RAM is the computer's working memory, the second fastest storage on the computer, after CPU cache. RAM is used as working memory because the computer can read and write to it much faster than an SSD or HDD. The computer uses RAM to work with files it is working at in a specific moment and can't permanently save to RAM because it is volatile. RAM operates at speeds of around 10 GB/second. The average user in 2018 shouldn't need more than 8GB of RAM for browsing and gaming, but higher level video editing can require more than 64GB.