Microsoft spent two years telling you to buy 16GB of RAM, now it says 8GB is “a great fit” for Windows 11, as RAM prices soar and it promotes $429 8GB laptops

With RAM prices pushing 16GB laptops out of reach, Microsoft now wants you to feel good about buying one with 8GB. “For many people, 8 GB is a great fit for the things they do every day,” Windows boss Pavan Davuluri wrote on November 3 in a blog that ends by recommending 8GB Windows 11 laptops from $429. Coming from the company that made 16GB the Copilot+ PC minimum and called 32GB the “no worries” upgrade for gamers, it’s quite a shift, and truth be told, I love it.

Also, Microsoft has numbers now. On 8GB PCs, Windows 11 is now up to 20% more responsive, and one heavy multitasking test finished up to 40% faster. Interestingly, before Microsoft (or anyone) shared any of their data, we had already tested Windows 11 26H2 on my dad’s 8GB laptop, and RAM usage after a restart dropped from 5GB to 3.3GB.