32 Bit vs 64 Bit with 4GB of ram

Hello i just received my MSI EX 625 which has home premium 32 bit installed. ive heard that 32 bit does not utilize all 4 gigs of ram. so i was wondering if there is any real need to purchase a 64bit off newegg or will the incompatibility issues out weigh the benefits of upgrading to 64 bit.

 

The 64bit is the way to go, from experience it preforms better, uses all 4 gigs of the ram. very little issues with 64bit programs. Definitly go for 64 bit.

 

Well fi you can get it for free or a low price, by all means do.

64bit not only lets you sue 4Gb of RAM, but is also more stable and is reported to be more efficient and faster than 32bit(since it's a different architecture).

However, 32bit works fine so if there is a noticeable price difference i'd say don't bother personally.

 

You can re-install Vista using an Vista OEM X64 DVD and the key on your COA on the laptop to switch from 32 to 64 bit for free.

 

Keep in mind, the x64 OS has a larger memory footprint than a x86 OS.

 

If you can't be bothered to upgrade to x64 then use the remaining 512MB or so as a ramdisk.

Basically that bit of memory shows up as a hard drive, but wipes irrecoverably on boot, so is useful for storing temp files/torrents(to stop fragmentation)/criminal activities etc.

 

Uh, what? In what way, and how so?

 

well i know all the drivers offered by MSI are strictly used for 32bit... so maybe i shoulnt switch. any another thing i own a 32 bit oem vista ultimate and my buddy has a 64 bit disk can i use my 32 bit key for his 64 bit cd?

 

Check my signature - I wrote a longer article - it may help you to make up your mind.

 

Well ok, perhaps stable wasn't exactly the right word, but from overall experience, it flows just as smooth if not smoother than 32bit. The extended architecture for programs is also, from what I've heard, more efficient than 32bit so the software and drivers are as well. Don't take my word for it though, I'm not an OS expert >.>

 

My transition to 64 bit went smoothly.

I have done alot of benching on this machine and the processor benches put 32 bit processing slower than 64 bit (which is known especially on a 64 bit processor). Vista doesnt seem to run 32 bit programs much if any slower than XP. Im glad to make the switch. 64 bit software does use more ram and is a natural occurrence as 64 bit instructions and variables are larger than 32 bit.

I run a bunch of 32 bit games going all the way back as far as for windows 95. Just installed a flight sim from 99 that DirectX was optional for. Run Doom 3 and alot of the newer 32 bit games, fear and far cry.

Only thing ive heard is older logitech drivers can sometimes screw with 32 bit software very badly on a 64 bit windows setup so thats the only thing to avoid.

 

They modified a lot of the driver models when they started writing the driver certification program for Vista x64. This is why the XP x64 drivers aren't anywhere near compatible with Vista x64. With hindsight in hand, you can make a lot of changes and not worry about application compatibility, which had hindered changing the driver models on the x86 version.

 

Here's a great article to read answering that question: http://www.bit-tech.net/bits/2007/10/16/64-bit_more_than_just_the_ram/1

Here's a short summary excerpt if you're too lazy to read it in its entirety

I have had only one program incompatibility with Windows Vista 64-bit, and that was resolved with the software's latest version - 64-bit is the way to go.

As previous posters have mentioned, you do not have to buy a seperate license to upgrade from 32-bit to 64-bit of the same Windows edition. You may have to pay for the 64-bit installation disk though, but that will not be very expensive.

 

Does anyone know if PAE really works?

 

It does work, but I think its not as fast as true 64Bit.