You should know that both Windows 10 and Windows 11, in their requirements, establish that the system must have at least 4 GB of RAM. But, it is practically impossible to find a computer with less than 8 GB of RAM, which is considered the minimum amount to obtain an acceptable experience.
What’s more, anyone would recommend that you install at least 16 GB of RAM on your computer. Browsers and especially Google Chrome are vampires of this component. In addition, 16 GB RAM kits range between 40-60 euros, which are very low prices.
Microsoft, as always, dragging its feet
If one looks at the operating system requirements Windows 10 and Windows 11, you will see that require 4 GB of RAM. Really, having the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system mark this makes little sense. With this amount of system memory, the experience is not good at all.
Microsoft customers, such as Dell and HP, have not sold 4 GB RAM models for a long time. Both marketers avoid this configuration, especially in high-end models.
Previous generations of surface they started with 4GB memory of the system, which is the Windows minimum. Could insist in this regard, claiming that it meets the requirements, that will be an error. Tom’s Hardware even points out that a Microsoft representative told them “4 GB is not enough at all.”
To say that, if one looks at the prices of the Surface and the alternatives on the market, it is not that Microsoft is going to see its profit margin greatly reduced by doubling the amount of system memory.
Now, the Surface Laptop Go 3 with the minimum of 8GB will have a base price of $799. On the other hand, the Surface Go 4 for Business will start from the $579.
The truth is that it was time to adjust to current needs. As soon as you open the browser, be it Chrome, Edge or any other, RAM consumption skyrockets. Then, you have to take into account that the operating system consumes at least 1 GB of RAM. Within Windows, the Defender antivirus can easily consume between 500 MB and 1 GB of RAM.
Why this change?
Although Microsoft has not provided data on this matter, it could have to do with Copilot AI. This artificial intelligence will gain weight in Windows 11, specifically after the 23H2 update. In addition, it is expected that the hypothetical Windows 12 that would arrive in 2024 will have a great integration of this technology.
Another reason is that the 4 GB models were barely selling at present. Something completely normal, since starting the operating system consumes practically 50% of the system memory.
A necessary change that should even be reflected in the specifications of Windows 11. The company should “correct” the 4 GB RAM requirement for something more realistic.
