Overview
- Microsoft announced the changes Thursday and has published benchmark claims that a suite of UI tasks is up to 20 percent faster, with results measured against Windows 11 earlier in 2026.
- Engineers changed memory management so Windows can keep up to 2GB more active data in RAM instead of moving it to slower storage, which Microsoft says reduces background memory use on lower‑RAM machines.
- On PCs with 8GB of RAM or less, Widgets now load only when opened to free roughly 200 MB of memory and help keep foreground apps responsive.
- Microsoft rebuilt the Photos app on WinUI 3 and says the app launches about 25 percent faster, the viewer is roughly 15 percent faster, and opening photos can be up to 30 percent quicker.
- The updates are available to Windows Insiders now and will roll out more widely later in 2026, with real‑world gains varying by hardware, drivers and usage and potential knock‑on effects for entry‑level PC design and user experience.