SSD first, RAM second.

Replace the HDD with an SSD. It’s the single biggest speed upgrade you can make to an old computer.

An SSD turns a 60-second boot into 10 seconds. Apps open instantly. The whole system feels faster because storage is the bottleneck for most everyday tasks — loading files, launching programs, swapping data. 8GB of RAM is fine for browsing, Office, and light multitasking. You’ll only feel the squeeze if you’re editing video, running VMs, or keeping 50 Chrome tabs open.

Upgrading RAM from 8GB to 16GB helps if you’re actually running out of memory. But an HDD is holding your system back regardless. Do the SSD swap first. If you still have slowdowns after that, then consider more RAM.

The SSD will make your computer feel new. The RAM upgrade is just a tune-up.