SSD vs RAM upgrade: SSD first, every time

Swapping your boot drive from an HDD to an SSD is the single biggest performance improvement for an old computer — boot times drop from minutes to seconds and apps open instantly. More RAM only helps if you’re actually running out, which you can check in Task Manager or Activity Monitor. If you have to choose, get the SSD; you’ll notice it every day, and RAM can wait until your system struggles with too many tabs open.