Windows 10 ‘Forcing’ Lower Memory On Manufacturers
With the advent of Windows 10, Microsoft will be charging hardware vendors a license fee based on the hardware included in the device, including memory. The number of machines predicted to ship with 2GB DRAM was, prior to the new Windows 10 arrangement, predicted to fall. DRAMeXchange reports that many manufacturers had gone so far as to stop manufacturing memory at that capacity.
However it is reported that, due to the predicted demand caused by an additional $20 licensing fee for Windows 10 on 4GB DRAM machines, low-margin notebooks are now more likely to be equipped with 2GB.
It seems likely that the flexible pricing strategy for Windows 10 was aimed at making sure it was competitive on budget devices, however increasing the size of the market for devices with lower memory capacity appears to be a side-effect of the Windows 10 launch.
The manufacturers have the option to ship Windows 10 hardware with lower DRAM levels partly due to the generally solid performance of Windows 10. Tech Republic tested various old systems, for example, and found that Windows 10 can even run on “hardware dating back to 2003”. Even some 12-year-old hardware dating back to the XP era could run Windows 10, albeit with some significant lag and usability issues (not surprisingly).
The modest Windows 10 system requirements, combined with the free upgrade for many, are likely to also see fewer hardware upgrades from users on the back of the launch than for typical Microsoft OS launches. With Windows 10 performance comparing favorably to previous versions, users are able to enjoy the full experience and new features, without a performance decline.
Readers with a low-memory device may wish to heed the advice given by ComputerWorld. They note that Windows 10 was found on their test system to be using less “virtual memory” to cache data than the recommended minimum. The virtual memory settings can be adjusted from the Windows 10 performance settings, under the advanced tab. In one test of the virtual memory setting change on a Samsung Ativ Tab 3 running Windows 10, a reduction in lag was found when opening menus and running several apps at the same time.
While Windows 10 seems to be fine with lower system specs, users looking to buy new hardware may wish to consider keeping in the 4GB and over range, as there is no guarantee that future updates will run as well with just 2GB of RAM. It’s great news that Windows 10 runs so well on hardware that is a few years past its prime, but there’s no need to handicap your future upgrades by sticking to the minimum, regardless of what manufacturers are preferring to ship in their budget devices.
[Image Source: Microsoft Press Center]
