Microsoft is planning a major overhaul of background usage in Windows 11, with future updates focused on RAM usage and overall memory management. The goal is to make the operating system feel smoother on systems with less memory and reduce the performance impact created by background activity and operating system overhead.
For example, the minimum requirement for Windows 11 is a system with 4 GB of memory, while Copilot+ PCs require a minimum of 16 GB. When a PC has 8 GB of RAM installed, standard Windows 11 versions like Home or Pro will take up a majority of that, leaving only about 2 GB free. Even with 16 GB installed, regular Windows allocation goes beyond 10 GB.
Microsoft now promises that the entire operating system will implement new background policies that will help with resource management. OS overhead is described as a significant performance and memory hog, and reducing that burden is expected to improve the overall user experience. The exact implementation has not been detailed, but a broader use of ideas similar to Xbox Full Screen Experience is seen as a possible direction because it has been shown to improve performance and lower RAM usage.
The push for better memory handling comes as low-memory devices remain common and comparisons with rival platforms highlight the issue. Apple recently launched a MacBook Neo with 8 GB of memory, and reviews confirmed that users will be able to get a relatively smooth user experience with only 8 GB, while a comparable Windows-based machine would struggle. If Windows 11 can reduce unnecessary background tasks, more memory could remain available for active workloads such as running many Chrome tabs.
