THE CRUNCH
Windows 11's 26H2 update appears to have quietly cut idle memory use, according to Windows Latest and reports from Reddit users. The improvement was not advertised by Microsoft, but testers describe noticeably lower RAM consumption both at idle and with applications loaded.
The figures come from Windows Latest and several Reddit users rather than Microsoft itself, and the company never advertised the change. Windows Latest's testing on a laptop with 16 GB of RAM found it idling at 7 GB where it previously sat at 10 GB, with 4 GB of that cached and 8.8 GB available. Reddit reports cluster around a 2 GB reduction, with some users seeing up to 3 GB less idle usage.
The same update also widens the Low Latency Profile, which briefly boosts the CPU to its maximum frequency for one to three seconds when apps launch. Previously limited to Microsoft's own in-box applications, it is now spreading to nearly all applications, with Windows Latest's testing showing launches of Edge and Outlook roughly 40% faster and Start Menu or context menu responses up to 70% faster.