Surface 3 2 gb vs 4 gb RAM

[CDG]

Hello guys need help.

I got my 2/64 on Monday and am very happy with it. Now I am thinking maybe I should spend the extra $100 and get the 4/128, mostly for the RAM. I don't really need the extra storage.

So any thought?

Thanks much

 

[narse77]

It really depends on what you plan to do with the device. I choose the 4gb model as I use a USB dock at work and use a lot of programs at the same time. I can have a few windows open in Edge, the SCCM console, RSAT and CCMViewer open no problem. Average ram usage is 3gb.

 

[malberttoo]

Hello guys need help.

I got my 2/64 on Monday and am very happy with it. Now I am thinking maybe I should spend the extra $100 and get the 4/128, mostly for the RAM. I don't really need the extra storage.

So any thought?

Thanks much

If you can afford it, I would. After the operating system takes its share, 2GB is not much...

 

[CDG]

It really depends on what you plan to do with the device. I choose the 4gb model as I use a USB dock at work and use a lot of programs at the same time. I can have a few windows open in Edge, the SCCM console, RSAT and CCMViewer open no problem. Average ram usage is 3gb.

Thanks very much, I tooled at the System Resource Monitor under various conditions and the usage varied from 53% - 68% with one peak at 84%. I read that as "nice to have" and not "must have", any thoughts?

If you can afford it, I would. After the operating system takes its share, 2GB is not much...

Thanks much, the extra $100 will be a stretch but makeable but I want to make sure that I absolutely cannot do without it.

PS: Will the battery be affected significantly by going from a 2 to a 4?

Thanks again.

 

[malberttoo]

Thanks very much, I tooled at the System Resource Monitor under various conditions and the usage varied from 53% - 68% with one peak at 84%. I read that as "nice to have" and not "must have", any thoughts?

Thanks much, the extra $100 will be a stretch but makeable but I want to make sure that I absolutely cannot do without it.

PS: Will the battery be affected significantly by going from a 2 to a 4?

Thanks again.

Not anything noticeable...

 

[CDG]

Thanks, still undecided.

Not anything noticeable...

 

[narse77]

To me 2gb simply is not enough. If you can stretch and spend the extra 100 for the 4gb model you should.

 

[BOBEL]

If you can afford it get it.

 

[Bryanmsi]

What everyone else said. If you can afford it, you should do it. The OS will never truly run out of memory (well, it can, but its very hard to do). Instead, it will increasingly rely on virtual memory, swapping memory contents to the eMMC SSD. Which is way slower than the system RAM. And that will have a very negative effect on system performance as you load more programs. So what you will experience is that the OS will still show some free memory available, but everything will begin slowing down.

Unlike storage, which you can expand with the micro-SD card slot, you will never be able to add system ram later.

 

[jrioux]

...I got my 2/64 on Monday and am very happy with it. Now I am thinking maybe I should spend the extra $100 and get the 4/128, mostly for the RAM. I don't really need the extra storage...

You should consider the business version, which has 4GB and Win Pro for $550. Google to find dealers.

 

[GreyFox7]

You should consider the business version, which has 4GB and Win Pro for $550. Google to find dealers.

Good point
List of Resellers: https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/business/order-now
CDW: http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/Microsoft-Surface-3-64GB-tablet/3674365.aspx?pfm=srh

 

[CDG]

Thanks everyone, I exchanged mine for the 4/128 version this afternoon.

As it turned out it was $40 off, so I had to only pay $60 and not $100.

Thank you all for all your helpful suggestions.