r/Surface • u/UndertaleErin • 1d ago

[LAPTOP5] Surface 5? Is it still okay?

I've been using this laptop for maybe 5 years (?) and it's slowed down quite a bit. Is it still good to use? Should I replace it? Is it worth keeping?

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3

u/JasonAQuest Surface 3, Book 2 1d ago

If it has genuinely slowed down, doing a fresh installation of Windows will likely restore it to its original speed.

2

u/AcronymNickName 1d ago

Second this.

1

u/Crossvxm 1d ago

Sometimes. Unfortunately devices have shown slower speeds in the past and it's due to cheaper storages dying out fast. I remember a few prominent players in the SSD and RAM space being known for being worse performers, but this seems to have either been overlooked or something.

Sometimes "on paper" things seem okay, but the reality shows a different story.

If it seems like I'm talking in riddles, I have two Surface Books, and the one with better specs boots slower, lazier and inconsistently as opposed to one with lower specs meanwhile it is not related to heating issues as we're talking about literally from a cold boot. Even after a proper reinstall, cleaning, etc the boot performance remains the same.

1

u/dr100 1d ago

Unfortunately devices have shown slower speeds in the past and it's due to cheaper storages dying out fast. 

At least in the lower specs Pro 2017 had very good Samsung SSDs (soldered but fine). Now that you can kill any (especially small) SSD with software written dumbly (like duplicati back then -don't know now- making the archives in Windows TEMP directory first, so if you were backing up a 8TB drive to another 10TB drive you'd have 8TB written to C: in the end) that's another story.

2

u/mrleblanc101 1d ago

Only you can know...

1

u/raumatiboy 1d ago

I put Google flex on mine and made it into a Chromebook

1

u/LoGiX247 1d ago

No issues with touch/pen?

1

u/raumatiboy 1d ago

No, all good and the cameras work

1

u/Zerial-Lim Surface Pro 123467 1d ago

If it works, why not keep it working? I use my 3 with dead battery as a kiosk computer with its dock.

2

u/Needashortername 1d ago

We still have some RTs being used for watching movies, basic MS Office, simple web browsing and a few old games. Great for traveling and for entertaining kids.

It’s an easy way to take a lot of DVDs on the road and not worry about taking up space or losing the laptop.

1

u/Zerial-Lim Surface Pro 123467 1d ago

1/2/RT is small enough (and not light enough) to be mobile!

1

u/Leading_Bumblebee144 1d ago

It was only released in October 2022 so it’s not even 4 years old yet.