   64-bit Windows?
  Has anyone used the new 64bit OS from Windows and what is the performance like?I know that a 64bit OS will have a much higher rate of performance in theory. What big changes are there with memory, storage and CPU speed.How is the hardware effected, can all the latest motherboards physcially handle a 64 bit OS as i thought the hardware was the limiting factor and not software.   
  It's pretty much exactly the same unless you're running a server with a lot* of memory.*Greater than 4 GB is not necessarily a lot. Greater than 4 GB for a single process -- for example a heavily loaded SQL Server database server -- is a lot.   ;  You ARE aware that you need a 64 bit OS to run 64 bits OS right ?   ;Quote:Original post by jfclavetteYou ARE aware that you need a 64 bit OS to run 64 bits OS right ?What?   ;  I have it, and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody unless they actually need it. I would wait at least another year or two before considering 64 bit. This is because there is just nothing out there that supports it. There are no webcam drivers, few printer drivers, I doubt any specialist drivers. The only antivirus program (that is commercially available) is Avast! Graphics drivers are hard to get, especially for a duel core CPUOn the up side though, yes, performance is supreme. My mobo can take up to 4GB of RAM which, on x86 systems, wouldn't happen. I have had no lags on games and things generally happen quickly. Also, having x64 hardware means that you can fully appreciate Windows Vista [smile]   ;  what about hardware, is this a problem as i thought the hardware was the limiting factor.Doesn't this up the power of games many times over eg data increase like 2 power 64 less 2 power 32.   ;Quote:Original post by jagguywhat about hardware, is this a problem as i thought the hardware was the limiting factor.As jfclavette might have been trying to say; you need a 64-bit processor to run a 64 bit OS.Quote:Original post by jagguyDoesn't this up the power of games many times over eg data increase like 2 power 64 less 2 power 32.IIRC, you won't see any significant increase in speed unless the game is specificaly written to take advantage of the extra size of registers.Wait a couple of years. Upgrading to 64-bit OS these days still isn't for the mainstream - there's no real advantage yet, and though support for drivers is improving, there is still alot of hardware unsupported.   ;  Windows 64 is like Windows NT workstation was when it first came out.I remember buying it just because I heard it was the first full 32bit microsoft os and 32bit was the future.First thing I rember when I installed it was lack of drivers and how hard it was just to get a modem to work!And the next biggest fustration was alot of programs refused to run especially games!Same thing with windows 64 if you get it now.I suggest waiting for Vista before taking the plunge since it will be a lot smoother ride ,hopefully, just like windows 2000 was when it came out taking the best of win9x and nt and making an os that was for the most part usuable.;Quote:Original post by CowardQuote:Original post by jagguywhat about hardware, is this a problem as i thought the hardware was the limiting factor.As jfclavette might have been trying to say; you need a 64-bit processor to run a 64 bit OS.Quote:Original post by jagguyDoesn't this up the power of games many times over eg data increase like 2 power 64 less 2 power 32.IIRC, you won't see any significant increase in speed unless the game is specificaly written to take advantage of the extra size of registers.Wait a couple of years. Upgrading to 64-bit OS these days still isn't for the mainstream - there's no real advantage yet, and though support for drivers is improving, there is still alot of hardware unsupported.aren't the modern MB's at least 64bit processors;  OK, so i've been running WinXPx64 since October when I upgraded, why? Well, 4gig of RAM makes for a much nicer system.Driver wise, yes there is a lack of webcam and printer drivers, howver webcams are hardly critical things and when it comes to HP printers you can use older drivers (I network print anyways).Gfx drivers... well, both NV and ATI have had 'dual core aware' drivers since the end of last year so I'm not sure what rpg_code_master is on about.Games wise, older games might be a problem, but newer games the only one I've had a problem with was Vampire:Bloodlines, the installer complained about the wrong version of windows (required a work around) and the main program needed to be patched to understand more than 2gig of ram (crappy coders [grin]). Hell, I've been playing Heroes of Might and Magic 3 with no problems and thats not really new.So, if you don't care about webcams and have more than 2gig of ram it can be worth it, however speedwise aside from the extra ram you aren't looking at much of an improvement if any over 32bit as most programs will run in the 32bit abstraction layer... oh, and 16bit programs won't work, at all.   