12GB beats 4GB every time.

Yes, do it. Going from 4GB to 12GB is a massive jump for multitasking. You’ll actually be able to have a browser with 10 tabs open without the laptop begging for mercy.

The only catch is that the 8GB stick will run in single-channel mode most of the time, since the soldered 4GB is a different size. That means you lose a tiny bit of memory bandwidth, but honestly? For everyday tasks like web browsing, Office, and streaming, you won’t notice the difference between dual-channel and single-channel. What you will notice is not running out of RAM.

The cost is usually $15–25 for a decent 8GB DDR4 stick. That’s the best performance-per-dollar upgrade you can make on a budget laptop. If you have a free slot, you should fill it.

Future You will thank you when you’re not tab-bouncing.