Which Windows version is best for my home lab in terms of resource usage?

Technology Forum
1

Hey everyone! I found this table about Windows operating systems and their resource usage. I know Linux is often recommended, but I need Windows for my apps. Right now, I’m using Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC, and when I start a VM, it consumes around 3GB of memory, which is a bit concerning for me. What version do you use, and how has it worked for your setup?

Version Memory Usage (Idle) CPU Usage (Idle) Memory Savings vs. Original CPU Savings vs. Original
Windows 10 Pro/Home ~1.5-2 GB ~3-5% Baseline Baseline
Windows 10 LTSC ~500-800 MB ~1-2% ~50-60% ~80-90%
Windows 10 IoT ~300-400 MB ~0-1% ~70-80% ~90%
Windows 11 Pro/Home ~2-2.5 GB ~4-6% Baseline Baseline
Windows 11 LTSC ~700-900 MB ~1-2% ~60-70% ~80-90%
Windows 11 IoT ~400-500 MB ~0-1% ~70-80% ~90%
Customized Pro/Home ~700 MB - 1 GB ~1-3% ~50-65% (Windows 10) ~50-70% (Windows 10)
2

I switched to Windows 10 LTSC a while back, and it’s been great. My idle memory usage is around 500-800 MB, which really helps with my VMs.

3

That sounds promising! Do you find it performs well with multiple VMs running?

4

Absolutely! It handles multiple VMs without a hitch. I highly recommend it.

5

I’m currently on Windows 11 LTSC, and it’s been pretty efficient too. My memory usage is around 700-900 MB when idle.

6

Nice! How does it compare to using Windows 10 LTSC?

7

It’s similar but I feel like Windows 11 has a bit more polish. Performance-wise, both are solid for VMs.

8

If you want to save even more resources, consider Windows 10 IoT. It’s around 300-400 MB for idle usage.

9

Wow, that’s a big difference! What kind of applications do you run on it?

10

I mainly run lightweight applications, and it works just fine for my needs.

11

I’ve customized my Windows 10 Pro to reduce resource usage, and it runs at about 700 MB for idle. It’s been a good compromise for my applications.

12

Customization sounds interesting! Any tips on what to tweak?

13

I mainly disable unnecessary services and features. It really helps with performance.

14

I’d suggest going with Windows 10 LTSC if you’re looking for the best resource savings overall. It’s been smooth for me.

15

Thanks for the advice! I’ll look into that version for my setup. Appreciate everyone’s input!