That's it, for some time now, Windows 11 is available and perhaps you have already received the message asking if you want to update for free to the new version of the software.
Une nouvelle free version, most of the time, we would be tempted to say to ourselves that it is worth the cost and that we should therefore go for it. Except that you have to pay attention to a few details before diving headlong into this type of update.
Indeed, you should already be aware that if you are part of the first wave, you risk coming across a version which has not yet had a lot of development and which therefore presents bugs.
Furthermore, in general, on the first versions of a new operating software, the optimization is not yet perfect. What you need to understand is that in this kind of case, the software is still a bit greedy. Which will then raise the question of know if 4GB of RAM is enough to Windows 11 !
What is RAM?
Before knowing the amount of RAM that must be possessed to rotate correctly Windows 11 , we can start by seeing together what it is precisely this RAM because a lot of people do not necessarily know its principle.
In fact, in your computer, you are going to have two types of memory. Storage memory that allows you to install software and save various documents, photos or music.
The second type of memory is RAM and that is managed by the RAM of your computer. It is a memory which will be used to run the various software which is available on your computer, including the operating software which is Windows 11 !
A computer with 4GB of RAM for use without games
As we just said, Windows 11 is operating software and in addition to occupying your computer's memory once installed, it will consume RAM to be able to run in the background.
Now, where Windows 10 consumes around 1GB of RAM for operation, the new version of Microsoft's software is not as well optimized at the moment and easily consumes 2-3 GB of RAM.
In other words, this means that all the other applications that you want to run on your computer are going to have to share the last remaining GB of RAM and that can quickly become a problem.
If you only plan to use your computer for word processing or to watch videos from time to time, you shouldn't have too much trouble running Windows 11 with 4GB of RAM, despite the risk of having some slowdowns.
4GB of RAM to play?
However, if you want to run Windows 11 and doing activities that are a little more resource-intensive, such as watching a video at the same time as doing word processing or simply putting music in the background, you risk having a problem.
Indeed, as we have said, your computer only has 1 GB of RAM left that it must share between all the tasks and it will easily start to be overloaded, which will lead to many slowdowns and even big bugs.
We don't even talk to you about playing. Because yes, even the least greedy games may not pass with so little RAM. If this is the use you want to have of it, then we advise you not to make the migration to Windows 11 right now.
How much RAM should I use for Windows 11 ?
To rotate Windows 11 smoothly and without overload, you need au less 8 GB of RAM.
And if you can, go up to 16 GB. 4 GB of RAM leaves almost no room for your programs, which is why it is not recommended.
The Chrome browser alone can gobble up 2GB when a few tabs are open. So you want to add at least 4 GB more so that you can use some programs in the background.
With 8GB of RAM, you may still find scenarios where certain programs crash and your RAM usage may still be very high on occasion. But at least you'll be able to open programs, browse the web, do things, and do a little multitasking without bogging down your entire computer.
If you really want have a good experience with Windows 11, then 16 GB of RAM is recommended.
My PC has 4 GB of RAM. What should I do?
But if you absolutely want to migrate to Windows 11, there is a solution to allow you tohave more RAM on your computer. Please note, this solution applies to desktop computers.
In fact, on a laptop this is most of the time impossible and it requires a lot of expertise that you probably don't have. If so, well, there won't be much more to do than stay on Windows 10.
But on a stationary computer you will be able to increase your RAM quite easily. Indeed, you can buy RAM sticks which will then allow you to gain more RAM and avoid you a lot of trouble.