Don't try desoldering RAM without a microscope.

Yes, you need all the tools you listed—but the microscope is non-negotiable. The rest you can fudge a little on.

Hot air station is mandatory. A soldering iron alone won’t cut it for QFN or BGA RAM chips. Flux is cheap and helps heat transfer. Solder paste and stencil are for reballing after removal, not for desoldering itself. If you’re just removing the chip, you don’t need paste or stencil yet.

The microscope is what separates a clean job from a lifted pad disaster. RAM pads are tiny and easy to tear. Without magnification, you’ll miss bridges, cold joints, or leftover solder. A cheap USB microscope works in a pinch, but a stereo microscope with 10x–20x is life-changing.

Also: preheat the board to 100°C or so, or you’ll cook the chip trying to get the solder to flow. Practice on dead boards first.

Buy the microscope before the hot air station if you only have budget for one.