Which version of Windows 11 do you need for the 8GB RAM improvements?

According to Engadget, version 26H2 with build 26300.9818 or later is required. Microsoft also recommends keeping apps up to date.

How much RAM do Microsoft 365 apps save?

The Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook apps use up to 360MB less memory in total, according to both sources.

Windows 11 with 8GB RAM: up to 40% faster multitasking and what you need

Windows 11 PCs with 8GB RAM become up to 20% more responsive and 40% faster at multitasking, Microsoft says. You need version 26H2, build 26300.9818 or later.

SmartphonesPublished November 4, 2026 at 02:04 AM2 sources

Written with AI from the sources listed below. Editorial responsibility: Konstantinos Perros. How we write

Key facts

Microsoft claims that PCs with 8GB RAM are up to 20% more responsive and up to 40% faster at multitasking.
Windows can now keep up to 2GB more active data in memory instead of moving it to slower storage.
The Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook apps use up to 360MB less RAM.
The improvements require Windows 11 version 26H2 with build 26300.9818 or later, according to Engadget.
Techgear.gr points out that in Greece, affordable laptops still mostly come with 8GB RAM.

What Microsoft announced for 8GB PCs

Microsoft is providing specific figures on how Windows 11 is improving on computers with 8GB RAM. The company talks about up to 20% better responsiveness and up to 40% faster multitasking, that is, working with many programs at the same time.

The main trick concerns memory. When RAM fills up, the system sends data from inactive apps to the disk and brings it back when you return to them. This causes a delay. Now, as Techgear.gr and Engadget write, Windows keeps up to 2GB more active data in fast memory. Techgear.gr links this to a new compression method.

Engadget adds that since January, actions such as opening Start, File Explorer and Settings, searching and right-clicking respond up to 20% faster. The system puts secondary tasks, such as file indexing, on hold while you work. Edge opens up to 33% faster.

Where you gain memory: Edge, Microsoft 365, Teams

Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) consume up to 360MB less RAM. Engadget writes that even third-party apps, such as WhatsApp, reserve less memory. Widgets load only when you open them. Techgear.gr estimates the saving at about 200MB while they stay closed.

Inactive Edge tabs are suspended after 15 minutes. Techgear.gr notes that previously it was two hours. Engadget confirms the 15 minutes for 8GB configurations.

On Teams, the two sources differ slightly in wording. Engadget writes that Efficiency Mode is active by default on PCs with 8GB. Techgear.gr says it can be set to start automatically that way. Both speak of up to 20% faster opening.

Engadget also describes the test behind the 40% figure. Microsoft left 20 tabs open in Edge, a 4K video, Outlook, File Explorer and large files in Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

What it means for users in Greece

Techgear.gr notes that in the Greek market, most laptops in the affordable categories continue to have 8GB RAM. According to the same report, students and small businesses do not need to rush into an expensive hardware upgrade.

Engadget takes a more measured stance. 16GB of memory or more is still recommended for creators who work with demanding content and can afford it. Microsoft also says that newer processors help. According to Engadget, a 2026 Dell XPS 13 with 8GB has over 90% faster multi-core performance than the 2021 model. The same model came close to a 2021 configuration with twice the memory in general CPU performance, web browsing, 4K video export and some AI tasks.

To see them, you need Windows 11 version 26H2 with build 26300.9818 or later, Engadget writes. Microsoft recommends keeping your apps up to date as well, because some of the improvements arrive through them. According to Techgear.gr, the company is working with third-party software developers so that they adopt similar memory-saving techniques.

Questions and answers

Which version of Windows 11 do you need for the 8GB RAM improvements?: According to Engadget, version 26H2 with build 26300.9818 or later is required. Microsoft also recommends keeping apps up to date.
How much faster do PCs with 8GB RAM become?: Microsoft talks about up to 20% better responsiveness and up to 40% faster multitasking. Edge opens up to 33% faster.
How much RAM do Microsoft 365 apps save?: The Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook apps use up to 360MB less memory in total, according to both sources.

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