8GB RAM. Just these two words are enough to trigger a firestorm in the PC community, because most people say the floor for RAM has increased in 2026 and 8GB of memory has no place in a modern Windows 11 machine. The same configuration would be fine for Linux or even macOS on the MacBook Neo, but questionable on Windows 11 because the OS is so resource-intensive.

However, Microsoft disagrees, insisting that 8GB is enough, which is a pretty skeptical claim. Their argument isn’t enough for me to buy a new 8GB Surface laptop in 2026, so I put that theory to the test, and the results were mixed.

My test rig was a humble AM4 rig

Ryzen 5 5600, RX 5600 XT, and 8GB of DDR4 RAM

To test and replicate an entry-to-mid-level PC that Microsoft intends to run on 8GB of RAM, I removed a single 8GB RAM stick from my 16GB DDR4 setup. I am using an SSD to boot Windows 11, a Ryzen 5 5600 CPU, and an RX 5600 XT GPU, which I think are good enough in 2026 and capable of handling mid-level workloads.

Now, I’m not going to test this setup for heavy workloads like AAA gaming, video editing, or running multiple third-party apps in the background, intentionally trying to choke the limited memory I’ve been given. Instead, I’m going to use this setup for normal day-to-day tasks like browsing, running Microsoft Office, and a few apps integral to my workflow, like Slack and Spotify.

Here’s what I was able to accomplish with 8GB of RAM

My RAM nearly maxed out at just 3 Chrome tabs

I didn’t notice a delay in my system’s startup time, even with 8GB of RAM. However, when I checked Task Manager at boot, Windows services took up half of that. I also turned off all third-party startup applications, so nothing was running in the background either.

The real test was doing something on my desktop and seeing whether 8GB is enough for Windows 11. I fired up the daily applications that I need for work — Chrome, Slack, and Spotify. With just three tabs open in Chrome alongside Spotify and Slack, my PC was still running fine. However, I was quickly approaching the 8GB memory cap, with 7.4GB utilized out of 7.9GB usable RAM, even with the apps and tabs sitting idle. When I opened my 4th tab, Gmail, my PC started lagging, and it took a few seconds to move the cursor to the close button.

In addition, most first-party applications were also disabled, and otherwise my PC would be stuck because the default Weather application alone can use nearly 1.2GB of RAM (via Windows Latest).

Now I know that gaming on 8GB of RAM isn’t feasible, yet I was intrigued to try. I also closed all third-party apps to give the game maximum breathing room. For testing, I didn’t try AAA titles like 007 First Light, which I knew wouldn’t work. Instead, I opted for Rainbow Six Siege, a relatively low-demand multiplayer title.

I fired up the game expecting stutters and freezes, but to my surprise it worked satisfactorily. I capped my framerate to 120FPS, and the 1% lows weren’t even noticeable; at worst, they dropped to 100 FPS.

Here’s how you can get more out of Windows 11 if you have 8GB RAM

De-bloating, swapping browsers, and killing Copilot and widgets

Straight out of the gate, 8GB of RAM is only adequate for the most basic tests. I haven’t done any intensive tasks, like rendering or video editing, because I know this memory configuration isn’t viable for them and is just the floor for a Windows 11 PC.

Although I don’t explicitly recommend an 8GB PC in 2026, if you’re still stuck with this low memory and can’t upgrade because RAM prices are inflated, there are a few tweaks you can make to make the experience a little more tolerable. For starters, de-bloat Windows by removing unnecessary background services, which can free up a couple of gigabytes of memory on its own.

Then, switch from Chrome to a different browser. Chromium-based browsers are notorious for their heavy RAM consumption, which isn’t ideal for an 8GB computer. Instead, use Microsoft Edge or an alternative like Brave, which uses fewer system resources and leaves enough headroom for other apps like Slack or Spotify.

Also, disable widgets and Copilot to free up more memory headroom. An additional hack is to replace the default Windows Search with a lightweight utility like Everything.

I still don’t recommend an 8GB computer in 2026

If you’re buying anything other than a Windows 11 machine, 8GB of RAM is enough for the average user. For instance, the MacBook Neo with 8GB is a great entry-level laptop option for students and most office users, and it won’t break the bank. However, opting for an 8GB Windows 11 computer, like the new Surface laptop, would be a grave mistake because Windows 11 isn’t optimized for low memory. Although Microsoft has promised to make Windows 11 more memory-efficient, I don’t see that promise being true anytime soon because most first-party apps are web services, and that comes with a steep memory cost.

At the same time, I get it that RAM is super expensive these days and buying a new computer is hard, but not spending that couple of hundred dollars would impact you in the long run.