Microsoft tests Windows 11 unified memory reservation for AI and graphics

Microsoft is testing a new feature in a Windows 11 experimental build called ‘IntelligentCarveout’ that allows users to reserve specific portions of unified memory for graphics and AI-intensive applications. Discovered in build 29648.1000, the tool aims to prevent background processes from competing for the same memory pool used by the GPU and AI accelerators.

This capability is particularly relevant for upcoming hardware architectures that utilize large pools of unified LPDDR5X memory, such as NVIDIA’s RTX Spark platform and AMD’s Ryzen AI Max series, which can support up to 128GB of shared memory. By allowing users to set memory allocation to levels like ‘High’ or ‘Maximum,’ the system can ensure that large language models (LLMs) and high-end gaming tasks have uninterrupted access to high-speed resources.

Unlike traditional PCs with dedicated VRAM, unified memory systems share a single pool between the CPU and GPU. While Windows currently manages this dynamically, the new setting would provide a native OS-level control to bypass dynamic allocation in favor of dedicated resource boundaries. The feature is expected to be located under ‘Settings > System > Advanced’ and may include options for custom or recommended profiles.