When you use a computer, memory management is one of the most important things that happens behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly. Memory management helps your computer keep track of all the programs you’re using, the files you’re opening, and ensures your system doesn’t slow down, crash, or freeze. In this blog post, we’ll look at how Windows 10 and Windows 11 handle memory management, focusing specifically on virtual memory in Windows 11.

We’ll also talk about the physical memory (RAM) requirements for Windows 11.

What is Memory Management?

Before we dive into the differences between Windows 10 and 11, let’s understand what memory management is. Your computer has two types of memory:

1. Physical Memory (RAM): This is the actual memory installed in your computer. It helps your system load applications and files quickly.
2. Virtual Memory: This is a kind of backup memory. When your physical memory (RAM) gets full, your computer uses part of your hard drive as extra memory. This is called virtual memory, and it helps prevent your system from slowing down when you run many programs at once.

Virtual Memory in Windows 10 vs. Windows 11

Windows 10 and Windows 11 both use virtual memory, but Windows 11 has made some improvements to how it works.

Windows 10’s Virtual Memory

In Windows 10, when you open too many applications or large files, your system may run out of physical memory (RAM). When this happens, Windows 10 starts using virtual memory. It does this by creating a file on your hard drive called a paging file (also known as a swap file). The paging file acts as extra memory to help your computer continue working even when the RAM is full.

This system works well, but using the hard drive as memory is slower than using actual RAM. So, if your computer runs out of RAM frequently, it might slow down because your computer is relying on the paging file for extra space.

Windows 11’s Virtual Memory Improvements

Windows 11 takes virtual memory to the next level with a few key improvements:

1. Smarter Memory Allocation: Windows 11 has improved the way it decides when to use physical RAM versus virtual memory. It can better predict which programs need to stay in fast physical memory and which can be temporarily moved to the slower virtual memory. This means that even when you’re using a lot of programs, Windows 11 can keep your system running more smoothly by making smarter choices about how to manage memory.

2. Better Performance with SSDs: Many computers today use Solid State Drives (SSDs) instead of older hard drives. SSDs are much faster, and Windows 11 takes advantage of this speed when using virtual memory. In Windows 10, the paging file works the same whether you’re using an SSD or a traditional hard drive. But in Windows 11, the operating system has been optimized to better use SSDs, so when your system needs to use virtual memory, it can access data more quickly than before.

3. Reduced System Freezes: One of the common issues in Windows 10 is that your system might freeze or slow down when it runs out of RAM and switches to virtual memory. Windows 11 reduces these freezes by optimizing how quickly it can move data between physical and virtual memory, making the whole process smoother

Physical Memory (RAM) Requirements for Windows 11

While virtual memory is important, your system’s performance still depends a lot on how much physical memory (RAM) you have. So, how much RAM do you need to run Windows 11?

Compared to Windows 10, Windows 11 requires a little more RAM to run effectively. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Windows 10: The minimum requirement for running Windows 10 is 2 GB of RAM (for 64-bit systems).
• Windows 11: For Windows 11, the minimum RAM requirement has increased to 4 GB.

This means that if your computer has less than 4 GB of RAM, you won’t be able to upgrade to Windows 11. The increase in RAM requirements is mainly because Windows 11 has more advanced features and a more modern interface that need more memory to function well.

In practice, 8 GB should be considered the minimum memory for a business computer running Windows 11. However, if you are running collaboration applications, such as MS Teams, alongside a full office suite and regularly have multiple web browser sessions open then 16 GB will bring significant performance improvements.

Why the Change?

Windows 11 comes with a lot of new features, such as a refreshed user interface, enhanced security measures, and better multitasking support.

All of these new features require more resources, which is why more RAM is necessary. However, thanks to the improvements in memory management (including virtual memory), Windows 11 is designed to make better use of the resources it has, meaning it can run more smoothly even on systems that are not the most powerful

Final Thoughts

To sum it up, Windows 11 has made significant improvements to how it handles both physical and virtual memory compared to Windows 10. The new memory management system in Windows 11 is smarter, faster, and better at using SSDs for virtual memory. While you will need a bit more physical memory (RAM) to run Windows 11, the overall experience should be more responsive and stable, especially when running multiple applications or large programs.

If you’re thinking about upgrading to Windows 11, make sure your computer has at least 8 GB of RAM to meet the system requirements and rest assured that the new memory management features will help keep your system running smoothly.

Windows 11 Virtual Memory and Collective IQ^®

Almaden has added support for Windows 11 Virtual Memory in Collective IQ^®. We now report on Virtual Memory utilization within Collective IQ^® ITAM and use the metrics within the AI calculations for Collective IQ^® DEX.