Windows 11 26H2 frees nearly 2GB of RAM, but not on 8GB PCs

Users report Windows 11 26H2 cuts idle memory usage by 1–3GB: a 48GB PC dropped from 6.9GB to 4.8GB, and a 16GB laptop from 10GB to 7GB. The gains appear limited to systems with 16GB of RAM or more, with no improvement reported on 8GB machines.

• Idle RAM on a 48GB PC fell from 6.9GB to 4.8GB
• A 16GB laptop dropped from 10GB to 7GB at idle
• Test Legion 5 Pro usage fell from 8.5GB to 6.7GB
• No noticeable drop reported on 8GB RAM systems