The company I worked for ran into an issue with machines being underpowered and if, as you mention, this is a work machine, then put a billable rate behind every interaction where your machine grinds to a halt. Frankly, a 4-12 second delay can translate into 20 poorly focused minutes of work, or a five minute break where you walk away or get absorbed in something else. It has been my experience that becoming distracted or waylaid by a machine squanders something far more precious than the cost of RAM; it squanders your focus.