32GB RAM is worth it for multiple VMs

Yes. If you’re running more than two VMs at once, 32GB is the difference between usable and painful.

Each VM needs at least 2–4GB just to boot comfortably, and that’s before you do anything inside them. A host OS eats another 4–6GB. So four VMs at 4GB each plus overhead puts you at 22GB minimum — right at the edge of 16GB, and that’s assuming nothing else is running.

With 32GB, you’ve got breathing room. You can keep a few VMs alive, switch between them, run Docker, and still have enough memory left for your browser and Slack without thrashing the swap file.

I wouldn’t go below 32GB if you regularly have more than two VMs running. 16GB works for light lab work with one or two guests, but the moment you need three or four, you’ll feel the difference.

Your VMs will thank you.