Windows 11 26H2 Update Lowers RAM Consumption

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When Microsoft released its Windows 11 26H2 update last week, it didn't include many under-the-hood changes that would affect everyday users. However, according to Windows Latest and several Reddit users, the update reportedly reduces RAM consumption when the system is idle, and even when does better management of RAM when applications are loaded. This improvement wasn't advertised by Microsoft, but it seems to be a welcome change for those who prefer lower RAM usage when not running any tasks. On Reddit, users are reporting a reduction in memory consumption of around 2 GB, with some experiencing up to a 3 GB decrease in idle RAM usage. Testing by Windows Latest on a laptop with 16 GB of RAM shows that, whereas it usually idled at 10 GB of usage, it now consumes 7 GB, with 4 GB of that cached and 8.8 GB available.

The update also introduces features like the Low Latency Profile, which is expanding to nearly all applications and could potentially make software launch faster on weaker hardware. Previously available for Microsoft-branded "in-box" applications, this feature boosts the CPU to its maximum frequency for 1-3 seconds, resulting in noticeably smoother app launches during testing. Launching Microsoft applications like Edge and Outlook is about 40% faster, and other applications, such as the Start Menu and context menus across the operating system, may be up to 70% faster. Now, other applications are receiving this update, which means the overall experience will be much smoother.

Finally, it is worth pointing out that when Windows loads something in the background, it doesn't necessarily mean that the RAM consumption is wasted. Windows caches services and applications in RAM to ensure that once a user needs a service, the application is already loaded in the background, providing an instantaneous response. This, however, doesn't mean that Windows is perfect and unnecessary telemetry isn't present, but Microsoft has surely made optimizations to find a balance between needed background applications to operate smoothly and just enough space to free up some capacity.

Sources: Windows Latest, Reddit

Oct 5th, 2026 21:12 EDT change timezone