Is a 64-bit processor really necessary?

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lordxanthrax

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ok...this is my situation. I can either buy a 3.0E Prescott at 3.0 ghz for my socket 478, or, wait further down the road (6 months to a YEAR), and buy a new motherboard, and an amd 64-bit, or intel 775 64-bit processor, and then have to get new ram as well :(. The question is though, is a 64-bit processor REALLY going to be necessary in a year or two's time. Are games and applications going to be specifically based on 64-bit processing and people with 32-bit will be just out of luck? Or will these processors just run things faster...and i'll be fine still with my 3.0ghz 32-bit processor. Anyone have a clue about this?
 
Although I'm not an expert on 64-bit processing I have heard several claims of 64-bit users who have stated the increase in performance is incredible. Winzip 64 unzipped a file in 10 minutes vs 30 on 32 bit winzip. If all your going to be using your computer for is games I can't see 64-bit games springing up as fast as 64-bit applications would. Games are technically designed for whats considered low-mid computer users and they try not to incorporate newer technology untill its tested and a large majority of users own it. Applications tend to veer toward the power user or server/workstation because most people aren't using 3d max or Avid on home computers. I'd bet you will see high-end creation software going 64-bit before games. By the time 64-bit is required all processors will encorporate 64-bit technology anyway, low or high-end.
 
These 64-bit processors also run fine in 32-bit so what's the problem ? If you have no problems with your current setup, stick with it & look at your options a few months down the line.
 
Didou said:
These 64-bit processors also run fine in 32-bit so what's the problem ? If you have no problems with your current setup, stick with it & look at your options a few months down the line.

No...i'm not saying will they run 32-bit, i'm saying are applications going to need 64-bit processors to run them in the near future.
 
Just like when we went from the 286 to the 386, then later from the 486 to the pentium, the amount of time before you will have to get a newer processor that supports newer features is most likely going to be about 5 years, possibly even more. In any case, it'll be much longer than the lifespan of a typical computer, so odds are when the time comes that the turning point is reached, say 50% of shelved software requiring a 64bit processor, you'll likely have upgraded before then.
 
alright, thanks for the replies. I just wasn't sure with windows vista coming out as 64-bit, because as i know many people still use windows 2000, but that is also 32-bit, and not so much really a speed jump as it is as much of a GUI/ease of use/flexibility jump.
 
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