Technology
Microsoft Updates Windows 11 to Improve Performance on Eight Gigabyte Computers
The company releases a new software update aiming to boost efficiency on lower cost hardware amid rising memory prices.
By Headlinne · Compiled from reporting by Windows Central, Verge, Register and 1 other
Microsoft released a software update for Windows 11 on Tuesday designed to improve speed and multitasking performance on computers equipped with 8GB of RAM.
The latest version, designated 26H2, introduces memory compression techniques and application optimizations to help lower-cost devices handle everyday tasks more smoothly.
The changes arrive as rising memory prices and increased demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure make hardware upgrades more expensive for consumers and businesses.
Company officials said the adjustments help bridge the gap for users who cannot afford newer machines.
"On 8 GB PCs, Windows is now up to 20 percent more responsive, and multitasking is up to 40 percent faster in our lab test," said Pavan Davuluri, the Windows chief at Microsoft.
According to the company, improved memory management allows the operating system to keep up to 2GB more active data in memory rather than moving it to slower storage.
Additional memory savings come from adjustments to built-in applications and services.
Microsoft Edge now puts inactive tabs to sleep after 15 minutes instead of two hours, and the browser can launch up to 33 percent faster when running in the background.
Widgets on Windows 11 no longer load automatically on lower-memory machines until a user opens the dedicated panel.
Microsoft 365 apps including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook contribute to a total committed-memory reduction of up to 900MB during multitasking scenarios.
Despite the software enhancements, executives acknowledged that tuning cannot completely replace physical hardware capacity for demanding tasks.
"For many people, 8 GB is a great fit for the things they do every day," said Davuluri.
He added that users performing advanced video editing, 3D modeling, or large data processing will still require systems with 16GB of memory or more.
The Register reported that the performance push coincides with recent financial results showing declines in Windows OEM and device revenue as hardware upgrade cycles stretch longer.
Users can obtain the optimizations through the latest operating system build and routine application updates delivered via the Microsoft Store.
Reporting from
- Windows Central
Microsoft says the future of AI doesn’t require a monster PC, even 8GB Windows machines have a role
- The VergeNot politically framed
Windows 11 is now ‘up to 40 percent faster’ on PCs with 8GB of RAM
- The RegisterNot politically framed
Microsoft improves Windows 11 performance on 8 GB PCs as RAM prices keep climbing
- Petri IT KnowledgebaseNot politically framed
Microsoft Optimizes Windows 11 26H2 for 8GB PCs
How this article was made: Headlinne wrote it with AI from the 4 reports listed above. Direct quotes are checked word for word against those reports, every number appears in at least one of them, and no other sentence is copied from one. Photos are from those reports and credited to them. Each report’s page on Headlinne links to the outlet’s original.