In summary:
- Ubuntu 26.04 LTS now requires 6 GB of RAM and a dual-core 2GHz processor, exceeding Windows 11’s 4 GB RAM requirement.
- PCWorld highlights this shift challenges Ubuntu’s reputation as a lightweight alternative for older computers and weaker machines.
- Users with limited hardware may need to consider alternative Linux distributions like Fedora, Zorin OS, or Nobara instead.
If you want a modern operating system on an older computer, the general recommendation has long been to replace Windows with some version of Linux. And with Ubuntu being one of the most popular distros, many have turned that way over the years.
But that may not be the top recommendation going forward, especially for weaker machines. Neowin points out that the latest version of Ubuntu now has higher system requirements than Windows 11.
To install Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, you’ll need a computer with at minimum a dual-core 2GHz processor and at least 6 GB of RAM. By comparison, Windows 11’s minimum requirement still sits at a dual-core 1GHz processor and at least 4 GB of RAM. (That said, we recommend no less than 8 GB of RAM for Windows 11, more if you can swing it.)
Meanwhile, Windows 11 still requires hardware with TPM 2.0 security and at least 64 GB of storage space, while Ubuntu 26.04 LTS has no TPM requirement and only needs 25 GB of storage space.
Going forward, if you want a lightweight Linux-based operating system for a weaker PC, you might want to check out slimmer distros such as Fedora, Zorin OS, or Nobara.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC för Alla and was translated and localized from Swedish.
Author: Mikael Markander, Contributor, PCWorld
Mikael writes news across all our consumer tech categories. He has previously worked with Macworld, but today mainly writes for our sister sites PC för Alla and M3. Mikael has a firm grasp on which gadgets are released, and what is happening with the streaming services and the latest AI tools.