, that depends on the processor, and we don't know which processor you had in the MacBook.

Like I said though, think you should be fine.

Sorry for lack of info. My Mac is a early 2013 Pro with Retina. It has 4GB RAM a 128GB SSD and runs on an 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 processor. Hope that helps.

 

[geofelt]

To my mind, the SSD is THE performance item for a laptop.
I have converted some very old laptops into useable machines with a ssd.

 

[Enthusiast Builder]

Your new laptop has a faster processor, same RAM and an SSD - it should be a bit snappier. Not all SSDs are equal, but the differences should not be noticeable.

 

[Jonsam]

4GB ram is fine for normal use but keep in mind that xps 13 ram is soldered permanently. if you can afford it, go for 8GB. Otherwise 4GB ram is fine imo if you dont open too many tabs or photoshop.

 

[almostageek]

I plan on getting a Dell XPS 13 i5 with a 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD, but I want to be sure it is enough for a student. I am not running anything stronger than stuff like Microsoft Word, Spotify, multiple tabs running chrome, at the same time etc. The strongest thing I would run would be something like photoshop or maybe stuff like watching movies.

I have a macbook pro that I use now which I will have to sell to pay for my classes in college that runs on 4GB Ram and 128GB SSD and it seems to run completely fine with multiple tabs and programs open. I guess that kind of answers my question, but I wanted to make sure it isn't any different on a laptop that runs a Windows OS.

4GB RAM is enough if you don't do any hardcore gaming. More RAM just means better multitasking, but you can still live well with only 2GB on WIndows 8.1/8/10. 128GB SSD may be a fairly significant lack though, but if you can afford an external hard drive, that should be no longer a problem.