Microsoft is preparing to enable memory integrity on more Windows 11 PCs starting in October. The purpose of the security feature is to protect systems from malicious code, but there is a reason why gamers should pay attention to it.
Microsoft has previously acknowledged that Memory Integrity can affect game performance on some Windows 11 systems. In 2022, the company even published instructions explaining how players can temporarily disable Memory Integrity and the Virtual Machine Platform if they experience problems.
Microsoft is now extending memory integrity to more existing Windows 11 PCs through regular Windows Quality Updates. The feature will be automatically enabled on eligible systems in October.
We’ve tested this before
When the issue first arose in 2022, we tested memory integrity and related virtualization features ourselves using a Core i5-13600K and RTX 3060 Ti in six games at 1080p resolution.
Disabling security features resulted in less than a 3% improvement in most of our tests. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla It improved by 4.5%, while Gears tactics It increased by 4.6%. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves It rose by 2.8% and Far Cry 6 It improved by 1.8%. Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Cyberpunk 2077 hardly changed.
Other tests have shown significantly greater losses for certain hardware, including performance drops approaching 15%. Microsoft also noted that older processors that do not have virtualization features supported by newer hardware may have a greater impact on performance. So while memory integrity can reduce game performance, the difference can vary significantly depending on your computer and the game you’re playing.
What changes in October
Memory Integrity, also known as Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity or HVCI, checks kernel-mode code and drivers before allowing them to run. It uses virtualization-based security to prevent malicious or untrusted code from accessing critical parts of Windows.
Microsoft doesn’t blindly enable it on every computer. Windows checks hardware capabilities, driver compatibility, and performance before enabling this feature. Systems where the user or administrator has already disabled memory integrity will also retain this option.
The setting can also be turned off afterwards using Windows Security. However, Microsoft recommends leaving it enabled, as disabling Memory Integrity removes an additional layer of protection. If your game performance takes a noticeable hit after the October update, you may want to check your memory integrity. However, if turning it off doesn’t mean much, it’s probably better to leave it enabled.
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