The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Windows Vista 64-bit or 32-bit

    Discussion in 'HP' started by faint34, Nov 25, 2008.

  1. faint34

    faint34 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    112
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Hi all,

    I am going to purchase a Dv5z laptop and was wondering if I should get the 64-bit or 32-bit vista OS? The laptop has 4GB of RAM and I heard that 32-bit can't even read more than 3GB? Is this true?

    Thanks!
     
    faint34, Nov 25, 2008
    #1
  2. Hep!

    Hep! sees beauty in everything

    Reputations:
    1,806
    Messages:
    5,921
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    206
    What you heard regarding 32 bit is pretty much true. Go with Vista X64.
     
    Hep!, Nov 25, 2008
    #2
  3. Joe 5

    Joe 5 Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    8
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    If you go with 64 bit processing you may have problems running some programs. I can't think of any programs that need more than 3 Gb RAM. Maybe high def video editing.
     
    Joe 5, Nov 25, 2008
    #3
  4. Hep!

    Hep! sees beauty in everything

    Reputations:
    1,806
    Messages:
    5,921
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    206
    This doesn't really happen in Vista X64 like it did in XP X64. If you have a specific program that doesn't work, please share... otherwise please don't say this because I have never seen a program that runs in Vista X86 but not X64.
     
    Hep!, Nov 25, 2008
    #4
  5. faint34

    faint34 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    112
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    With 2GB of RAM (if I went the Dv4t route) would it be worthwhile to get the 64-bit Vista? Also, is the upgrade from the base 2.0 ghz to the ultra 2.1 ghz processor a big jump? Thanks!
     
    faint34, Nov 25, 2008
    #5
  6. GKHartman

    GKHartman Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I was under the impression that Vista64 and Vista32 are essentially equally fast when installed on a machine with 4GB. You might be "losing" ~.5GB or so on V32, but that extra RAM wouldn't noticeably speed anything up anyway (unless you are running a few virtual machines or similar.) On the other hand, you will have fewer potential driver/program issues running V32, making V32 the "sweet spot" unless you're running apps that really need 4+ GB of RAM.

    Am I way off base here?
     
    GKHartman, Nov 25, 2008
    #6
  7. Hep!

    Hep! sees beauty in everything

    Reputations:
    1,806
    Messages:
    5,921
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    206

    In order to have your driver certified for Windows Vista you must write one for both 32 bit and 64 bit. Of course, not EVERYTHING is certified, but its needless to say that most hardware will be fine.
    That's not even getting into performance differences, which have been argued either way.
     
    Hep!, Nov 25, 2008
    #7
  8. einhander

    einhander Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    31
    Messages:
    818
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    31
    i always go 64bit so i dont have to redo the os when i upgrade the ram over 3gb.
     
    einhander, Nov 25, 2008
    #8