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Windows 11 RAM Woes: 8GB Not Enough?
29 Jul
Summary
- Windows 11 struggles with 8GB RAM, slowing apps during light use.
- Heavy software like Photoshop significantly degrades performance on 8GB.
- 16GB RAM is recommended as the minimum for a good Windows 11 experience.
Windows 11 demonstrates notable performance limitations when equipped with only 8GB of RAM, a configuration increasingly seen in new PCs. Testing reveals that even basic tasks become sluggish after opening a few applications, with the operating system resorting to swapping data to the SSD. This memory management technique, while functional, leads to a discernibly slower user experience.
When more demanding software, such as Adobe Photoshop, is introduced, the system's performance degrades considerably. Applications take longer to load, and switching between them results in white screens and reloading of content. This underscores a significant optimization challenge for Windows 11 on lower-RAM configurations.
Microsoft's own Surface Laptop is now available with 8GB of RAM, a move likely to be emulated by other manufacturers. Despite the OS's ability to technically run applications, the user experience suffers. Experts strongly advise opting for a minimum of 16GB of RAM for a satisfactory Windows 11 experience, suggesting that budget-spec machines may not deliver expected modern performance.
