Unless you absolutely need certain brand new features and can put up with significant load times, upgrading to Windows 11 with a lower-specification PC can lead to sluggish performance.
Here is what Business IT support experts suggest instead.
Given that an ongoing “RAM crisis” has caused the prices of desktops and laptops to skyrocket, and one of Microsoft’s brand new Surface Laptops with 8GB of RAM struggles with Windows 11, this has caused concerns for businesses who are close to the end of a computer upgrade cycle.
Here is why Windows 11 struggles on weaker, older computers, and what options you have instead of dealing with an inferior and unproductive experience.
Why Does Windows 11 Struggle With Older Computers?
The main bottleneck for older computers is RAM, as a report by PC Mag recently demonstrated.
The system requirements for Windows 11 recommend 16GB of RAM and claim a minimum specification of a quarter of this. However, the actual user experience on anything below 16GB of RAM leaves a lot to be desired.
Windows 11’s startup applications alone often take up over 6GB of memory before a single web browser tab or document is opened, which is a consequence of years of bloat and applications that are difficult to remove without heavy optimisation of your system.
Should You Stick With Windows 10 On Your Older PC?
Many users have, up until the recent end of support, stuck with Windows 10, and if you are part of the Extended Security Updates programme and do not need any of the Windows 11-specific features, it may be best to stick to Windows 10.
What Can You Do If You Cannot Afford An Upgrade?
There are alternative options if you cannot afford a new, mid-tier computer, including a Chromebook, using the End of 10 scheme to install Linux, and exploring options to remove the more RAM-intensive applications embedded into Windows 11.
