Windows 10: Best OS for really old PC

No, Linux, please guys. I appreciate the suggestions, but just no.

The max RAM is for the mobo is 4GB. Will be upgrading it today or tomorrow I think.

So what Windows OS now? Is there really such a difference between 7 and 10's memory usage? I don't like 10's UI, feels bloated IMO. A lot of useless features like tablet mode, Windows Store etc.

32-bit or 64-bit on 4GB of RAM?

 

Well what are you doing with the PC @djdelarosa25 ? Please be specific. Even so, there will still be varying opinions to a degree. If you don't like Windows 10, and all you do is productivity (Word/Excel/Mail/Browsing/Video/Music), a 32-bit OS would be fine (that's what I meant by x86), and as I said, if you opt for a 32-bit OS, you may as well just stick with 3 GB of RAM. The maximum amount of addressable memory space on a 32-bit system is 4 GB, but your video adapter and other hardware needs to map itself in that space as well. That means with 4 GB of RAM, you'll likely only see between 3.25 to 3.5 GB of RAM on 32-bit Windows.

 

Wasn't this same issue blown out of all proportion and then debunked when XP was replaced by Vista? Windows since Vista will use spare RAM to make the system faster and more responsive, then relinquish it to apps/games as they are launched. Merely seeing more RAM used when the desktop loads vs the previous iteration is no indication of how efficient the overall memory performance is? If you have the RAM installed it is rational for the OS to use it as much as possible until something else needs it.

Have you tried unpinning and un-installing the bloat from the start menu? I've not used 10 for long, but my early impressions are that it can be made tolerable with rearrangement, even if some of it seems clumsy vs 7. DX12 being Windows 10 exclusive is the main reason I'm using 10 now.

I'm sticking with what I've said before in the thread, 64 bit. If 32 bit has a performance advantage in some circumstances that advantage is small and infrequent. 64 bit native software may see big performance gains. Ask yourself: what are you going to be using that isn't available in 64 bit? What apps/games are you using often that are known to be significantly faster on a 32 bit OS?

 

Thanks for the suggestions! Will be going for 4GB of RAM and Windows 7 x64.

 

I have a dell latitude e6410 i5 2.67 processor, 4gb of ram and a 250gb hd. I got it running windows 7 ultimate and the night I got it installed windows 10 pro on it and it runs windows 10 pro perfect. seems faster than any machine I have played with running windows 7. windows 10 seems more stable as well

 

Just install Windows 10x64. It will work just fine.

Linux Mint 17.3x64 will also run on it just fine. Just because the machine is around 6 years of age, does not make it suddenly an antique.

The only laptop that I run Puppy Linux on, is a Toshiba Satellite that is around 20 years old. That is because it slowed down with Windows XP SP3 on it. Mainly used for testing purposes.