Going for Vista 64 - worth it?

Hi guys! I am planning to go for 64 transfer from my 32-Ultimate and just wanted to ask you all, having 64 already installed...Is it worth it? Will I be able to work with all the other soft I have in 32-bit version? 32-bit 3-rd parties soft is working with 64 today? Cause I remember a year ago there were a lot of troubles with that.

Thank you in advance.

 

As far as know, the only advantage of 64-bit over 32-bit is that it can support more memory (more number of bit so larger memory address is supported). So unless you have or want to install memory larger than 2GB, 32-bit is A-ok already. Pls correct me if I am wrong, I am also interested in switching to 64-bit myself since my lab also gives away both version of vista, it's just that I have not seen any advantage of it, at least for now.

 

Am I right that if I have Ultimate 32 - I can switch to Ultimate 64 without actually paying more for it? Is all I need - a 64-bit version Anytime Upgrade Disc?

 

hold on.. so all the software compatible with 32 bit os is compatible with 64 bit?

Alex

 

Most software SHOULD be compatible though if a program hasn't specifically been written for a 64-bit OS then it is very likely that it will run slower on the 64-bit OS then it will on the 32-bit equivalent.

64-bit is the way of the future, of that I have no doubt...if for no other reason then that I can't imagine that for the next ten years 4 GB of RAM will be the maximum anyone will need in their computers However, for the life of Vista I doubt there's going to be any specific reason to need a 64 bit system. 2-3.5 GB of RAM should be more then enough to run any programs during Vista's life and still have some extra juice. Still, it'll be interesting to see what kind of requirements games will need in three years or so considering how huge resource hogging monsters like Bioshock are coming out now

 

i actually disagree... as to 4gb as maximum...
if you work with 3d, or post production apps you can certainly use more then 4gb and be happy that you have more ram...

just take a look at BOXX ( http://www.boxxtech.com/) computers... their specs go up to 64 gigs of ram...

Alex

 

Is your Ultimate preinstalled with the computer or it was purchased from a retail outlet?

For preinstalled, i'm not too sure, but it is possible that you can borrow a 64bit disc from a friend and plug in the key to see if it works. For retail outlet boxes, 32bit and 64bit media are included, so just check your box for the DVD stating that it contains 64bit software only.

By the way, i'm also running Vista 64 and the experience is generally positive.

 

64 bit is very nice. I believe it handles the ram better then the 32 bit of vista did.

 

I'm running vista64 and I love it. I switched over from 32bit and like it much more, especially since I upgraded to 4 gigs of ram. I don't have any compatibility issues either. I originally had 32bit home premium and used an anytime upgrade disc to install vista64. All I did was put in my product key and uncheck the box that said automatically activate. Then once you install just activate by phone, they will ask you for some product keys and you'll be good to go.

 

Thank you guys, will get my new machine and new 7200 HDD and will install x64. Hope everything goes fine!

 

Your software shoould be ok. No 16 bit stuff will work. Drivers may be hard to find for some of your external hardware.

If they are USB devices, you can get around the 32 bit briver problem by getting VM Workstation (or player - its free) and have a 32 bit copy of Windows you can run at the same time, and just plug the USB devices into the virtural machine.

If you can find someone to make a blank VM for you, IIRC, you can boot a Windows install disk with the free VMPlayer and install it (or make several if you want).

VMWare Workstation is great stuff. I commonly run 5 or more copies of Windows/Linux at the same time, while capturing from as many as 3 video sources at the same time, and never dropping a single frame!

Joe

 

I have the Vx64 and it hasn't crashed or any conflicts. I have 4gb RAM in mine. I have a couple of x64 programs and seems to run faster in their native bits. Too bad Adobe flash doesn't have x64 compatability yet since there is a x64 IE7 built-in.

 

What do you mean adobe flash does not work? So, no web add-on's gonna work in x64?

 

I was close to going with the x64 vista on the DV6500t i ordered, but i just didnt think i would get the full use out of it maybe on my next laptop purchase when 64bit software is more widely used.

 

In Vista x64 you have 2 choices of IE7 - x32 and x64 versions. With IE7 x64 version - Flash does not work (cause it is 32 bit).
But you can run x32 version of IE all the time and all plugins will work.

When benchmarking - i get about 10-15% more 3D Mark 06 with x64. There is definitely an advantage having Vista x64....

 

yes, there is definitely an advantage. AMD engineered their CPUs to work best with 64-bit instruction sets. My 32-bit vista desktop with a x2 CPU seems slower (when it should be faster) than my 64-bit laptop.

 

I'm running Vista 64-bit here and it's essentially the same as the 32-bit version except that it requires a bit more RAM to run efficiently (1.5GB or more is necessary to run smoothly) and you need 64-bit drivers which may or may not be an issue.

For me, all of my hardware has 64-bit drivers available and they work well. But some hardware may not have drivers ready yet, or they may not be well written.

Program compatibility has not been an issue for me either as all of my software runs perfectly in Vista, including a couple that were written before Vista was even a thought.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, 16-bit programs will not run in x64, but if you're still trying to run 16-bit software, you likely don't need Vista, nevermind a 64-bit edition.

And some software isn't ready in 64-bit, like Adobe Flash Player. But a compatible version is expected soon.

So if you don't mind backing up your data and trying it out, give 64-bit a try. If all your hardware is supported and/or have drivers, and your computer has 1.5gigs of memory or more, you should be fine.

 

Yep, got 64 ultimate and happy with it so far! Will let you all know if something is wrong. Thank you all who posted here!

 

If the software does not have a x64 version than Vista will run all 32 bit apps completely isolated. Your performance will slightly decrease. I'm running x64 with no problems except the minor ones mentioned above, which really don't bother me.

 

Well, I have DROPPED that 64-VISTA within 3 hours being on my DV9500!!! All the 32-bit soft works slower, could not find 64-bit driver for my Sony camcorder, Crashed once and that was it!!! Fresh install of my 32-bit was a pleasure and continues to be!!! Thank you all who replied and made me to try this 64-bit version. I am not sure what Microsoft and others think about 64-bit version, but they seem not to put a lot of effort in it's forwarding.

 

not having a sony camcorder 64-bit driver is not Vista's fault, it is sony's. Don't blame the lack of 64-bit drivers on vista. All a hardware maker has to do is compile the driver as 64-bit and get it signed.

The next version of windows will be 64-bit only so the hardware makers better get with the program.

 

The next server release after Server 2008 is confirmed to be 64bit only, as for Client side (aka Windows 7), it will still be released in 32 and 64bit editions.

 

Three hours is hardly enough time to check it out, but you did report a crash, which is odd for Vista (likely a driver issue).

While 32-bit software runs in WoW (32-bit virtual) and is a bit slower, it's usually only a few percent in benchmarks and not noticeable in practical terms unless there is some sort of conflict. Overall I find x64 faster by a few percent.

We warned you to check for driver compatibility first.

As another mentioned, the lack of that driver is Sony's fault, not Vistas. The crash you mention...was it related to trying to run a 32-bit driver or XP driver for your camcorder or was it something else?

Vista has been rock-solid for me since the RC2 release. There are plenty of bugs in the code, but none that affect stability for my setups, so I'm curious if you know why it crashed.

I think we can all agree that there are software problems with 64-bit Vista, but most are not the fault of Vista. We all know that 64-bit is the path we'll all be walking one day, so software and driver companies should really start getting onboard with 64-bit code, especially with a retail version of x64 available.

Unfortunately some companies are still focusing on 32-bit since that is what the vast majority of users are running and will continue to do so for several years (most new computers have x32). I just wish they would be a bit more pro-active instead waiting till after the fact.

 

32-bit will be offered, but will not be installed by default, kinda like today 64-bit is offered, but 32-bit is typically what gets installed at most big shops like Dell and HP.

When the next windows verison comes out, there will be no CPUs in production that lack x64 instruction set compatibility, and 32-bit will be reserved for upgraders and companies with legacy 32-bit only CPUs.

 

Since this is a active thread on 64 bit OS I have a couple questions:

I have a HP Pavilion dv6000z. It is 2GB Ram, the 2.0Ghz AMD dual core, the nvidia geforce go 7200 (I wish I could've gotten something better), 120GB HDD, webcam and mic on monitor, sd card slots, bluetooth, etc. Basically everything you could've gotten into the laptop I got. I'm regretting getting this laptop simply because it didn't offer a better video card, but this was a year ago and I couldn't afford a better one at the time.

I was wondering if people have been able to upgrade to 64 bit vista and have driver compatibility for all the devices included in the laptop.

Also, I know I can't change the video card on the laptop, but is there anything I can do to increase performance. I bought the game Bioshock and it runs laggy (I mean I could play it on my desktop, but I want to be able to play it on my laptop as well). I figured that if I move to 64 bit it might help performance a bit and the game will run smoother.

Any and all opinions are very appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

 

I honestly dont know why people try to got to Vista 64bit it they dont have any real reason.

The orginal poster has 4gigs of RAM so that is a reason, but only if something besides Vista Cache will use that memory...and even then I am not sure Vista will.

You see lots of posts with "Vista 64bit runs great for me, but I had a problem with XYZ driver or ABC software program but that does not bother me".

Personally that would stop me in a second if just one of the programs/hardware I use did not work. The only way I would consider it is if some app, I really needed was 64bit only or was signifigantly faster under Vista 64bit...even then I would have to use it a lot.

64bit is the future for sure. Vista will be the last "32bit" focused OS for the desktop but it is clearly a 32 bit world by a long shot right now.

So if you dont need Vista 64bit vista, really NEED (64bit app or 32bit app that will use the RAM) why add complexity and possible problems to your computing.

I think some people like to screw with their PC more than they really use it.

 

Yeah, but for the people that are really into computers and technology, testing and screwing around with the hardware/software to get it to work is half the fun.

If you're not into computers, technology, gaming, etc then I'd say don't mess with it either. I'm just really excited to get into 64 bit, see how it runs, its pros/cons and try it out for myself. It's not just about it being faster/better or whatever you want to call it. I think many people will agree with me on this one too.

 

i have yet to come across a 32-bit app that wont run in vista64. Now I have come across apps that wont run in vista period, but that isn't x64 fault.

as for drivers, device makers really have no excuse not to compile and sign the 64-bit versions of their drivers. Microsoft makes all the same tools available. if your hardware maker wont do 64-bit, you should consider them suspect about driver support in general.

 

++++++++++ That's the main point!

 

One other question that I have about 64 bit.

I know from reading everybody's responses that all the drivers are available for 64 bit Vista, but what about XP 64 bit? Are all the drivers available for XP 64-bit as well? or only Vista 64-bit?

Thanks in advance!

 

Look for yourself on the hp driver page. Go to the homepage, then support and driver downloads, then type in your model number, then select xp 64-bit.