Microsoft states that after adjusting resource and memory management in Windows 11, multitasking speed on PCs with 8GB of RAM improved by 40%, and Edge startup speed increased by 33%. These figures are based on Microsoft's published performance metrics.
One key adjustment is smarter memory data compression, allowing the system to retain more active programs and reducing the need to reload applications that were previously cleared from memory. When users open the Start menu or File Explorer, the system temporarily pauses some background tasks to prioritize computing resources for the current operation.
Inactive tabs in Edge enter a sleeping state after 15 minutes of inactivity. Microsoft tested these improvements on 20,000 PCs with various configurations, and resource usage for Windows Widgets and Forza Motorsport 365 has also decreased.
However, Microsoft still recommends at least 16GB of RAM for heavy professional tasks such as video editing and 3D modeling. The available materials do not list specific system versions, test benchmarks, hardware configurations, or control conditions, so the actual performance improvement may vary depending on the device and usage scenario.