SSD, not RAM, is what speeds up load times.

Yes, but probably not how you think. If you already have an SSD, upgrading from 8GB to 16GB won’t noticeably reduce load times. If you’re still on a hard drive, the upgrade you need is an SSD, not more RAM.

Load times are about read speed. An SSD reads data at 500 MB/s or faster; a hard drive struggles at 150 MB/s. RAM helps load times only if your computer runs out of memory and starts using the slower page file on your drive. If you have enough RAM to avoid swapping (8GB is usually fine for light use), adding more doesn’t speed up loading.

If you’re building or upgrading a budget PC, spend on the SSD first. RAM helps with multitasking and heavy apps, but it’s not a shortcut to faster boot times or game loads.

Don’t buy RAM hoping for a snappier boot — buy an SSD.