Surface Pro 3 and Windows 11

The Windows 11 CPU requirement is not met by the Surface Pro 3. Has anyone used the registry hack (The easy way to install Windows 11 on unsupported CPUs – The Verge) to install Windows 11 on a SP3 and can comment on the performance. my main laptop is a SP7 but I keep the SP3 as backup and use it when in my camper. I prefer a single experience and am not looking for a blazing experience.

For that matter I have a Surface 3 I would like to update. Perhaps I would be better off installing Linux or ChromeOS? What distro have people used for installing Linux or ChromeOS on these legacy Surface machines?

Conversation 5 comments

  • wunderbar

    Premium Member
    20 June, 2022 - 11:01 am

    <p>You should be able to install Windows 11 no problem on it, with the caveat that it is technically unsupported which means that there may be issues that pop up in the future and you won’t get support on them.</p>

  • simard57

    20 June, 2022 - 12:07 pm

    <p>It will not install automatically. I am asking what the performance was like for those that did install it. </p><p><br></p>

  • wunderbar

    Premium Member
    20 June, 2022 - 3:37 pm

    <p>It’ll perform the exact same as Windows 10 does.</p>

  • navarac

    21 June, 2022 - 4:54 pm

    <p>Windows 10 is slow and Windows 11 was no improvement when I tried it (albeit 10 months ago). Not the answer you are looking for, but Linux Mint runs like a dream on my SP3, quite snappy in fact. </p>

    • simard57

      21 June, 2022 - 8:56 pm

      <p>Thank you – the SP3 meets my performance needs for this backup machine. I will try 11 next and can move to Mint as a next step if I find the SP3 orphaned.</p>

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