Computers running Windows 11 with eight gigabytes of RAM should not be purchased due to poor performance, according to publication PCMag. Editor Chris Hoffman reached the conclusion after testing whether eight gigabytes of memory is sufficient for a modern personal computer.
In an experiment on his own personal computer, Hoffman programmatically restricted its operating memory to eight gigabytes. He stated that the system began to lag during simple multitasking and slowed down significantly when opening Adobe Photoshop and other demanding applications.
Hoffman discovered that his computer used 6.6 gigabytes of memory just seconds after booting up the operating system. He concluded that eight gigabytes is insufficient for most usage scenarios and advised against buying devices in that category.
Memory recommendations and hardware tests
Hoffman said Microsoft could improve the situation by optimizing Windows 11 to function properly on lower memory configurations. Regardless of potential updates, he recommended purchasing computers with at least 16 gigabytes of memory.
The advice follows similar findings from technology website The Verge. In mid-July, experts at the outlet stated that Windows 11 requires a minimum of 16 gigabytes of RAM for normal operation while completing a review of a Microsoft Surface Laptop equipped with eight gigabytes of memory.
