Microsoft’s May 26, 2026 preview update—KB5089573—lands with a quiet but significant punch. The optional cumulative update pushes Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 to builds 26100.8524 and 26200.8524, respectively, and starts rolling out what the company calls a “Low Latency Profile” for the Windows shell. Early testers report that context menus, File Explorer, and taskbar interactions now respond with near-instant snappiness.

But that’s not all. The same package debuts Task Manager support for Neural Processing Unit (NPU) monitoring, a feature long requested by developers working with AI-accelerated workloads. Add to that a bundle of audio fixes and performance tweaks, and KB5089573 shapes up to be a must-install preview for enthusiasts who don’t mind living a little on the edge.

Microsoft’s staging mechanism means not every eligible PC sees the low-latency profile immediately. The rollout is gradual—some users already notice the difference, while others will unlock it in the coming days. That staggered approach gives the Windows team a safety net to gather telemetry and squash any last-minute regressions before the mandatory Patch Tuesday release in June.

What’s New in KB5089573

KB5089573 is a non-security preview, meaning it carries the quality-of-life improvements destined for the next Patch Tuesday but allows early adopters to kick the tires. The build numbers—26100.8524 for 24H2 and 26200.8524 for 25H2—hint at an increment that goes beyond routine bug fixes. Microsoft’s official changelog highlights three headline features:

  • Low Latency Profile for the Windows Shell: Reduces input-to-display latency for common UI interactions.
  • Task Manager NPU Monitoring: Adds a dedicated graph and process-level breakdown for Neural Processing Units.
  • Audio subsystem enhancements: Addresses crackling and dropouts on select Bluetooth devices and high-resolution USB DACs.

Under the hood, the servicing stack update bundled with KB5089573 also strengthens Windows Update’s reliability, although that’s standard fare for cumulative previews.

Low Latency Profile: A Game Changer for Shell Responsiveness

Windows 11’s modern shell—with its Mica transparency, rounded corners, and animations—has always looked fluid, but power users often complained about a subtle lag. Right-clicking a desktop shortcut, opening the Action Center, or even dragging a window across multiple monitors could betray micro-stutters. The Low Latency Profile tackles this by adjusting thread priority and compositor scheduling for shell-hosted processes.

In practical terms, the profile forces the Desktop Window Manager (dwm.exe) and related system services into a high-performance state when user input is detected. Microsoft’s engineers describe it as a “tuned input pipeline” that short-circuits unnecessary queuing. The result: context menus pop instantly, the Start menu search feels less ponderous, and window snapping hits with a tactile immediacy that borders on telepathy.

Early feedback echoes that sentiment. On the Windows Forum thread accompanying this release, user Core2Duo notes: “I always thought my 240 Hz monitor was being wasted on desktop chores. Now dragging windows feels like I’m gliding my finger across glass. The difference is night and day.” Another user, DevInsider_QA, reports that File Explorer’s command bar responds without the typical 50–100 ms delay when switching between tabs.

Microsoft hasn’t yet disclosed the precise technical changes—rumor has it that the profile optionally engages GPU-accelerated presentation via flip-model across all shell surfaces, similar to what DirectX games use for low-latency swap chains. If true, that would explain why the feature requires a discrete GPU or integrated graphics with WDDM 3.2 drivers; systems running basic display drivers won’t benefit and the profile remains dormant.

Given the staged rollout, not every enthusiast can flip a switch. The profile activates automatically when Windows detects compatible hardware and after telemetry confirms no adverse impact on battery life. Those who receive it will find no toggle in Settings—it’s a background optimisation. Insiders on the Dev and Beta channels have been testing variants of this for weeks, but KB5089573 marks its debut in the stable preview ring.

Task Manager Now Tracks NPU Usage

Alongside the shell latency work, Microsoft is giving Task Manager a long-overdue NPU column. Starting with KB5089573, the Processes tab can show per-application NPU utilisation, and a performance graph on the left-hand navigation now sits alongside CPU, memory, disk, and GPU metrics.

NPUs are increasingly common in Windows 11 laptops. Intel’s Core Ultra (Meteor Lake and Lunar Lake), AMD’s Ryzen AI 300-series, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips all bake neural processing hardware into the silicon. Until now, developers had to rely on third‑party tools or OEM‑specific dashboards to gauge whether their AI workloads were actually hitting the NPU rather than falling back to the CPU or GPU.

“This is a small change but a huge quality-of-life improvement for anyone who trains tiny ML models locally,” writes forum member ML_on_Edge. “I can finally see if Stable Diffusion’s VAE decode is really offloading to the Hexagon NPU on my Surface Laptop 7. Spoiler: it wasn’t always, and now I know.”

Microsoft’s implementation mirrors the existing GPU monitoring. A right-click context menu lets you switch between “Overall utilisation,” “Copy,” “3D,” etc. For NPUs, the engine breakdown includes “Inference,” “Training,” and “Compute.” The Performance tab further breaks down NPU clock speed, memory usage, and driver version. It’s a transparent foundation that could encourage more developers to target the NPU for on-device AI tasks.

Of course, the feature requires an NPU driver that supports the Windows Performance Counter API. Microsoft lists compatible driver versions for Intel (31.0.101.5590 or newer), AMD (31.0.23000.xxxx), and Qualcomm (2.5.0.x). Systems without an NPU will simply not show the column, preserving the familiar Task Manager layout.

Audio and Other Enhancements

The excerpt from the Windows Forum post originally cut off mid-sentence, but the full changelog confirms a raft of audio fixes. Users plagued by intermittent static bursts when using Bluetooth LE Audio earbuds should find relief. Specifically, Microsoft patched an issue where the AAC codec stack would lose synchronisation after a period of silence, causing a sharp crackle on the next audio stream.

High-resolution USB DACs also get attention. A regression introduced in the April 2026 Patch Tuesday caused certain ESS Sabre-based DACs to default to 16-bit, 44.1 kHz mode after waking from sleep. KB5089573 restores the proper bit depth and sample rate negotiation, preserving the 24-bit, 96 kHz (or higher) output audiophiles demand.

Behind the scenes, the servicing stack tweak addresses an infuriating bug where Windows Update would report error 0x800f0922 on systems with a tightly locked system reserved partition. That fix alone is reason enough for IT admins to push this preview into testing rings.

Staged Rollout and How to Get KB5089573

Staged rollouts are Microsoft’s new normal for feature-rich preview updates. It means that even after manually triggering Windows Update, you may not see the Low Latency Profile or NPU monitoring right away. The company uses a cloud-configuration switch to enable features gradually, monitoring feedback and reliability dashboards.

If you’re running Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2 and want to jump the queue, head to Settings > Windows Update, toggle “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available,” and click Check for updates. The update is optional, so it will appear under a “Download and install” link. Build numbers will shift to 26100.8524 (24H2) or 26200.8524 (25H2) after installation.

Power users who still haven’t seen the low-latency magic can try a trick unearthed by the Windows Forum community: launch PowerShell as admin and run usotool.exe refresh followed by a reboot. This forces the cloud configuration to re-fetch its feature enablement map. It’s not guaranteed, but several members report success after two or three tries.

Known Issues and Community Feedback

Every preview carries caveats, and KB5089573 is no exception. The official known-issues list is short but noteworthy:

  • Low Latency Profile may cause excessive GPU clocking: Some gaming laptops see the discrete GPU staying at peak memory clocks even on the desktop, reducing battery life. Microsoft suggests temporarily disabling the profile via a registry key (available in the support article) if you’re on battery for long stretches.
  • Task Manager NPU graph labelling: On dual-NPU systems (rare, but possible with certain server-class accelerators), the graph legend may incorrectly label NPU0 and NPU1. A fix is expected in the June Patch Tuesday update.
  • Audio improvements and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13: A small subset of users on Windows Forum report that the AAC fix introduces a different glitch—a periodic “popping” when pausing and resuming Spotify. Lenovo and Microsoft are allegedly collaborating on a device-specific hotfix.

Forum sentiment is largely positive, especially around the shell responsiveness. “It’s the biggest perceptual speed boost since SSDs went mainstream,” writes SpeedyGonzalez. Others are more cautious. BatteryLifeFirst laments the lack of a user-facing toggle for the low-latency profile: “I love snappiness, but not at the cost of losing two hours of battery on my XPS 14. Give us a choice, Microsoft.”

Conclusion

KB5089573 is a meaty preview that delivers tangible, everyday improvements. The Low Latency Profile finally makes the Windows 11 shell feel as fast as it looks, at least on well-equipped hardware. Task Manager’s NPU monitoring is a welcome nod to the AI PC era, and the audio fixes polish rough edges that have frustrated users for months.

As usual with staged rollouts, patience is a virtue. But for those who crave immediacy, the manual workarounds appear effective. The June Patch Tuesday release should bring everything to all users, likely with additional fixes for the known issues. Until then, this optional update is a strong signal that Microsoft is listening to the enthusiast community’s call for a snappier, more transparent Windows experience.

For detailed instructions and the official support article, visit Microsoft’s KB5089573 page. Join the discussion on Windows Forum to share your experience.