Microsoft says a series of memory optimizations has improved Windows 11 performance on PCs with 8GB of RAM. The company reports that the operating system is up to 20% more responsive and multitasking up to 40% faster in its lab tests.
The work follows an earlier commitment to improve Windows 11’s performance. Microsoft describes its approach as improving how Windows uses memory, prioritizing interactions that should feel immediate, and reducing memory use in the operating system and key apps. It acknowledges that systems with 16GB or 32GB of RAM can handle more, but says the changes are intended to help users do more with 8GB.
Microsoft says updated memory compression can keep up to 2GB more active data in memory instead of moving it to storage. That could make open apps and browser tabs less likely to reload when users return to them. The company also says it has reduced background activity, such as indexing, while a PC is in active use.
The responsiveness figure covers tasks including opening Start, searching, using Settings and the Snipping Tool, right-clicking, and launching File Explorer. Microsoft separately says Edge can open up to 33% faster, while an Efficiency Mode for Teams can improve launch times by 20% when enabled by default.
For its multitasking comparison, Microsoft tested a workflow involving 20 Edge tabs, 4K video, large Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files, Outlook, and File Explorer. The company notes that the reported results come from its own tests, conducted under favorable conditions.
Other changes include reducing committed-memory growth by up to 900MB in apps such as Edge and Microsoft 365, and cutting the memory footprint of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook by 360MB. Microsoft says third-party apps can also benefit from the memory-management improvements, and identifies WhatsApp as an example already taking advantage.
Microsoft says it plans further work on memory compression and on sharing common components between Windows features and apps. It also intends to make WinUI 3 apps such as File Explorer and Notepad use less memory and open faster, while working with PC and silicon makers to reduce the memory reserved for hardware.
Sources: Tom's Hardware.