How Much RAM Do I Need for Continuous Usage of VMware, Android Studio, Genymotion, and Visual Studio 2017?

I was in a similar situation where I needed to run multiple applications simultaneously, specifically VMware, Android Studio, Genymotion, and Visual Studio 2017, along with a few multimedia applications. Exploring this need, I found that 32GB DDR4 RAM on an i5 5th gen with a good graphics card and an SSD would provide a smooth user experience, albeit at a higher cost.

Calculating RAM Requirements

Lets break this down:

VMware: The amount of RAM needed for VMware depends on the amount allocated to the virtual machine. Typically, 2GB of RAM is sufficient for most virtual machines. In some cases, you may need 4GB or more. Android Studio: This development environment requires around 2-4GB of RAM. Genymotion: This Android virtualization software also consumes approximately 2GB of RAM. Visual Studio 2017: This development environment needs around 2-4GB of RAM.

To run all these applications simultaneously, you will need at least 20GB of RAM. A recommendation of 24GB is made to ensure a lag-free experience.

Previous Experience

Previously, I attempted a similar setup with Genymotion running on a 16GB RAM PC equipped with a 1TB hard disk. However, the system frequently swapped pages to the hard disk, leading to lag and performance issues. Opening Android Studio or switching between applications was a time-consuming process because of the constant disk swapping.

Based on this experience, it is highly recommended to have at least 32GB of RAM. This recommendation is especially crucial if you plan to use Genymotion regularly, as a good graphics card with sufficient graphics RAM will significantly improve performance.

Rationale Behind the Recommendation

While RAM is a critical factor, it is not the only hardware requirement for running these applications. You will also need a decent graphics card and a powerful processor. To run all these applications simultaneously, at least 16-32GB of RAM is required, with 32GB being the most recommended to avoid lagging or performance drops.

Choosing the right hardware ensures a seamless and efficient workflow, making your development and testing processes more productive.