Microsoft Says Windows 11 Is More Responsive On 8gb Pcs
Microsoft says memory-management changes make Windows 11 up to 20 percent more responsive, with some updates rolling out broadly and others still limited to testers.
Microsoft says changes to Windows 11 have made the operating system up to 20 percent more responsive, with PCs that have 8GB of RAM potentially seeing a particularly noticeable improvement. According to Engadget, some updates are beginning to reach all users after testing through the Windows Insider program, while a new Search experience and a redesigned Photos app remain available to testers.
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How Microsoft says it improved performance
Better memory management is central to the performance claim. Navjot Virk, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows Experiences, said Windows can now retain up to 2GB more active data in memory rather than move it to slower storage, according to both Engadget and The Verge. Microsoft says that should help PCs remain responsive when users have multiple apps or browser tabs open.
On PCs with 8GB of RAM or less, Windows 11 now waits to load Widgets until the user opens them. Microsoft says that change frees more than 200MB of memory for other tasks. The Verge also reports that Microsoft has worked on Start, File Explorer, Search and Edge as part of its broader effort to make Windows 11 feel faster. The responsiveness figures are Microsoft’s claims, not independent test results presented in the reports.
Other changes to the Windows experience
The updates extend beyond memory use. Both outlets report improvements to Windows Hello sign-in and Bluetooth headphone pairing. The Verge says Microsoft puts the potential reduction in AirPods pairing time at up to 15 seconds. It also reports that Microsoft has made Windows Update less disruptive and cleaned up the Widgets section.
These changes follow a plan Microsoft set out earlier this year to improve Windows 11 performance, reliability and the overall operating-system experience, according to The Verge. The company is presenting the latest responsiveness figure as a result of that work.
What testers can try now
Windows Insiders can try a new Search experience that Engadget describes as AI-powered and capable of handling thousands of actions directly through Search. The Verge says Microsoft plans to roll it out more broadly later this year. That means the Search changes are not yet part of the broadly available updates described by the outlets.
Engadget also reports that Insiders can test a revamped Photos app. Its gallery brings together images from local storage, OneDrive and iCloud. Microsoft says the app’s built-in editor loads 25 percent faster and its native viewer loads 30 percent faster. As with the Windows responsiveness figure, those Photos speed improvements are company claims.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.