This time Windows 11 has significantly improved memory usage efficiency, and Microsoft seems very satisfied with it. Not only did the company share a video comparison in a blog post of the same machine running Windows 11 at the beginning of the year and now, it also claimed that an 8GB RAM Windows 11 laptop can now rival a 16GB one—except foreign media caught a caveat attached to that statement: what Microsoft calls 8GB rivaling is actually a comparison with a 16GB computer from five years ago.
Image source: Windows Latest
Microsoft claims that 8GB RAM laptops in 2026 will match the performance of 16GB computers from 2021.
According to foreign media Windows Latest According to reports, Microsoft previously published on the Windows Experience Blog the article 〈Raising the bar for 8 GB Windows 11 PCsIn the article, the paragraph claiming that “an 8GB RAM Windows 11 laptop’s performance is comparable to a 16GB computer” cites the results of tests commissioned by the third-party organization Principled Technologies. The results show:
- Newer Windows 11 PCs can be up to 2x faster in multi-core CPU performance than five-year-old computers with similar specs.
- Battery life while browsing the web is extended by up to 2.4x, and the longest-lasting laptop can reach 15 hours.
- Everyday productivity laptops are up to 45% faster when running Office applications.
- Gaming laptops see up to 65% higher frame rates (FPS) in Forza Horizon 5.
Windows Latest believes that Microsoft has indeed improved Windows 11’s memory efficiency. They actually tested an 8GB laptop upgrading from 25H2 to 26H2, and after boot the RAM usage dropped from about 5GB to 3.3GB. But most of this generational performance improvement comes from new processors, memory, and storage, so the credit cannot all be attributed to the operating system:
Image source: Windows Latest
Moreover, Principled Technologies compared whole-system performance—such as CPU computing, web operation, and video export speed—so the results reflect the performance of the entire computer and cannot on their own prove that RAM capacity can be halved.
However, the 8GB computer test mentioned by Microsoft used the same HP computer to compare Windows 11 before and after the update, and multitasking was indeed faster, by up to 40%:
As Windows 11 26H2 significantly reduces memory usage, some people may ask: when buying a Windows 11 laptop now, is 8GB enough? Actually, no—16GB is still more recommended. Microsoft also suggests in this article that for demanding work such as 3D modeling, advanced video editing, and large-scale data processing, choosing 16GB or more is better.
The following are purchasing recommendations organized by use case:
| Usage scenario | Memory recommendations |
|---|---|
| Document work, web browsing, and media streaming | 8GB might be worth considering (if you really have no budget. But if you plan to use AI, don’t even consider it). |
| Multiple tabs and programs running simultaneously. | It must be 16GB. |
| Video editing, 3D modeling | At least 16GB, increased based on work requirements. |
| Local AI, large-scale data processing, and intensive creative work. | 16GB–32GB or higher |
Windows Latest believes that if Microsoft can optimize Windows 11 to this extent within a year, they are confident there is certainly more potential to be tapped, so it is still worth expecting that Windows 11 may become even better in the future. Moreover, this is now the AI era, and optimization has become much easier than in the past.
Image source: Windows Latest
Source: KOCPC Chinese