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What Core Isolation and Memory Integrity do
Core isolation is the Windows Security grouping for protections that isolate core Windows processes in a virtualized environment. Memory Integrity is the interface name for Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI), a security feature that runs kernel-mode code-integrity checks in that isolated environment. It helps restrict dangerous kernel memory allocations and makes it harder for malicious or untrusted low-level drivers to compromise Windows. The underlying platform is virtualization-based security (VBS); VBS and Memory Integrity are related, but they are not interchangeable terms. Microsoft describes Memory Integrity as running kernel-mode code integrity within VBS’s isolated virtual environment.
In short, this is a Windows security feature, not a game setting or an FPS limiter. Its performance cost, if any, comes from the security mechanisms and how a particular PC supports them.
Does Memory Integrity lower FPS?
It can affect performance, but the size of the effect varies. Microsoft says newer processors can use hardware execution controls for HVCI: Intel Kaby Lake and newer processors support Mode-Based Execution Control, while AMD Zen 2 and newer support Guest Mode Execute Trap. On older processors, Windows may use Restricted User Mode emulation, which Microsoft says has a larger performance impact. That hardware dependence is one reason a figure from another PC cannot predict your result. Microsoft’s HVCI documentation explains the implementation details.
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A frequently cited benchmark illustrates the variation, but it is historical rather than a current forecast. In tests published in 2021, Tom’s Hardware reported roughly a 5% average gaming-performance impact on its tested 11th-generation Intel system and roughly 4% on its tested Ryzen 5000 system. Those averages reflect the publication’s tested systems and security configurations; they are not a universal prediction or a clean estimate of Memory Integrity alone. The tests compared VBS-only and VBS-plus-HVCI configurations, so attributing every reported change specifically to HVCI would be misleading. Read the Tom’s Hardware test and its configuration details.
Individual games differed: Tom’s Hardware reported around a 1% loss in Grand Theft Auto V, around 5% in Far Cry 5, and around 6% in Project Cars 3. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the measured loss was 7.3% with DirectX 12 and 4.4% with Vulkan; Vulkan was tested in only that one title. These are results from that 2021 test, not expected losses for every game or a standalone Memory Integrity measurement. The benchmark article provides the test breakdown.
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How to check whether it affects your PC
If you want to know whether the setting matters for your gaming setup, compare it under controlled conditions rather than relying on a single run or another system’s percentage.
- Choose one game and a repeatable scene, such as the same built-in benchmark or saved location.
- Record your resolution, graphics settings, graphics API, drivers, background applications and the method you use to measure performance. Keep them the same for each comparison.
- Run the scene several times with Memory Integrity in its current state, and note both average FPS and frame-time consistency.
- Open Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details > Memory integrity. Change the setting only if you are comfortable with the security tradeoff, then restart if Windows requests it.
- Repeat the same runs and compare the results. A difference that appears consistently across runs is more useful than a one-off change.
Windows may show different controls depending on its version and the installed hardware. Microsoft documents the setting’s location and cautions that some drivers and applications may be incompatible; rarely, enabling Memory Integrity can cause a boot failure. See Microsoft’s Device security guidance if you encounter a compatibility problem.
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Should you turn Memory Integrity off for gaming?
There is no best setting for every player. Keep it enabled if the protection matters more to you than a performance change you have not measured, or if you see no meaningful improvement with it off. Consider disabling it only after a repeatable comparison shows a worthwhile benefit on your PC and you accept the reduced kernel protection. HVCI helps defend Windows against attacks that target the kernel; switching it off is not a risk-free optimization. Microsoft’s HVCI overview describes the protection it provides.
Compatibility is a separate reason to investigate the setting: Microsoft notes that certain hardware drivers or applications may malfunction when Memory Integrity is enabled. If that happens, consult Microsoft’s troubleshooting guidance rather than treating the control as a routine FPS switch. Microsoft’s guidance on Windows device security covers the feature and its availability.
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What to know about Windows 11’s default setting
The default state may change as Microsoft expands availability. Tom’s Hardware reported in September 2026 that Microsoft planned to begin enabling Memory Integrity on additional eligible PCs through quality updates starting in October 2026, with hardware, compatibility and performance readiness signals informing eligibility. The report also said PCs where users had deliberately disabled the feature would retain that configuration. This is a report about a planned rollout, not a performance benchmark or a guarantee about the state of every Windows 11 PC. Read Tom’s Hardware’s September 2026 rollout report.
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- Cool Comfort: Enjoy a stable surface with our lap desk's dual bolster cushion, designed for comfort and airflow, keeping your lap cool during extended use.
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