Gaming Operating System

What operating system would people recomend for gaming?

The Old Vista v's XP Debate!

This has probably been asked a million times.

My system is as follows:

Zepto Znote 6625wd
Currently Vista Ultimate 64bit
Intel Core Duo T7700 @ 2.4ghz
4gb Ram
1gb Thompson Chip

My system is mainy used for gaming but for some photoshop/aftereffects stuff.
My other option for os is XP Pro 32bit.

Ive had my system for about a year and have had no problem with vista ultimate apart from the odd game not working. (my bigest issue is BF2142 not starting due to incompatability with either vista or my dvd drive*** and failing a safedisc check)

all opinions are welcome

I have just tried 2 different dvd rom drives in my system and it still has the same insert disc error so i can now count the dvd rom drive causing an issue out.

 

I didn't vote because my laptop is a Fujitsu S6210, but I run Windows XP Pro (for games and for everything else).

 

Vista Business x32. It's not on your list.

 

I don't have a Zepto (sorry, I voted) but XP Pro is clearly the winner for gaming. Its a fact that Vista does not perform as well under games.

 

This will be irrelavant soon as more PC's are sold with Vista installed, and XP stops being sold to OEM's.

 

It isn't irrelevant just because MS stops selling XP. It performs better, and nothing is going to change that short of Windows 7.

 

I realise this I was just commenting on the fact that XP won't be available on new machines before long and as such a lot of people would not be able to use XP.
I too long for a better OS, but Vista is just an evolution of Windows and until people start using it over XP and commenting back to MS, and other software manufacturers, there can be no major improvement in the OS, we will be stuck with the fact that MS will decide for us what should be in an OS.

 

I second that.

 

That is true, however on the same token, it was argued around the time XP first came out that 98 was the better gaming OS. It is true, many old games ran great on 98, but had major compatibility issues with XP and 2000.
So by that logic, we should all run a copy of 98 on some spare partition somewhere.
Unfortunately, given time, it's precisely because MS stops selling it that it becomes irrelevant; it becomes obsolete. While I'm still very much leaning toward XP, and thinking of going back to it soley, it's part of evolution, progress. If technology didn't progress, we'd all still be riding horses and shooting our own food.
EDIT: Just an added thought, some times, new technology is evolution taking a step or two backward (vista), before it improves (windows 7).
I wonder if this thread really belongs in the windows forum?

 

so i went back to xp.......

i am very happy the operating system seems.. well.... clean....

just a couple of things i nees help with, i wint into the bios and disabled the robson chip thingy (i think) but i have a couple of things in the device manager that i am unsure of? also it says i only have 3gig on board but i have 4gig is there something i forgot to do? or is the memory contoller the thing i need to be focussing on? anyway find a screeny attatched.

if anyone could help it would be most appreciated...

 

3GB limit is because of Windows XP 32bit. 4GB can only be used fully under a 64bit OS.
The Unknown Device can be TPM or the TV tuner, off of the top of my head, if you have that in the machine.

 

maybe i didnt disable the intel turbo memory thing properly, what about the memory controller thing

 

The Intel Turbo memory will always pop up as the "PCI Memory controller" in Windows XP even if it disabled in BIOS.

 

btw. I've chosen "other" because I have Vista Business...

 

Xp x32 can't use 4gb ram. Only ~3 will be available.

Edit: wops, already said on page 2

 

is this likely to change with future service packs or should i purchase a 64bit edition of xp before they dissapear?

 

Can't really change the address space issue. Although ms claims that you can address all 4gb via PAE it in practice is only a work around for virtual addressing of memory. 32bit will always be limited to approx 3.2gb as it is the limit of the 32bit addressing.

 

Sounds like that old EMS and XMS memory management from the old MSDOS days. Some used that (me too, I programmed a lot of C++ back then, and it was a pain in the ass...)
Newer programs and games then used the protected mode...
Seems to be the same thing going on but with the 3GB memory barrier.

 

ive ordered winxp pro 64bit for thursday, anything i should know before i go reinstalling, again....?

 

make sure you got XP 64bit drivers... They are a ***** to find... And for my vote as gaming, XP Pro got a bit more performance then Vista, very small difference though, but Vista on the other hand have greater stability in my experience.

 

We do not provide support for XP 64bit on any of our models and have therefore no drivers for this operating system for our machines.

 

And *poof* all plans to use XP x64 flew off to the sky with white bright wings.

 

lol i sit here with xp pro 64 bit in my hands wondering, why didnt i check the forum yesterday....

i might install it anyway and see how it runs (xp pro may install generic drivers, if all else fails i can just go back to XP 32 or vista ultimate)

 

well that was a waste of £85!!

i cant even get x64 sata drivers lol (using nlite), ahh well back to the drawing board....

i dunno what to do??

XP Pro 32bit (minus 1gig memory and intel turbo memory + DX 9c) = games seem to run better (benchmarked with F.E.A.R and Crysis)

or

Vista Ultimate 64bit (4gig 1gig intel turbo memory + DX10) = new games look better but run slower (and i loose battlefield 2142 - simply wont run on vista 64bit) oh and i cant install photoshop cs3

someone tell me what to do please!! lol

 

For BF2142, make shure you run it as administrator and in compatibility mode with XP SP2 (right click > properties > compatibility)

Also check the "Disable visual themes" box