Windows 11 Claims 40% Faster Multitasking on 8GB PCs

What Microsoft actually measured

The 40% figure comes from a specific, repeatable workload rather than a general benchmark.

According to TechRadar, Microsoft's test involved opening 20 tabs in Microsoft Edge, a 4K video, large Word, PowerPoint and Excel files, Outlook and File Explorer one after another, keeping everything open the whole time. The machine was an HP OmniBook 3 with a Snapdragon X Plus 8-core CPU and 8GB of memory.

That is a fair approximation of how a lot of people actually use a cheap laptop: too many browser tabs, a video playing in the background, and Office documents left open because closing them feels like giving up. It is also exactly the workload where 8GB of RAM starts to hurt.

The comparison point matters. Microsoft measured against Windows 11 in January 2026, before its performance campaign began, not against Windows 10 or a rival OS. So the 40% is a real improvement over a recent version of Windows 11, not a claim that the OS suddenly beats everything else.

Three levers: memory, responsiveness, and lighter apps

Davuluri describes the work as running along three paths.

The first is making better use of the memory already in every Windows 11 PC. The second is protecting the interactions that need to feel instant even when the system is under load, so clicks and window switches do not stall while something else is churning. The third is making key apps and Windows itself require less memory in the first place.

That third lever is the one likely to matter most on 8GB machines. If Outlook, Edge or File Explorer simply need less RAM to do the same job, the system has more headroom before it starts swapping to disk, which is where cheap laptops usually fall apart.

Microsoft has previously cited a 20% responsiveness gain on 8GB machines. The new 40% multitasking figure is a different measurement, not a revision of the old one, so treat the two as separate claims rather than a doubling.

When does the update arrive, and who gets it?

The performance work is currently in preview and gets a full release next week.

Microsoft says the changes benefit all Windows 11 PCs, but the tuning is aimed squarely at 8GB devices. That is the segment where the difference will be obvious, and also the segment that budget buyers actually shop in.

The timing is worth noting. Windows 10 reached end of support in October 2025, pushing a wave of older, lower-spec machines toward Windows 11. Many of those machines have 8GB of RAM or less, so an update that makes them feel less sluggish is as much a retention play as an engineering one.

If you are on a preview build, you can test the changes now. Everyone else waits for the full release next week, and the usual advice applies: back up before a feature update, and give it a few days before installing if you depend on the machine for work.

The 128MB party trick

Separately, the developer behind Tiny11 got a stripped-down Windows 11 running in 128MB of RAM.

It is an impressive demo and a useful reminder of how much of Windows is optional. It is not a guide to making your laptop faster. A build stripped down that far is missing the services, apps and background components that make Windows 11 useful, and it is not something Microsoft supports.

The contrast is the point. Microsoft is trying to make the full OS leaner without removing anything, while a hobbyist can make it tiny by removing almost everything. Both tell you the same thing: there was fat to trim.

What it means for you

The update is free for all Windows 11 users in the US, UK and EU and arrives through Windows Update next week. There is no regional pricing or availability difference to worry about.

If you are running an 8GB laptop, this is the most consequential Windows update in a while. If you are on 16GB or more, expect a smaller but still noticeable improvement in responsiveness under load.

The update lands next week and costs nothing. On an 8GB machine, it is worth installing promptly; on anything larger, it is a welcome polish rather than a transformation. Just keep the 40% in context until independent testing backs it up.