Should I go 64 bit

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nicholas Hall
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Nicholas Hall

My computer is coming close to need reinstalling. At the moment I am running
windows vista 32 bit. I have a retail boxed version of vista, which includes
the 64 bit version of vista. I have a HP computer, which has a quad core
processor and has 4 gigs of ram. I wondered what the pros and cons are when
having the 64 bit version of windows vista?

Any help advice and links would be gratefully accepted.

NIK
 
Whether or not 64bit drivers are available for all your HW & periferals
Whether you have any apps that can utilise 64bit
"coming close to need reinstalling" why? does it have a problem
 
Nicholas Hall said:
My computer is coming close to need reinstalling. At the moment I am
running windows vista 32 bit. I have a retail boxed version of vista,
which includes the 64 bit version of vista. I have a HP computer, which
has a quad core processor and has 4 gigs of ram. I wondered what the pros
and cons are when having the 64 bit version of windows vista?

Any help advice and links would be gratefully accepted.
Click to expand...

The best thing for you to do, would be to inform yourself via the search
method, if you insist on using your 64-bit version of Vista.
As mentioned already, there is no need to 'reinstall', since Vista can be
fixed internally, unless something really drastic happened, which your
remark doesn't indicate.

Harry.
 
Nicholas said:
My computer is coming close to need reinstalling. At the moment I am
running windows vista 32 bit. I have a retail boxed version of vista,
which includes the 64 bit version of vista. I have a HP computer, which
has a quad core processor and has 4 gigs of ram. I wondered what the
pros and cons are when having the 64 bit version of windows vista?

Any help advice and links would be gratefully accepted.

NIK
Click to expand...


Unless you have applications specifically designed to take advantage of
a 64-bit OS, there are really very few "pros," at this time. Sure, you
might be able to take a bit more advantage of your full amount of RAM,
but without highly memory-intensive applications, this wouldn't really
make a very noticeable difference.

As for "cons," these would entail whether or not all of your peripheral
devices have 64-bit device drivers available, and whether or not your
chosen applications - especially those that access the file system and
"guts" of the OS directly, like anti-virus applications and maintenance
utilities - are compatible with a 64-bit OS. (Most 32-bit day-to-day
applications can run on a 64-bit OS, but not all, so careful planning is
important.)


--

Bruce Chambers

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killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
No DL I do not have any problems with my computer at the moment, but I do
like to reinstall my system every one year.

NIK
 
Nicholas Hall wrote:
Click to expand...

Now given that I've explained why I don't boot into Vista 64-bit or
Windows 7, why do I default to Vista 32-bit instead of XP 32-bit? Oh, I
dunno. Vista is prettier and it actually does load a few seconds
faster. That's about it.
Click to expand...

Commendable honesty! :-)
 
As Bruce Chambers said stick with 32bit vista until you have to/or need some
64bit applications when the 32bit version does get it done for you.
Programs like CAD, Professional movie editing graphic design etc. I see no
reason to go to 64bit just for the sake of 64 bit and being able to handle
more memory. There are not that many 64bit programs that the everyday user
will need for now. One day, and I don't know when, but when most of the
developers start building more 64bit programs and stop 32bit due to falling
sales.

H Brown
 
My TV tuners drivers don't work with 4 GB of ram or more in the 64 bit
version of Vista/Windows 7 beta.
My system has 6 GB or ram and I can install three more sticks of ram to
bring it up to 12 GB.
But because I don't want to buy new TV tuners right now, I stick with the 32
bit versions of Windows.
Also a scanner I have doesn't work with the 64 bit.

Since you only have 4 GB of ram, you aren't losing much by sticking with 32
bit.
The 64 bit Windows would probably consume extra ram anyway because of 64 bit
wide usage instead of only 32 bits wide (for example pointers consume twice
as much ram when they need to be 64 bits instead of 32 bits), so you don't
get as much extra ram than you might think from switching to 64 bit.
 
Nicholas Hall said:
My computer is coming close to need reinstalling. At the moment I am
running windows vista 32 bit. I have a retail boxed version of vista,
which includes the 64 bit version of vista. I have a HP computer, which
has a quad core processor and has 4 gigs of ram. I wondered what the pros
and cons are when having the 64 bit version of windows vista?

Any help advice and links would be gratefully accepted.

NIK
Click to expand...

64 bit unless you have a real absolute reason not to. All 32 bit programs
except for device drivers are supposed to work 64 bit and 64 bit is the
future. In fact, MS-Winodws was one of the last OSes to support 64 bit but
is old enough now you should consider it standard stuff going forward.
 
Cat-In-A-Flat said:
If you don't fill the PC up with crap, it will never come "close to
needing re-installing".
If you are of that mentality, 32-bit vs 64-bit is an useless argument.
4 GB of RAM is more than you need.
An HP computer?
Hah!
You don't even have the excuse of being a gamer.

Try a Vista head type forum!

Good Luck!
Click to expand...

Depends, I have 8GB of RAM and often hit 100% used in memory. But then
again I might pull 6 VMs up at once and the MySQL/Linux likes memory but
goes like smoke.
 
Nicholas Hall said:
My computer is coming close to need reinstalling. At the moment I am
running windows vista 32 bit. I have a retail boxed version of vista,
which includes the 64 bit version of vista. I have a HP computer, which
has a quad core processor and has 4 gigs of ram. I wondered what the pros
and cons are when having the 64 bit version of windows vista?
Click to expand...

I'd say give it ago. Worst case scenario you'd waste a couple of hours.

Just install 64-bit, don't bother activating it first off, and see if it
works with your hardware and software. If it does great, if it doesn't just
blast 32-bit back over it.

Pros for 64-bit version include it being more secure and being able to use
all your RAM. Cons for 32-bit version, its only using about 3GB of your
RAM.
 
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