Win7 32 bit or 64 ??

[seano87]

My computing ability is somewhat limited in certain areas, so I'm sorry if this is a slightly silly question to some...

I am about to upgrade a computer from Vista to Win7 and I have both the 32 and 64 bit discs. Which one should I install??

What is the real difference?

Seano

[miky]

If you have a 64bit processor then 64bit win 7

[disco2hse]

The real difference is huge.

Go here for the Microsoft FAQ:
32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/32-bit-and-64-bit-Windows-frequently-asked-questions)

Alan

[miky]

The real difference is huge.

Go here for the Microsoft FAQ:
32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/32-bit-and-64-bit-Windows-frequently-asked-questions)

Alan

That is an excellent link Alan.

Seano, follow the instructions and if you have a 64bit processor use 64bit operating system.

Actually, I reckon that if you tried installing 64bit windows and you had a 32bit processor it tell you in no uncertain language that it aint going to install :)

[seano87]

Why thankyou to both of you!

It turns out it currently has 32bit vista, but the processor is 64 bit capable and with my lovely 4gb RAM 64bit will be the way to go.

Thanks!

Seano

[incisor]

but if you run 32 bit apps in 64bit windows you consume an extra gig of ram for the emulation so you really dont gain much.

and most apps are 32bit but work okay on a 64bit version so you use the extra gig..

but it is fairly stable

[seano87]

but if you run 32 bit apps in 64bit windows you consume an extra gig of ram for the emulation so you really dont gain much.

and most apps are 32bit but work okay on a 64bit version so you use the extra gig..

but it is fairly stable


I've actually ended up going with 32 for that reason. And due to some driver incompatibility issues. For what the computer will be used for, high performance isn't necessary.

Another big consideration was the free anti-virus software I get access to, I can't get 64 bit compatible.

My other computer will be getting it though. No more Vista!! :twisted:

[disco2hse]

I was just about to say those things. In the good old 8-bit days of DOS you only needed kilobytes of RAM, with 16-bit you needed about 4-8Mb, 32 if you were a power user. With 32-bit the requirements grew from 256Mb and more, and 64-bit means you need 2Gb and more. I have seen it recommended that you should have at least 6Gb if you are going to use XP compatibility mode.

Running 32-bit apps under 64-bit means you are running the OS under emulation. That effectively means you are running a virtual machine and that will be slower than if they were running in native 32-bit. Somewhere around as slow as Vista to give you an idea.

So, if all your apps are 32-bit then you are better off installing as 32-bit but in time you will need to upgrade to 64-bit.

Alan

[miky]

My new machine should be operational later next week and I will post some impressions on the forum.
Asus P6T board
Intel i7 920
12GB ram
GTX 260 graphics
3 HDD
Win 7 64bit

P6T has no serial port, so will need to use one of my usb to serial adapters. Damn... looks like this is the way things are going though.

I use some real old programs and it will be interesting to see how we go with them. Basically though I will still have my old machine with XP SP2 which will be a test bed for "stuff" that I play with.

[incisor]

it is quicker to run the real old programs in an old os running in vmware or similar in my experience....