vista 64 or 32 bit

I have 4 gigs of ram in my new laptop and am not sure if I should install vista 64-bit to recognize all of the ram or if I should go with 32-bit for compatibility with gaming or other software. Is there a possiblilty that we will see vista 32-bit recognizing 4 gigs of ram with an update in the near future? How widespread are these compatibility issues?

 

32bit Vista will never be able to use all 4GB. A recent update causes Vista to report the amount of memory installed (so it will say 4GB), but it does not use it all.

Stick with 32bit, 64bit Vista is nice and all...but the sheer amount of compatibility and driver issues has made the 64bit worthless for some.

 

yep, what he said

you need the 32bit for gaming esp.

 

With regards to 4GB being addressable in a 32-bit OS, PAE extends the amount of addressable space to around 4GB

from http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=49703&sid=cc3f4248a394199e3d9c4fd84fe8d4ad

 

I don't know what the people above are talking about. I'm using Vista x64 and have had no problems finding drivers for anything. And some games are optimized for 64-bit, such as Half-Life. Many 32-bit applications also work with Vista x64. The only ones you'll have trouble with are the apps that use their own drivers, but it's usually not too hard to find x64 versions of those.
I suggest trying it out (there's a guide here somewhere that tells you, step by step, how to upgrade from x86 Vista to x64 for free), and if you have problems finding a driver, let me know.

 

I'm still not sure, but I'm appreciative of the input here. I also plan on using my sager as a recording studio/multi-track recorder if it makes any difference. Other than that there will be a lot of torrents and music and video conversion. Oh yeah, how much ram will I lose going with the 32-bit and what are the other ( if any ) advantages of the 64-bit?

 

Given that you have a hell of a dedicated graphics card, you'll probably only see ~ 3 GB of RAM in 32 bit Windows, guys with integrated graphics cards usually see a bit more (3.2-3.5 ish).

The advantages of a 64 bit OS aside from having a lot more addressable memory are 64 bit applications.

I've heard that 32 bit apps in a 64 bit OS run a tiny bit slower (almost un-noticeable), however I'm not sure why/if this is actually true

Some 64 bit apps on the other hand run a hell of a lot faster than 32 bit ones (assuming they are programmed well), so if there are any god 64 bit apps for what you want to do, I'd say get a 64 bit OS (pending all your drivers are compatible)

I'm in your shoes too, I decided to get Vista 32 bit for now because of some driver compatibility issues with 64 bit Windows and the Quadro 570m.

 

Don't forget that if the 64-bit drivers aren't WHQL signed, it will fail to load in the Windows Kernel and will not work.

 

When spring break comes along and I have more time I plan to switch to Vista 64-bit, I have used XP 64-bit on my desktop for a while now so the transition shouldn't be to hard. Also, Lenovo has mostly all the drivers necessary for the switch. 4GB's of ram and slightly increased performance definitely a plus.

 

What issues? I'm assuming we have the same computer here...

Also, to saintalfonzo, before you make the switch, check your manufacturer's website to see if they list all of the drivers you need.

 

rhapsody doesn't work on 64 yet my only complaint

 

Vista64 is the way to go. i just installed it in my computer and so far i feel its faster and more responsive than the 32bit version. As far as drivers, they are somewhere you just have to find them. Note that 32 bit DO run a bit better on 64 some not all

 

Sorry, I should have been more specific
Apparently the GeForce drivers for the Quadro don't work in Vista 64..
link : http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=189188&highlight=t61p+vista+64
The Quadro drivers themselves are fine though

 

@Knight: 32bit drivers will not work in a 64bit OS. I assume you are talking about 32bit programs? Because 32bit programs may run better with a 64bit OS... may.

@Ace: Check with LaptopVideo2Go and see if there are some drivers for you...though non-signed drivers in x64 may cause issues, not sure.

 

Replaced the Vista x86 install on my Asus G2S with V64 as soon as I got it. No issues, apart from one unneeded touchpad-off button not supported. Definitely more responsive.

And I only have 2GB at present

If you must be Vista at all, make it V64. Check your drivers, and go for it.

 

False statement. They don't have to be from WHQL to work, they just need to be signed. Some drivers are not WHQL and work without boot errors.

 

I use LaptopVideo2Go drivers. They work fine for me. There are only a few issues with some games, but most of those existed for the stock Lenovo drivers too.

 

PAE will never be on Vista. PAE is a terrible hack and causes many crashes or errors for many people. Microsoft ditched PAE in favor of making a real 64bit OS, so don't ever expect PAE to be available with Vista.

Fade to black has it right that they don't need to be WHQL, just signed. However it's a good point because you can't use software like RMclock (actually that's the only one I've run into) because getting a driver sigend is expensive, so not much freeware will be available.

XP64 and Vista 64 are completely unrelated. Any drivers you have that worked on XP64 will not work on Vista 64. XP64 was a stopgap and sort of a mess, and Vista 64 comes from a totally different code base.

 

He probably meant as far as x64 software is concerned, and the experience of having to hunt down x64 drivers.

 

When I ordered my new laptop from zepto I was not certain wether I would benefit more from x32 or x64, so I called zepto and they said that both x32 and x64 work with the same license. If you are about to buy a new computer just ask them to provide both. Cost me $5. If you buy vista in a store I dont know how it works, but most likely they can provide you with both install discs there too. Try out x64 and if you have problems just switch to x32.

Good luck

 

If you can find a Windows Vista Anytime Upgrade DVD for free, then you can make the switch free of charge.

 

If you buy Vista in the store as a retail package, the only way to get 64bit is to get the ultimate box. If the store also has anytime upgrade DVDs, that's how you can get the 64bit disc cheap, but not many stores that I know of carry them. So if you can find them it's great, otherwise you need to order it and wait in for it to ship.

 

You can get the X64 DVD for $10 a microsoft's website