Microsoft says a round of new optimizations for Windows 11 delivers a noticeable performance boost on computers equipped with 8 GB of RAM — a memory configuration still common on entry-level and mid-range machines. According to the company, the changes directly affect the day-to-day experience of users on modest hardware.

With the updates installed, multitasking on these systems becomes up to 40% faster, while overall system responsiveness improves by around 20%.

A reworked memory manager

Microsoft rebuilt its memory compression algorithms to make better use of available RAM. As a result, systems with 8 GB of memory can now keep up to 2 GB more active data in memory, which significantly reduces how often browser tabs and open applications need to be reloaded.

How much faster are apps?

Core system components such as the Start menu, File Explorer and Search are now 20% faster. Microsoft Edge, meanwhile, launches up to 33% quicker. The Efficiency Mode offered by default in Teams shortens startup times and keeps system resource usage more balanced during meetings.

Memory savings, too

The changes also free up memory: Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) can save up to 360 MB, while Widgets, when closed, save roughly 200 MB. In addition, idle tabs in Edge now go to sleep after 15 minutes instead of two hours.