Microsoft adds memory and performance tweaks to Windows 11 26H2 for 8 GB PCs
The latest Windows 11 26H2 update includes optimizations that let devices with 8 GB of RAM keep more data in memory, improving responsiveness and multitasking performance.
Microsoft said the Windows 11 version 26H2 update introduces a set of memory-management and performance enhancements aimed at PCs equipped with 8 GB of RAM. The changes allow the system to retain up to 2 GB more active data in memory through improved compression, reducing the need to page data to slower storage. User-facing components such as Start, Search, File Explorer and Settings receive higher priority, while background activity is temporarily limited when users are actively interacting with the device.
The company also applied similar optimizations to its software suite. Edge now starts faster when already running in the background, inactive tabs enter sleep mode sooner, Widgets load only on demand, and Microsoft 365 applications have been tuned to use less memory.
Microsoft’s internal testing indicates the update can boost responsiveness by as much as 20 %, cut memory growth by up to 900 MB during multitasking, and raise multitasking performance by roughly 40 % on certain 8 GB systems. The firm noted that while the tweaks extend the usability of lower-memory laptops, more demanding workloads such as video editing, 3D design, AI processing or large-scale data analysis still benefit from devices with 16 GB of RAM or more.