16GB vs 32GB RAM: 32GB helps only if you're hitting swap

More RAM won’t speed up compiles unless your system is thrashing from memory exhaustion. 16GB is plenty for typical React or Rails apps. 32GB makes a real difference for C++/Rust/Android developers with large codebases, Docker users, or monorepo workers. Check your memory usage during a build — if under 80%, stick with 16GB.