Looking for the cheapest way to speed up your laptop in the UK? Upgrading your RAM or SSD is the single most cost-effective performance boost you can make — often for under £20. In this guide, we compare the best budget RAM and SSD upgrades available in the UK right now, with prices starting from just £12 for 8GB DDR4 and £18 for a 256GB SSD.
What You’ll Learn
In this guide, we cover:
- Why Upgrade RAM or SSD?
- Cheapest DDR4 SODIMM RAM (UK Prices)
- Cheapest SSD Upgrades (UK Prices)
- How to Check What Your Laptop Needs
- Where to Buy Cheap RAM & SSD in the UK
- Budget Upgrade Tips
- Our Top Recommendations
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why Upgrade RAM or SSD?
A RAM or SSD upgrade can make an old, sluggish laptop feel brand new. If your laptop takes ages to boot, freezes when you open multiple tabs, or runs out of storage, a simple upgrade is far cheaper than buying a new machine.
Upgrading from 4GB to 8GB RAM typically costs under £15 and eliminates most slowdowns caused by multitasking. Moving from an old hard drive to an SSD (even a budget SATA model) cuts boot times from minutes to seconds.
The best part? Most laptop RAM and SSD upgrades can be done at home in under 15 minutes with just a small screwdriver.
Cheapest DDR4 SODIMM RAM (UK Prices)
| Module | Speed | Price (approx) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8GB DDR4 3200MHz SODIMM | 3200MHz | £12–£18 | Basic upgrade for most laptops |
| 16GB DDR4 3200MHz SODIMM | 3200MHz | £22–£30 | Multitasking, light gaming |
| 32GB DDR4 3200MHz SODIMM (2x16GB) | 3200MHz | £45–£60 | Video editing, heavy workloads |
| 8GB DDR5 4800MHz SODIMM | 4800MHz | £18–£25 | Newer DDR5 laptops |
| 16GB DDR5 5600MHz SODIMM | 5600MHz | £30–£45 | DDR5 performance upgrade |
Our recommendation: For most users on a tight budget, an 8GB DDR4 3200MHz SODIMM is the sweet spot — it costs about the same as a takeaway coffee and delivers a noticeable performance improvement.
Cheapest SSD Upgrades (UK Prices)
| Drive | Type | Price (approx) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 240GB SATA SSD | 2.5″ SATA | £18–£25 | Replacing old HDD on a budget |
| 500GB SATA SSD | 2.5″ SATA | £28–£38 | Main drive with decent capacity |
| 256GB NVMe M.2 SSD | M.2 NVMe | £22–£30 | Budget NVMe for modern laptops |
| 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD | M.2 NVMe | £32–£45 | Best value NVMe |
| 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD | M.2 NVMe | £50–£70 | Plenty of storage + speed |
If your laptop still has a spinning hard drive, replacing it with even the cheapest SATA SSD will be the single biggest speed improvement you can make. Boot times typically drop from 60-90 seconds to under 15 seconds.
How to Check What Your Laptop Needs
Before buying, you need to know two things: what type of RAM your laptop uses (DDR4 or DDR5, SODIMM) and what type of SSD slot it has (2.5″ SATA bay, M.2 NVMe, or both).
The easiest way to check is to use our free Laptop Upgrade Compatibility Checker — just select your brand and model, and we’ll tell you exactly what you need.
Alternatively, you can check your laptop’s manual or look up your specific model on our site. We have upgrade guides for over 4,000 laptop models from Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, Acer, MSI, and more.
Where to Buy Cheap RAM & SSD in the UK
Amazon UK — Widest selection, fast Prime delivery, easy returns. Often the cheapest for branded modules from Kingston, Crucial, Corsair, and Samsung.
Scan.co.uk — UK-based specialist retailer. Competitive prices and excellent customer service. Good for server/workstation memory too.
Mr Memory — Specialise in compatible upgrades. Slightly higher prices but guaranteed compatibility with a specific model guarantee.
eBay UK — Can find deals on used or refurbished modules, but check seller ratings carefully. Avoid unbranded “generic” RAM.
Budget Upgrade Tips
Buy in pairs for dual-channel: Two 8GB sticks running in dual-channel mode is faster than one 16GB stick. If your laptop has two RAM slots, always buy a matched pair.
Don’t overspend on speed: For DDR4, 3200MHz is the sweet spot. Faster modules (3600MHz+) cost more but deliver minimal real-world improvement in laptops.
Consider used/refurbished: RAM and SSDs are extremely durable. A used stick of RAM works identically to a new one, and you can often find 16GB kits for under £20 on eBay.
Check for sales: Amazon Prime Day (July), Black Friday (November), and Boxing Day sales regularly see RAM and SSD prices drop 20-30%.
Our Top Recommendations
Based on our testing and research, here are our top picks:
Kingston ValueRAM 8GB DDR4 3200MHz SODIMM
Reliable, affordable laptop RAM from a trusted brand. Compatible with virtually all DDR4 laptops. Lifetime warranty.
Price: ~£12-15
Check Price on Amazon UKKingston A400 240GB 2.5″ SATA SSD
The go-to budget SSD. 500MB/s read speeds, perfect for replacing an old hard drive. 3-year warranty.
Price: ~£18-22
Check Price on Amazon UKCrucial P3 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD
Excellent budget NVMe drive with 3500MB/s read speeds. Great value for money with Crucial reliability.
Price: ~£32-38
Check Price on Amazon UKCorsair Vengeance 16GB DDR5 4800MHz SODIMM
For newer DDR5 laptops, this Corsair kit offers solid performance at a reasonable price. Intel XMP 3.0 ready.
Price: ~£30-40
Check Price on Amazon UKFrequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest RAM upgrade for a laptop?
The cheapest meaningful upgrade is an 8GB DDR4 3200MHz SODIMM, which costs around £12-15 in the UK. This is enough to double most laptops from 4GB to 8GB or upgrade from 8GB to 16GB (if you have a free slot).
Is it worth upgrading laptop RAM from 8GB to 16GB?
Yes, if you regularly use more than 3-4 browser tabs, work with documents, or do any creative work. The upgrade costs under £20 and eliminates most slowdowns caused by insufficient memory.
What is the cheapest SSD I can buy in the UK?
A 240GB Kingston A400 SATA SSD costs around £18-22 and will transform an old laptop with a hard drive. For an M.2 NVMe SSD, budget options start at around £22 for 256GB.
Should I upgrade RAM or SSD first?
If your laptop has a hard drive (HDD), upgrade to an SSD first — it makes the biggest difference. If you already have an SSD but only 4GB or 8GB of RAM, upgrade the RAM. See our complete guide on whether to upgrade RAM or SSD first.
Can I upgrade any laptop’s RAM?
Not all laptops have upgradeable RAM. Many ultrabooks and MacBooks have soldered memory that cannot be replaced. Check our compatibility checker to see if your laptop supports RAM upgrades.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to spend hundreds to breathe new life into an old laptop. A simple RAM or SSD upgrade — often costing under £30 — can deliver a dramatic performance improvement. Use our free compatibility checker to find exactly what your laptop needs, then browse our recommended products above for the best UK deals.
Find Your Perfect Upgrade
Use our free compatibility checker to find exactly the right RAM and SSD for your device.
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