8GB RAM Installed, but running a 32-bit version of Windows 10 Pro. Is it worth re-installing a 64-bit OS to get extra RAM?

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Ryan S

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Nov 27, 2014
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I have an x64 based processor. Would I have to pay for a new product key?
Also, with all of the programs I have installed, it will probably take a day or two to set everything up again. Will I see much of a difference?

Note: Original issue was that my RAM was showing 8GB installed with only 2.19GB usable.
 
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Solandri
No you don't have to pay for a new product key. The same key works for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows. You just need to find/download a 64-bit installation disk or file for the version of Windows you're using, and you can reinstall using your current key.
Edit: Just noticed you said Win 10 Pro. That's about the only version of Windows I haven't tried 32-bit vs 64-bit with, so it would be nice to get some confirmation that the same key works for both versions.

A few years ago I would've agreed with the recommendation to just leave it if you only use the PC for office tasks. But Chrome has grown in popularity, and Firefox is moving towards adopting Chrome's memory model. Every time you load a new page or tab in Chrome...
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XiPH3R

XiPH3R

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Dec 9, 2014
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if you do gaming and lot of heavy workloads then upgrading to a 64x os is totally recommended.
but if you use your pc for general stuff, i doubt you will see a huge difference. you can some money and upgrade later on
 
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Solandri

Solandri

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Jan 4, 2012
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No you don't have to pay for a new product key. The same key works for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows. You just need to find/download a 64-bit installation disk or file for the version of Windows you're using, and you can reinstall using your current key.
Edit: Just noticed you said Win 10 Pro. That's about the only version of Windows I haven't tried 32-bit vs 64-bit with, so it would be nice to get some confirmation that the same key works for both versions.

A few years ago I would've agreed with the recommendation to just leave it if you only use the PC for office tasks. But Chrome has grown in popularity, and Firefox is moving towards adopting Chrome's memory model. Every time you load a new page or tab in Chrome, it spawns a new instance with its own memory. Not only does this provide security between tabs (so a site on one tab cannot steal info you're typing into another tab), but it prevents one tab crashing from bringing down the entire browser. The downside is that it ends up consuming a lot more memory. It's not unusual for Chrome alone to be using 2-3 GB on my computer.

Unless you're planning to upgrade to a new computer soon, I'd go ahead and reinstall the 64-bit version. This is one of those things which becomes harder to do the longer you've been using the computer - new programs you've installed and configurations you've tweaked add more work to do after you reinstall. Better to get it over with now rather than later.
 
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