32GB is worth it for Docker and WSL2.

Yes, it helps a lot if you’re actually running multiple containers or WSL instances at the same time.

The thing about containers and WSL is they don’t just sit there—each one reserves a chunk of memory. WSL2 especially will eat RAM like candy if you’re doing any real work in it (npm builds, databases, whatever). Docker desktop also has overhead per container. With 16GB, you’re constantly fighting the swap file or killing containers to free up space. 32GB gives you breathing room.

That said, if you’re only running one or two containers and not doing heavy builds, 16GB is still fine. 32GB is for when you have four or five services, a database, plus WSL running something like VS Code. At that point the extra RAM isn’t nice-to-have—it’s the difference between work getting done and watching your laptop struggle.

Future you will thank you if you’re a heavy user.