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512 MB or 1 GB RAM for Windows 10: Will it Work
We present the findings after running the OS on various PCs
4 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
The amount ofRAMdepends on what you plan on doing because gaming or media editing takes a generous amount. Even background processes are known to consume resources. So, it’s important to determine whether 512 MB or 1 GB RAM is enough for Windows 10.
There is a heavy debate in the online world about whetherWindows 10can operate with lessRAMthan the minimum announced by Microsoft. In this article, we tried to address this question and let you know how things are going if you plan toinstall Windows 10.
What are the official Windows 10 specs and system requirements?
According to Microsoft, if you want to upgrade toWindows 10on your computer, here is the minimum hardware you will need:
How do I find the computer specifications?
To see the hardware specifications for your computer, right-click onMy PCand selectProperties.
On the newer versions of the OS, you can head to theAboutsection in Settings and check all the information related to Windows and the hardware.
Can 1GB RAM run Windows 10?
You will be able to installWindows 10with only 1GBRAM,but it will not work properly as the OS will not be able to perform heavy operations.
Let’s see what we observed if you use only 1GB:
Can Windows 10 run on 512 MB?
If you want to try usingWindows 10using only512 MB ofRAM, you should know that the system will run extremely slowly, but it will still work. It will be difficult forWindows 10to run in such a short space.
Older versions of Windows can do this, but the newer one containsmany background processesand tasks that get continuously updated, and they take up more space to run.
But just how slow canWindows 10go when it comes toPCspecifications? Let’s see what we observed is happening if you use only 512 MB:
So overall, it is a negative user experience. For some basic activities, it will work all right, but most of the time, the system will run pretty slow, and it will not feel usable.
Can Windows 10 run on 2 GB?
2 GB ofRAMis a decent amount ofRAM. This means it is adequate to install and runWindows 10with acceptableperformance. But to achieve optimumperformance,you will need more. No operating system is optimized for the minimum supportedRAM.
Having 2GB ofRAMwill offer you fluidperformanceon day-to-day tasks, but things will get different if you run games or want to perform editing tasks.
A good suggestion would be to tryturning off Cortanaand additional features onWindows 10if you face any issues. Keep in mind that if you use heavy applications on it, your computer will start to misbehave.
All in all, the more amount of RAM you have, the more smoothly your computer will run.
Before you leave, check some quick tips torun Windows 10 faster than ever.
Have you tried usingWindows 10with lessRAMthan Microsoft recommended? Let us know about your experience.
More about the topics:Computer Memory,windows 10 fix
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
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