The way macOS handles memory is entirely different compared to Windows, which is why the MacBook Neo is a whole new product with its highly competitive $599 price tag paired with its 8GB of unified memory. During Computex 2026, Dell unveiled the latest rival to take on Apple’s most affordable portable Mac, the new XPS 13, which sports all sorts of goodies to entice buyers into picking this instead of the MacBook Neo.
However, what the company didn’t account for was how ravenous Windows 11 can be when it comes to RAM consumption, and if you want to experience a decent experience that won’t harm your productivity, you’ll have to pick something other than the base model because the XPS 13 was shown to consume a whopping 70 percent of its existing memory while sitting idle.
Unless Microsoft makes Windows 11 more memory efficient, laptop makers and their 8GB options may not have a chance against the MacBook Neo
We’ve already spoken about how well the MacBook Neo can handle a truckload of applications operating in the background, with one test showing that the $600 machine can run 60 apps running simultaneously while video streaming without so much as dropping a frame or experiencing a performance hit. On the other hand, the 8GB version of Dell’s XPS 13 is shown to consume 5.6GB of its available memory while doing nothing.
Showing off various corners of the XPS 13, @OfficeKabu shared an image of the available memory through the Windows 11 Task Manager. As you can see, there appears to be no tasks running, with the CPU’s clock speed operating at 1.07GHz, though usage is at 14 percent. One area where we incessantly criticize Microsoft is its allowing a multitude of applications that you need to run at startup.
This not only forces Windows 11 to consume more memory but also adversely affects battery life and performance while chewing up system resources. These are two features that XPS 13 requires in abundance to effectively compete with the MacBook Neo. Those who don’t wish to gravitate to macOS will need to disable startup and background apps, not to mention forcefully turn off some services they don’t require.
We also hope that Microsoft’s laptop partners and the software giant collaborate to reduce the amount of bloat to free up more RAM because, with the memory crisis expected to persist for a couple of years, the need for optimization has become all the more necessary.
News Source: @OfficeKabu
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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