In short, I agree that Windows 11 isn't ideal on machines with just 8GB of RAM. Testing the Best-Case Scenario: A High-End PC, Severely NerfedFor testing, I limited my Windows 11 desktop PC to 8GB of RAM via the msconfig tool. This was the first sign that Windows 11 had begun to swap data from my PC’s RAM to its SSD. The fact that Windows 11 also effectively avoided major slowdowns in my tests is technically impressive. Although Microsoft says it’s making Windows 11 more efficient in 2026, I don't expect the experience with 8GB of RAM to improve dramatically.