Microsoft Claims Windows 11 Is Faster on PCs With 8GB of RAM After Memory Optimization Push

Microsoft is finally giving Windows 11 users with 8GB of RAM a reason to feel better about their PCs. The company says its latest memory optimizations deliver up to 20% better responsiveness and make demanding multitasking workflows up to 40% faster in lab tests.

Windows 11 gets faster without requiring more RAM

Microsoft says the improvements focus on memory compression, background activity, and how Windows prioritizes tasks. The changes can keep up to 2GB more active data in memory, potentially reducing the need to reload apps and browser tabs. Microsoft claims opening Start, searching, launching File Explorer, accessing Settings, and using Snipping Tool can respond up to 20% faster compared with January 2026 builds.

The company also says its test involving 20 Edge tabs, 4K video, large Office files, Outlook, and File Explorer finished up to 40% faster. These figures come from Microsoft’s lab testing, so real-world results may vary depending on hardware and workloads.

Microsoft is cutting memory use across Windows apps

The company says improvements across Windows, Edge, and Microsoft 365 reduced committed-memory growth by up to 900MB during multitasking tests. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook account for 360MB in claimed memory savings. Widgets now load only when opened on PCs with 8GB of RAM or less, saving roughly 200MB while closed. Meanwhile, Edge puts inactive tabs to sleep after 15 minutes by default, helping free up resources.

Microsoft is also planning further changes, including shared components across Search, Widgets, OneDrive, and Photos. File Explorer, Notepad, Paint, and Windows Search are also being optimized to launch faster and use less memory.

To experience the latest improvements, Microsoft says users need Windows 11 version 26H2, build 26300.9818 or later. Head to Settings, open Windows Update, enable Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available, and select Check for updates. Make sure to keep Edge, Microsoft 365, and Teams updated too, as some improvements are released through app updates.