Don't buy a laptop with soldered RAM if you want it to last 5 years

No.

Five years is a long time in software. The apps you use today will demand more memory tomorrow—browsers alone are memory hogs that only get hungrier. With soldered RAM, you’re stuck with whatever you bought. No swapping sticks, no adding more.

Manufacturers love soldered RAM because it’s cheaper for them and makes laptops thinner. But it also turns your machine into e-waste the second you run out of memory. If you’re spending good money on a laptop you plan to keep half a decade, get one with upgradeable RAM slots. Even if you think 16GB is plenty now, you might not in year four.

The exception? If you’re buying a Mac, you have no choice—Apple solders everything. In that case, over-spec the RAM at purchase. But for Windows or Linux laptops, there are plenty of models with accessible RAM slots. Find one.

Future you will thank you for the upgrade flexibility.