Microsoft has quietly removed references to support pages on its Windows Learning Center that recommended 32GB of RAM for Windows 11, according to reporting first surfaced by Windows Latest and covered by PCWorld, TechPowerUp, and Tom's Hardware. One removed page, titled "How to optimize your gaming PC setup" and published November 28, 2025, had stated that while 16GB of RAM was sufficient for most gamers, 32GB was the ideal amount for "serious gamers" or hardcore gamers wanting the best quality for AAA games or heavy modding. The URL for that page now redirects to the Learning Center homepage.
This is not the first such removal. In May, Microsoft had already deleted an earlier support page that described 16GB of RAM as a "practical starting point" for Windows 11 but recommended 32GB as a "no worries" upgrade for gaming PCs. According to TechPowerUp, that earlier recommendation sparked significant controversy, with gamers objecting that buying additional memory could cost as much as an entire PC, prompting Microsoft to quietly remove the mention amid a severe DRAM shortage.
The removals coincide with sharp increases in RAM prices, which PCWorld attributes to AI data centers consuming large amounts of RAM, storage, and GPUs. PCWorld reports that 32GB of DDR4 now costs over $250, while 32GB of DDR5 costs over $400. At the same time, Microsoft has shifted its own hardware lineup toward lower-memory configurations, discontinuing its budget Surface Go and Surface Laptop Go lines and introducing 8GB base configurations of the Surface Pro 12, Surface Laptop 13, and Surface Laptop for Business.
Microsoft has said it wants to make Windows 11 run better on 8GB of RAM and has outlined plans for "memory optimization for 8 GB and above," according to TechPowerUp, which notes the company has already reduced memory overhead across apps and components and optimized WinUI 3 to use less memory. PCWorld also references a secret "Windows K2" project aimed at improving performance. However, PCWorld notes that Microsoft has not yet made fundamental improvements to Windows 11's memory requirements, and that 16GB remains necessary for a reasonably responsive experience, with 32GB still recommended for a experience that holds up over time.
Tom's Hardware notes that while Windows 11's official minimum requirement is just 4GB, the prevalence of web-based apps and interfaces built with technologies like React and WebView2 consumes significant memory compared to natively built software, making the OS heavier in practice than its stated minimums suggest. The outlet suggests the current memory shortage may force developers to optimize software more aggressively, similar to how engineers worked within tight hardware constraints in the 1980s and 1990s. PCWorld adds that Windows 10 handles limited RAM better than Windows 11, which it suggests may be part of why many users continue to stick with Windows 10 PCs.