On October 15, 2026, Microsoft announced memory changes for Windows 11. If your PC has 8GB of RAM or less, one change is easy to grasp: Widgets load only when you open them, which Microsoft says can make more than 200 MB available for apps and other work. The company says these improvements are beginning to roll out broadly; do not assume every device has them yet.
What Happened
Microsoft says Windows 11 can keep up to 2GB more active data in memory instead of moving it to slower storage. It also says it has improved memory use across Windows to focus resources on what youāre doing. Source: Microsoft, October 15, 2026.
On PCs with 8GB of memory or less, Widgets load only when you open them. Microsoft says this makes more than 200 MB available for apps and other work. Microsoft ties this Widgets figure to Windows 11 OS build 26300.9550 and cautions that memory availability and performance depend on device configuration, usage and other factors. Source: Microsoft. To check whether your own PC has reached this build, go to Settings > System > About and read the OS Build value, or press Windows+R, type winver, and press Enter.
How It Stacks Up
The two numbers measure different things. The 2GB figure is about keeping more active data in memory. The 200 MB figure is about memory available for other work when Widgets load only after you open them on PCs with 8GB or less. Donāt add them together as a promised increase in free RAM. Source: Microsoft.
| Change | Microsoftās figure | Stated scope |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping active data in memory | Up to 2GB more active data | Windows 11. Source |
| Loading Widgets when opened | More than 200 MB available for apps and other work | PCs with 8GB of memory or less, when Widgets load only after you open them. Source |
The Reaction
These are Microsoftās figures, not results from independent testing in this article. The practical distinction is that delaying Widgets can leave memory for other work, while keeping active data in memory addresses a different part of performance. Neither figure tells you how much faster your own apps will run.
Our Take
Verdict: Hold off on PC or update decisions based on these figures alone. Loading Widgets on demand makes sense for an 8GB Windows 11 PC. But the two numbers describe different effects, and āup to 2GBā isnāt a promise of the same result on every machine. Check Microsoftās announcement for the stated scope.
Wrapping Up
For a Windows 11 PC with 8GB of memory or less, the on-demand Widgets change is worth watching as it rolls out. Treat the memory figures as Microsoftās scoped claims, not a reason on their own to buy a new PC or expect a fixed performance gain.