Ubuntu 26.04 requires more RAM than Windows 11
The beta version of Ubuntu 26.04 increases memory requirements to 6 GB RAM – more than Windows 11 demands.
Ubuntu 26.04 can be successfully installed on systems with 4 GB RAM.
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The development of Ubuntu 26.04, codename “Resolute Raccoon”, has entered its final stretch; it will be ready in about two weeks. However, the current beta version has significantly increased the memory requirements for main memory (RAM) – they are higher than those of Windows 11.
In the preliminary version of the release notes for Ubuntu 26.04, the manufacturer Canonical lists the requirements. Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 LTS therefore requires at least a dual-core processor with a clock speed of 2 GHz and at least 6 GB of RAM; the demanded 25 GB of disk space, on the other hand, is not unusual. The server version, however, requires a minimum of 1.5 GB of RAM and initially settles for 4 GB on disk.
For comparison, Microsoft specifies only 4 GB of RAM as system requirements for Windows 11. The drive should offer at least 64 GB of space. However, Microsoft has significantly higher demands for other components. For example, TPM and Secure Boot support are mandatory, and processors must be newer.
Unfortunate choice of words
The actual requirement for Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 is not as strict, however. On a virtual system with only around 4 GB of RAM available, the installation process of the beta version completes without error messages. Windows 11, on the other hand, refuses installation if certain system requirements are not met.
Canonical has updated the website with the requirements shortly before the reporting time. Now the developers state that Ubuntu 26.04 can also be installed on systems with less memory, but they recommend lighter flavors like Xubuntu or Lubuntu for this purpose. These reportedly run on systems with 2 GB RAM and more. The requirements for Ubuntu Server 26.04, however, start at just 1.5 GB and scale with the intended use.
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The increased requirements for memory expansion in Ubuntu are therefore merely recommendations to ensure smooth operation. The memory hunger of modern software packages is simply steadily increasing.
With regard to the now definitive end of Windows 10 in October of this year, it will become more difficult to find high-performance Linux distributions for old hardware. In January, for example, every second private Windows PC was running the discontinued operating system.
(dmk)
