Danny Weber
Microsoft is optimizing Windows 11, WinUI 3, Chromium and WebView2 to make entry-level PCs with 8GB of RAM feel faster and more responsive.
Microsoft has confirmed plans to reduce memory consumption in Windows 11. The company wants the operating system to run better on computers with 8GB of RAM, a configuration that is once again appearing in new affordable laptops. Windows and Devices president Pavan Davuluri said Microsoft intends to shrink Windows' memory footprint. The goal is to keep the system fast and responsive on everyday PCs with 8GB of memory or more.
The work will focus on the memory used by the operating system before apps even launch. Windows 11 users can currently disable startup programs and stop individual services manually, but Microsoft wants to address the issue at the system level. The company will also continue tuning WinUI 3 so apps built with it use less memory by default. Further changes will affect the memory allocator as well as Chromium and WebView2 components used in Windows 11.
The problem is especially visible on affordable laptops. During a demonstration of a base Dell XPS 13 with 8GB of RAM, the system occupied about 6GB immediately after startup, before any user apps had been opened. Microsoft has not announced an exact release date for the optimizations. It expects lower system overhead to make 8GB devices noticeably more comfortable for everyday work.
© E. Vartanyan