When it comes to running Windows®, does the underlying architecture matter? Windows is just Windows, right?
In a perfect world, that would be true. But in reality, the CPU architecture—x86/x64 (32-bit and 64-bit) or Arm®—has a profound effect on Windows capabilities, application support, and even peripheral support. End users need to choose their devices for Windows carefully in order to ensure support for the applications and workloads they rely on. And software developers need to potentially double their efforts to write applications, drivers, and application programming interfaces (APIs) that are supported on both architectures.
For end users who just need to get their work done, the consequences of choosing the wrong system can be significant.
Based on extensive testing and research on Microsoft Surface® Pro 9 devices using both Intel® x86/x64 and Arm architectures, Prowess Consulting determined that devices running Windows on x64 architecture are a better fit for most users. The Intel processor–based variants that we examined offer:
• Better performance across a wide range of industry-standard benchmarks
• Broader compatibility for applications and games
• Comprehensive support for third-party drivers, support files, and peripheral devices, including monitors, webcams, and other hardware
• Support for all-day battery life1
• A better user experience (UX), with less friction from slow or buggy applications
In comparison, the Surface on Arm device provides all-day battery life and 5G cellular.
Published: 08/15/2023