Microsoft plans major Windows 11 overhaul to optimise performance on 8GB RAM devices

Microsoft is developing a comprehensive update for Windows 11 aimed at reducing its memory footprint to better support machines with 8GB of RAM, responding to rising memory costs and hardware constraints.

Microsoft is preparing a broad overhaul of Windows 11 in an effort to reduce its memory demands and make the operating system more comfortable on machines with 8GB of RAM. The push comes as higher memory prices have made larger configurations less attractive for budget systems, while recent testing has underlined how tightly Windows 11 can already stretch modest hardware. According to Microsoft, the work is intended to lower the operating system’s footprint without sacrificing day-to-day responsiveness.

Pavan Davuluri, the Windows chief, has now restated that aim in Microsoft’s Inside Windows podcast, reinforcing comments the company first made in July that it wants Windows 11 to be better suited to 8GB systems in the second half of 2026. Windows Latest reported that Microsoft sees memory pressure as a practical problem rather than a niche complaint, and that the company is now treating efficiency as a core platform issue.

The technical changes under discussion are substantial. Microsoft is working on a more efficient memory allocator, which determines how RAM is assigned to apps and operating system components. The company is also improving memory compression and refining parts of Windows that rely on WinUI 3 and WebView2, both of which have become increasingly important in the interface layer but can add overhead when they are used heavily. Windows Central reported that these efforts are part of a wider campaign to trim unnecessary memory use across the platform.

Microsoft is also targeting visible parts of the desktop experience. File Explorer, the Start menu and Search are all being tuned for lower overhead, while widgets and optional AI-related features are expected to use RAM only when they are actively needed. The broader aim is not just to make 8GB machines viable, but to make Windows 11 less wasteful on higher-end systems as well. That would mark a notable shift from a Windows era in which more memory was often treated as the simplest answer to performance demands.