Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Raises Desktop Minimum RAM Requirement

According to Canonical’s documentation, the upcoming Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 LTS—set to launch on April 23—will come with higher memory requirements compared to the current LTS version.

Right now, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS lists 4 GB of RAM as the minimum for desktop installations. However, the in-progress release notes for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS recommend a 2 GHz dual-core CPU or better, at least 6 GB of RAM, and 25 GB of available storage.

This marks the first recent Ubuntu Desktop LTS release to raise the minimum RAM requirement from 4 GB to 6 GB. Other system requirements remain unchanged, with the CPU and storage recommendations staying at a 2 GHz dual-core processor and 25 GB of disk space.

It’s worth noting that this change only affects the Desktop edition. Ubuntu Server requirements remain flexible and depend on the workload. According to Canonical, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Server can start with as little as 1.5 GB of RAM and 4 GB of storage.

For comparison, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Server on amd64 requires 1.5 GB RAM for ISO installations (or 1 GB for cloud images), along with 5 GB of storage for ISO installs and 4 GB for cloud images.

Interestingly, Ubuntu’s new 6 GB RAM baseline for Desktop now exceeds Microsoft’s official requirements for both Windows 10 and Windows 11, which stand at 2 GB (64-bit Windows 10) and 4 GB (Windows 11).

Canonical hasn’t provided an official explanation for the increase, but it likely reflects a more realistic baseline for a smooth desktop experience—especially with Ubuntu 26.04 LTS expected to ship with GNOME 50, which may demand more system resources.