Did I waste money buying 64-bit Vista?

Hi guys, I have a Dell Studio 15. Specs are as follows:

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.4 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 3 MB L2 Cache)

4096MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]

Internal English Qwerty Backlit Keyboard

256MB ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3450

320GB (5.400rpm) SATA Hard Drive

Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1- English

Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive including Software

Primary 9-cell 85 WHr Lithium Ion battery

Topo Pattern Design with Red U Trim

15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display with TrueLife™

Biometric Fingerprint Reader

I recently bought an OEM Vista Home Premium 64-bit and installed is yesterday. I chatted to a Dell tech support guy today and he essentially said that I wasted my money on the 64-bit OS as Dell laptops do not support 64-bit Operating systems. He said this was due to the fact that my processor (see above) was a 32bit processor. I however came accross this intel site; http://ark.intel.com/cpu.aspx?groupID=33099 whci i believe to be my processor that states it is a 64-bit processor.

Please, please tell me the tech support guy was wrong and that I haven't blown £70 down the drain

Another thing; in the dell tech support application, my total memory is shown as 4GB, whilst my available memory is shown to be 2.6GB. Does this mean that all 4GB is not being recognised/utilised? Or does it simply mean that 1.4GB of RAM is currently being used, with 2.6GB left for when I need it?

Thank you for your help in advance, it is very much appreciated.

Magi

 

Yes your Processor is a 64 Bit Processor. The Memory shows total minus what the system allocates for itself as well as what is shared with the video card if any. Now on if you wasted your money or not that is really up to you. If you use applications that are built on 64 bit instead of 32 then you are actually utilizing the capability of the 64 bit OS. But to tell you the truth if you are just your average user that doesnt do CAD or HIGH END Graphics applications maybe some Enterprise level apps then you really are only gaining the ability to have more than 4GB or memory which you only have 4GB anyway.

 

Thanks for the reply. I am aware that at this current moment in time I do not require all the extra RAM or even the 64 bit processor, but I wanted this laptop as future proof as possible hence why I forkerd out a bit extra for it. Thank you for your help.

 

Yeah, Adam's right.

The tech was wrong about the CPU, but in so far as "have you wasted your money" the answer is probably 'yes' unfortunately. Not that you can't make use of the 64-bit OS so much as it's not really gaining you anything over the 32-bit version.

As for the 'available' memory, that seems low to me. I've got a 4Gb Studio 17 with the same graphics card and I'm seeing about 3.5Gb of the installed 4Gb under a 32-bit Vista. Where are you getting this figure from? What's it say in "Physical Memory" on the Performance tab of Task Manager? (Press Ctrl-Shift-Esc to call up taskman).

OS choice seems to crop up quite a lot on this forum; I might write something up properly about this at some point.

 

I believe he is talking about memory left over after the OS takes its portion of the memory for use. So he has 4gb under Vista-64 bit. From that 4 gb 1.4 gb is being taking by the os and the 2.6 is left for normal use.

 

heck, i think Dell's wasting their money on dumb CS folks... they should send him to Alienware... he'll be right at home.

 

In another way you may have wasted your money because...legally you can use your Vista 32-bit serial number to install a 64-bit Vista if you can get hold of the disc. Microsoft will even send you one as far as I know, with SP1 already installed on it after you prove you have a valid cd-key.

 

Thanks for your responses. I got the 2.6GB memory available from the Dell support application.

I am fully aware of the alternate media service in which Microsoft send you the 64 bit cd for a minimal fee. However they do not offer this service for OEM discs, which is what Dell shipped me. I was sick of arguing with Dell for weeks about my rights for them to send me the 64 bit disc, but I gave up.

I don't know anyone who could lend me the disc, nor did I know if it would worked if I "aquired" it through other means either.

In the end i bought the 64 bit Home Premium OS, for the half the price as I bought the OEM version.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and help.

 

Indeed; it certainly sounds as though all 4 GB is being used. The 64-bit OS is working correctly. And while it may not make that big of a difference now, as more programs are written in 64-bit it should increase in value - both as you can use newer versions if only 64-bit is released, and that if both a 64-bit and 32-bit version of a program exist, the 64-bit one should run somewhat faster.

 

I have 64-bit on my Studio and it works fine, so you didn't waste your money or time trying to get it on here.

You DID waste your money in the respect that you bought another copy of Vista. Each CD-Key/License is able to be installed using 32-bit or 64-bit media. You just need to get the 64-bit media, which if you request from Dell, they will sen dyou (Home Premium, Business, or Ulitmate, it doesn't matter which you have, they have all of these available). Dell actually sent me the Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 CD even tough I have the Home Premium Edition. I also got the Business edition shipped for my Latitude XT. Just do Dell chat until you find a competent rep.

Essentially you own a second copy of Windows now.

The other thing is that when you have a Dell edition Vista CD, (Or XP for that matter), you never have to enter in a cd-key because its automatically activated when it sees you have a Dell computer.

Obviously that Dell rep didn't know what he was talking about in regards to the processor. I don't think theres a processor in a laptop or desktop Dell has now that can't do 64-bit (Maybe the Intel Atom in the mini but not sure).

 

I pestered Dell for 2 weeks to send me the 64 bit vista and they didn't ah well, thanks for your help guys