Installing Vista : Which is Better?

i wonder which is better?

installing vista with SP1 inside dvd..
or install vista without SP1 and then later download the SP1 update from microsoft?

erm..im talking bout 64BIT here..hehehe

 

Integrated, hands down

 

doesn't matter, but with sp1 integrated is faster

 

so...the output would be same eh?

ok then...thanks a lot

 

You will be better off and save a couple hours time by using the integrated disk

 

Integrated > Update

Output not exactly the same, integrated is more stable and slightly faster according to benchmarks. But of course, in real life situations, you probably won't notice the difference in speed. Anyway, always choose integrated if you can, only choose the update route when you don't have other choices.

 

The only reason the integrated is faster is the OS still needs to go through several defragment/optimzation cycles to place the files optimally. There is no difference between the two, stability or otherwise.

Well, I take that back. There is going to be a difference in that the winsxs directory will be substantially larger if you update as windows will needlessly keep backups of some files, plus you have all those extra files from pre-sp1 (run vsp1cln.exe from an elevated command prompt to get rid of these, but while this will free a ton of space, you will still have some things left behind in winsxs)

But ultimately there is no difference in performance or stability wise. It's a internet rumor that gets repeated endlessly. Leave your PC on for a couple of defrag cycles and let it optimize your file placement and you will see no difference between an rtm and sp1 version other than the performance benefits of sp1

 

Is it really a rumor or not, one thing for sure is that, there are much more system failures when people tried to apply a SP afterward than integrated. This risk alone is enough to go with the integrated route, and honestly, I haven't read much about integrated failing right after being installed. From personal experiences, there are always some risks when applying a SP afterward, especially when you have other drivers and software installed already. Of course, for a clean install, there will be less risks. But since it's a clean install, why not just go with integrated? It saves time and you don't have to clean up your system afterward. Also, benchmarks show different results, but like I said, you most likely won't feel it in real life.

 

i love the disk i have with integrated sp1. it's very fast to install and updates are fast done, too. a very painless process with a nice system afterwards.

i've actually organised one of those cd's just for two reasons: installation ease (had to do 6 pc's in a row lately, and it was a heaven's gift those days ), and installation size. winsxs bloats heavily. having a 32gb ssd only, the smaller installation footprint is really nice.