Question from Ronnie G.: I bought a pallet of what appeared to be mostly junk for $28 at a storage auction. To my surprise, one of the boxes on the pallet had a like-new Microsoft Surface 3 in it.
This device came with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of flash storage. I know the RAM can’t be upgraded so I should never really need a 64 bit Windows.
My question is would replacing the Windows 10/64 bit that’s on it with 32 bit Windows 10 speed things up any? This machine isn’t a snail, but I’d like to make it run faster if I can.
Rick’s answer: The short answer to your question is no, Ronnie. While 32 bit Windows uses less RAM to run than its 64 bit counterpart, that isn’t likely to speed up your machine enough to even be noticeable.
But there’s an even bigger reason why switching to 32 bit Windows on your Surface 3 isn’t a good idea…
The hardware inside your Surface 3 was designed from the ground up to work with 64 bit drivers. That means if you remove your current Windows 10 installation and replace it with Windows 10/32 bit you’re sure to end up with some serious driver issues.
Bottom line: I strongly recommend that you keep using your Surface 3 with the 64 bit Windows 10 that came pre-installed on it. Otherwise you’ll probably end up with a major headache with no real performance boost to show for it.
And by the way, congrats on getting such a great deal on your Surface 3. While it’s a bit anemic as Surface devices go, it’s still a great machine – and they practically gave it to you!
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Thanks for this one Rick.
You’re very welcome, Doris.