32bit or 64bit versions of Windows - Is there that much of a difference?

[LGraves]

Hey, Im looking to build a new pc using Windows 7.

Im curious if using the 64bit addition for the extra RAM,makes that much more of a difference? 4gigs compared to 8 for gaming.

 

[mak50]

hi,
its simple 32bit means its limited upto 4gigs but its not so in 64bit.

 

[SNGX1275]

It makes a huge difference in the available RAM if you are going to be using 8 gigs. For games, probably not an incredible difference if you don't have a ton of other background stuff going on.

Having said that, provided you don't have odd hardware that doesn't have 64bit drivers, there really is no reason not to use 64bit Windows now.

 

[captaincranky]

Hey, Im looking to build a new pc using Windows 7.

Im curious if using the 64bit addition for the extra RAM,makes that much more of a difference? 4gigs compared to 8 for gaming.

More RAM doesn't do as much for gaming as it does for video editing and very large file photo manipulation.

Regardless of that, I think it's time that everybody's next computer should be 64bit. It's surely not going away, and more and more software is being made compatible with it rapidly. Program compatibility is particularly good with Windows 7, (Pro and better) since you can run all your old programs in "XP Mode". You therefore have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Another "enticement" for 64 bit if you will, is that nowadays, almost all drivers are being released in 32 and 64 bit versions simultaneously (This applies to drivers for new hardware only).

To run XP Mode though, just make sure whichever CPU you choose supports, "virtualization".

 

[LGraves]

Thanks for the replies. I will be going with the 64bit version.

 

[vegasrez]

Sounds like a wise decision

 

[JamesP]

My 64bit machine does not like me using internet explorer 64bit as there are no flash drivers for 64, I have to use 32bit version???

 

[DelJo63]

be aware however, some software is not 64bit compatible and if it can tollerate 64bit, it will be in 32bit mode.

if that same software is your accounting system or other business software ---
caveat emptor.

 

[Archean]

@JamesP:
That is because Adobe has been sitting on its big fat a@@ for so long not realizing that world around it is changing much faster than the brain waves travels through heads of people working at adobe. I hope there can be some real competition in that space as well, and may be just may be in the longer run we wouldn't have to rely only on one vendor for something specific like this.

That was one reason I ditched adobe's acrobat reader (IMHO it has got fatter than the fattest person I've ever seen, which was some woman in US) and switched to foxit many many years ago