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Community Newsletter: Q&A: Should I go with a 32bit or 64bit computer system?
- 7/18/08 3:07 PM
Stick with the question - just once?
by desirawson - 6/27/08 10:56 PM In reply to: New computer by foxfire33The question wasn't about Mac's. Why is it that Mac users always revert to that answer? I have article after article that proves once and for all that Mac's are no better and that it is a PERSONAL preference. If you would like the link to the article, please feel free to click on: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=446 so that once and for all the debate about Microsoft and Mac's can END.
All of us appreciate the real information that was contributed to this blog. Thank you.
Operating system for new computer
by jik47 - 6/27/08 10:59 PM In reply to: New computer by foxfire33Jack W.,
Let me say this, whatever you buy do not get Windows Vista! You will regret this terribly. Do a search on the Web on Vista and you will see all the negative comments from Vista Owners who want nothing more than to get their XP back. But that itself is a major problem and with some machines you will not be able to run XP if the machine is a Vista ready machine. You can find posts on that topic here on Cnet and on the web. I have read that with a lot of machines you cannot uninstall Vista and then load XP onto your machine. So the smart thing will be to stick with XP as Vista is not as stable of operatings system as XP or runs a fast as XP. Do yourself a favor, save the stress and stick with XP. Dell, Gateway and a few others now give you the choice to buy a new machine loaded with XP and if you do buy XP get the XP Professional version. But again stay away from Vista as this is the worst operating system since Windows ME and it is a shame the way Microsoft has tried to force feed this operating system on consumers. Congress should take action on that as if consumers had a choice of Vista or XP, Microsoft would take a huge loss on producing Vista as it would be a huge loser like Windows ME was. That is why I think Microsoft has forced vendors into selling Vista to keep it from being the loser that ME was.
I have refused to buy several computers ( Dell for one) a few months ago as Vista was the only choice they gave you, so I built the machine myself with some help from some computer savy friends and I have been very happy as I built a machine for less than approximately 3/4 to 1/2 less than the cost of comparable factory built machine. Everything is upper end components in my computer versus what I would have gotten if I had bought pre-built factory machine. Better mother board, video card, hard drive, power supply, memory, DVD RW drives and anything else I put it in the machine. So I ended up with a machine that would be good for gaming if I was into that but I am not. You might consider upgrading your machine you have now. Keep your case and change all the inside components and have a far better machine for less money.
But in closing avoid Vista and stick with Windows XP! You will not regret that and everything you have should work perfectly with XP and not have compatibilty and driver issues that Vista has. Hope that helps and remember to search Vista vs. XP on Cnet or Google and read all the negative on Vista to help with the decision on operating system.
p.s. I have had some real savy tech friends that suggest sticking with the 32 bit XP versus the 64bit. They told me that the 64 bit has alot of driver issues and such and unless you are real tech savy the 64 bit could give you a lot of headaches, stress getting things to work properly as it had given them some problems. So I stuck with the 32 bit myself as I would not have my friend here to bail me out if problems come up also they said for what I do the 32 bit would be all I ever need. I just do mainly email, internet, word processing, spread sheets, music downloads, burning CD's, burning DVD's, and downloading my digital photos along with editing the photo's. Wish you good luck with your choices of hardware and operating systems.
New Computer
by ZvikushO - 6/28/08 8:29 PM In reply to: Operating system for new computer by jik47New Computer by Zouch is totally out of date.
I have been running both 32bit & 64bit version of Vista & never had a problem from day one. True its a self built machine, but that is the point.
The machine was built with Vista in mind, & it was a clean install. The only reason I went from 32 to 64 is that I needed more then 3gig of memory which also is an issue with XP. The reason that most users hate Vista is one that they have 1) An underpowered box. 2) They complain that XP is so much faster true but xp is a simpler OS & as one know that the more you demand from an OS & add services to the OS it will run slower. If you will say why did MS put all the services on Vista, we demanded it. We asked for better security, better graphics & tons of bells & whistles, so why blame the messenger & grow up. If you ask for it & get it you will have to pay the price. & 3) The driver issue which is not an MS issue but the HW manufacturer. When NT & OS2 was was going on, the driver issue what on factor of OS2 not succeeding although it was by far a better OS the NT, but that is history.
Just one other note the issues with Vista is no different as with the other the other OS's. There are problems with all OS, but the press loves Apple & just dosn't report it. Also the share # of users makes a bad vista look worse compared to OS X. & Linux is an OS for a techie who can do his own fix & never reports it. & all OS have bugs, patches, service fix's. & can be compromised, so the question is why single out MS Vista?
Thumbs up!
by rasmasyean - 7/13/08 2:14 AM In reply to: New Computer by ZvikushOThumbs up for this post. All these points put things right into perspective. Well thought out.
What he said
by someoldguy - 7/13/08 1:22 PM In reply to: New Computer by ZvikushOThe above post is just all common sense. Remember all the crap people were saying about XP when it came out? Believe me, when Windows 7 or whatever they end up calling it comes out, many of these same anti-Vista posters will be waxing nostalgic over Vista.
which one 32 or 64 bit.
by djordan869 - 6/22/08 2:50 AM In reply to: Should I go with a 32bit or 64bit computer system? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have not long purchased a computer for my wife I had the option of 32 or 64 bit vista, I chose the 64 bit, mainly because I had installed photoshop cs3 suite and having vista installed which in itself is a large programme, I wanted to be able to fly around not hang around, well it is fast, but, as always a but, you can be restricted to a lot of third party software that is only suitable for 32bit, or does not make a 64bit option. Hope this is of help.
Don
64 Bit not ready for prime time.
by pop rox - 6/22/08 12:18 PM In reply to: Should I go with a 32bit or 64bit computer system? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
In a nutshell, 64 bit processors are indeed faster than 32 bit. The problem is that there are few drivers and software that take advantage of this...yet. If you are an early adopter and enjoy living on the bleeding edge of technology or make crazy, synth-laden techno pop, then 64 Bit computing might be for you.
Buy 64 bit
by ae_carrizo - 6/22/08 12:49 PM In reply to: Should I go with a 32bit or 64bit computer system? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Dear Jack,
The advantaje is that the 64bit processor is more faster, if you run software 64 bit version. If you run a software 32bit version you will see that run slow, like a 32bit processor.
Is the same in Windows Vista, but if you run software 64 bit version in windows Vista 32 bit you will have problems.
I recommend 64 bit Pc and Windows Vista in 64 bit mode.
Best regards
32 vs 64
by GhostBirdofPrey - 6/22/08 2:09 PM In reply to: Should I go with a 32bit or 64bit computer system? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It really depends on what applications you plan on running on your computer.
64-bit processors are technically faster than 32-bit processors but they hit the same wall as multi-core processors. It's the same reason why going from a dual core to quad core is less of a boost and single to dual: optimization. If you are running software that can take advantage of the new features than you will get a speed boost but if you run older programs without any 64-bit coding then your processor will stay running in 32-bit mode which is analogous to running DOS on a Pentium where you have extra speed available but your programs can't use it.
If the programs you use have had major revisions fairly recently they stand a chance of having a 64-bit version so a 64-bit processor would help, but if your programs are several years old then they won't be able to use the extra speed and then you might as well save some money on a 32-bit processor.
Another important thing that is important is your operating system.
Even if you have a 64-bit processor, if you run 32-bit Windows then 64-bit programs won't work anyways. On the flip side 64-bit Windows won't run on a 32-bit processor.
As long as you use programs that are kept up to date a 64-bit processor would probably be a good idea but you have to remember to get an operating system to match. If you get a 64-bit processor you have to get 64-bit Windows or the extra power will go unused. Also if Vista scares you I believe you can get 64-bit XP from some OEMs but it might be hard to track down.
32 or 64
by k3man - 6/22/08 5:15 PM In reply to: Should I go with a 32bit or 64bit computer system? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Same dilema as with multi core processors,it's only faster and better if the software is designed for it. Will it be the norm in the future?I think it probably will,but for now, most soft ware is still being made in the 32bit flavor.
64bit vs. 32bit processors and Vista
by oldhouseman - 6/22/08 6:22 PM In reply to: Should I go with a 32bit or 64bit computer system? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I can speak to the larger processors (64bit), having a 64bit double Xeon processor Dell, that is wonderful. However, I use XP Pro x64, which is the same as running a workstation version of Windows Server 2003. I have no experience with Vista, only horror stories from friends who've I've gone over to and back-installed XP Pro for. It's a highly personal decision.
Yes, you must look for 64bit software, or programs that will install on a 64bit platform and run in the Program Files (x86) subdirectory. Most Microsoft programs will do that; with others, it's hit and miss. Adobe required tweaking the install script to get it installed correctly (Creative Suite 2). Nothing's more maddening than to have a favourite program come up during install and tell you it won't install on this platform because "it isn't supported."
When processing projects that require lots of computation, this is the way to go. I find myself frequently limited by the access time of the HDD as the major constraint of this system. Scans of large photos, manipulations of photos, working with large datasets for maps and large databases doesn't seem to be a problem for this system (presuming that you get a correspondingly large amount of memory to use in your system - I use 8GB). The system produces beautiful output working with a large HP DeskJet printer over an Ethernet network without any problems.
As I noted, I haven't tried Vista. If Vista x64 works as well as XP Pro x64, and is as stable, then it would be a good choice. Since I know what the background of XPP x64 is and how well the Server system works, I'm very comfortable with it, and it's worked well for me for over 2 years. I've done the upgrade to SR2 without a hitch, even at 300+ MB, and it was easier than the upgrade to SR2 for regular XPP on our other computers.
I would recommend this as a way of "futureproofing" your system, because computing needs will only continue to grow. As for Vista, wait and see what other Forum members weigh in with and have to say about it.
32 bit is the world we have now
by DOSpower - 6/22/08 6:27 PM In reply to: Should I go with a 32bit or 64bit computer system? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Jack,
Just about any processor you buy today will support both 32 & 64 bit code. The real issue is which version of Windows you should be considering. Unless you have some really hard core application that needs to access massive resources I would stick with the 32 bit version of Vista as most hardware drivers and software are written for 32 bit. As time goes on this may change but your hardware will almost certainly support the change to 64 bit when it hits the mainstream consumer market.
32bit vs 64bit processors
by Graham66121 - 6/23/08 1:44 AM In reply to: Should I go with a 32bit or 64bit computer system? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Jack,
A good question. The key difference between 32bit and 64bit processors is the amount of memory they can access. In 32bit operating systems eg Vista the operating system can only access 4GB memory which in practice means that your applications can use 2GB. In 64bit systems there is effectively no limit. The key advantages therefore of 64bit over 32 bit is the usage of memory.
If you are using applications that often cause the hard drive to spin as they have used up the available memory (look in task manager) then go for 64bit. If you do go for 64bit I'd recommend at least 8GB RAM otherwise you may as well go for 32bit with 4GB RAM (memory)
Warning - many applications do not work in 64bit and so you may have problems a) getting the application to use more than 2GB RAM or b) working at all. For example ZoneAlarm does not work on 64bit operating systems.
Finally - You mention future proofing. To some extent 64bit will future proof you as you can add more memory. Before you buy you'll need to check you motherboard specifications to see the maximum memory the motherboard can take though.
Summary: For most purposes 32bit is enough and most software is written for 32bit systems. If you do work that uses a lot of memory then 64bit systems are ideal.
Good luck
Graham
32 bits VS. 64 bits
by Alain Martel1 - 6/23/08 9:19 AM In reply to: Should I go with a 32bit or 64bit computer system? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The difference between 32 and 64 bits is NOT the speed, altough 64 bits processors do have some advances that can improve speed, the difference is addressing space.
A 32 bits system is limited to 4 Gigs of addressable memory space, how much RAM can be installed plus how much swap space can be configured.
A 64 bits system don't have such a limitation, they can access several PETA bytes (megs, gigs, teras, petas).
By system, I mean the combination of CPU and operating system (the OS). If the OS is 32 bits, the system is 32 bits even with a 64 bits CPU.
Today, it's becoming very difficult to get a 32 bits CPU, so all recent computers come equiped with 64 bits CPUs. AMD only make 64 bits processors. Intel's core 2 is also a 64 bits processor. The only 32 bits processors that you can find are over 2 years old...
Now, you also need a 64 bits OS to take advantage of all the features of a 64 bits CPU. Again, the speed difference is not an isue as it's only a few %, usualy less that 2% and you'll likely won't be able to perceive any difference.
Take a look at what you want/plan to do with your new computer.
Will it be used mainly for surfing the web and word processing, spreadsheets (MS Works or Open Office)? Then the 32 bits path is enough.
Some image processing and editing, still OK with 32 bits.
Doing heavy video editing/authoring? Then you need LOTS of RAM, Take a look at 64 bits. In this case, you also need a large drive, or two, no less that 700 Gigs.
Gaming? Most games are still 32 bits, but several also come as 64 bits.
Do you have some older hardware, like printer, scanner, camera,...that plug into the computer? The makers may not provide the required 64 bits drivers. If you go the 64 bits way, make sure that any future aquisition come with 64 bits drivers.
Bottom line: If you have a collection of applications, or several periferals that you want to port from an earlier computer to your new one, you may be stuck into geting a 32 bits system, or setting a home network and keep your old computer. Go whired if the two computers are desktops, MUCH safer.
If it's your first computer, it may be beter to get in directly with a 64 bits system.
32-bit system
by donwoodruff - 6/28/08 2:43 PM In reply to: 32 bits VS. 64 bits by Alain Martel1A 32-bit system is limited to 3GB of RAM.
Common available systems are 32-bit systems--NOT 64!
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