Windows 11 8GB RAM PCs gain up to 20% more responsiveness

Microsoft rolled out memory optimizations for Windows 11 on PCs with 8GB of RAM. Windows boss Pavan Davuluri says the operating system is now up to 20 percent more responsive on these memory-constrained machines. The updates ship starting with version 26H2 and build 26300.9818.

Image: Windows Latest

In Microsoft lab tests on an HP OmniBook 3 with a Snapdragon X Plus, heavy multitasking runs finished up to 40 percent faster. The company notes that this test is scenario-specific rather than a standard benchmark. Edge now opens up to 33 percent faster when already running in the background, though most users will see about a 15 percent improvement. Edge also puts inactive tabs to sleep after 15 minutes by default instead of two hours.

Teams now enables Efficiency Mode by default on 8GB systems, launching up to 20 percent faster while lowering meeting camera resolution to preserve audio clarity. Overall, Windows can keep up to 2GB more active data in RAM, which reduces app reloads. Office applications save 360MB through better memory allocation, and closed Widgets cut memory commitment by roughly 200MB.

These software changes arrive during a period of high memory pricing. Reports say Intel expects its own CPU sales to drop by 10 percent in 2026. Intel chief executive Lip-Bu Tan stated that business will not truly bounce back until memory supplies stabilize and costs return to normal levels.