Windows 11 update cuts memory use on 8GB PCs, with Microsoft citing up to 40 percent faster multitasking
The gains come from Microsoft's own lab test and from changes to how Windows, Edge and Office hold data in RAM, with more memory work planned.
Microsoft says a new Windows 11 update makes machines with 8GB of RAM up to 20 percent more responsive and up to 40 percent faster at multitasking in its lab test. Compression now lets Windows keep up to 2GB more active data in memory rather than paging it to disk, so reopened apps and tabs are less likely to reload. Further savings come from Edge, Microsoft 365 apps and Outlook, with committed-memory growth cut by up to 900 MB and Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook using 360MB less RAM. Widgets now load only when opened and inactive Edge tabs sleep after 15 minutes, while Microsoft plans smarter compression and shared components such as search and widgets in the months ahead. Microsoft is also working with PC makers and chip vendors to reduce the memory reserved for hardware.
Why it matters
For owners of 8GB machines, the update means less reloading of apps and tabs that were recently open, and less memory claimed by background parts of Windows and Edge. Microsoft's figures come from its own lab test, so real-world results on individual PCs may differ. Its plans to make compression smarter and to reduce memory reserved for hardware suggest that the work on low-memory machines is ongoing rather than finished.
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