Microsoft says 8GB of RAM should be enough for anyone running Windows 11

OS PLATFORMS

Redmond adds new items to its make-Windows-better list

Microsoft has added four new items to the to-do list it set itself to improve the quality of Windows 11.

Redmond’s list landed in March 2026 in response to users’ anger at Windows 11 becoming increasingly flaky and needy.

Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s executive VP for Windows and Devices, promised “Improved memory efficiency, lowering the baseline memory footprint for Windows, freeing up more capacity for the apps you run.”

Last Friday, Davuluri reviewed Microsoft’s efforts in a new post that is unsurprisingly enthusiastic about Redmond’s repair job – even though much of the work is yet to appear in production versions of Windows. Among the work Davuluri lauded was removing some AI features, improving driver quality, and trying to make the Windows Insider program less convoluted.

But he also acknowledges there’s more to be done and that memory efficiency is yet to manifest.

“We’ve steadily been introducing several improvements to the memory efficiency of Windows, from taking advantage of a more efficient memory allocator to reduce overhead across apps and components, continued tuning of WinUI 3 so that apps built on it use less memory by design, as well as driving efficiencies across Chromium and Webview2 components when they appear in the operating system,” he wrote.

Davuluri’s post also reveals that Microsoft has decided to work on four new areas it hopes will make Windows less craptastic.

The third of those is “Memory optimization for 8GB and above,” which Davuluri describes as “Reducing Windows memory footprint to deliver a fast and responsive Windows experience across the PCs customers use every day.”

Microsoft’s system requirements for Windows 11 state that the OS needs a PC equipped with at least 4GB of memory, or 16GB of pricey DDR5/LPDDR5 to qualify as a Copilot+ PC capable of handling AI workloads. The software giant seemingly assumes Windows users are all clamoring to run Copilot and other AI, so working to ensure that Windows 11 can run on 8GB of memory feels like a tacit admission that Copilot+ PCs aren’t exciting buyers, perhaps due to the current high price of memory. Or perhaps because people just don’t see much value in paying extra for an AI-capable PC.

Another reason for the change may be the declining PC market, which analyst firm IDC recently forecast will experience a 11.3 percent shipment slump in 2026, and 20 percent drop in calendar Q4 alone. “The culprit is a persistent memory shortage with no meaningful relief expected before the end of 2027,” the firm stated. “The knock-on effects are significant: prices are rising and PC manufacturers are struggling to maintain full product portfolios.”

Microsoft’s three other new Windows improvement priorities are:

• Delivering a faster and more efficient out-of-box experience.

• Providing a faster set up and making it easier for families to access useful parental controls.

• Making voice more natural and fluid to interact across the apps you use every day.

Davuluri didn’t say when Microsoft will deliver these changes. But he did say the company has heard Windows users’ frustrations and will act to assuage them.

“The signal from you is clear: keep going. We intend to,” he wrote. ®