Windows 7 pre-order 32 or 64bit?

Never had a problem with 64 bit Vista here, its not like i had a choice though due to my graphics card setup. MKV files work fine with no hacking (VLC ***). The extra ram i have avaliable to me comes in handy when running virtual machines, coding, playing music internet browsers, and IM clients all running at the same time.

I always say choose your hardware and software for you needs. If you think that 32 bit is better then use it, I personaly dont care. But saying 64 bit is worse is just plain wrong.
 
AcidHell2 said:
As someone else has confirmed mkv needs no hacks.

As I said use what you want.But to say 64bit is not the logical choice is crazy That's a long list of benefits in your post for 64bt.
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He's using 3rd party codecs whereas with 32 bit you can use what is already there in the OS.
What benefits are you talking about though? You aren't making sense.
 
matthewhotdude said:
Whats the difference apart from the memory?

will all software work with 64 bit?
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Not all software, but most software from the last few years shouldn't have any issues running on a 64-bit OS. If you're running a new CPU, you're actually shooting yourself in the foot by not operating a 64-bit OS because it gives the CPU a good boost because it is able to actually calculate at it's own level, rather than being restricted by 32-bit. You've also mentioned the memory, and there are many other benefits as well. Also, driver compatibility really isn't an issue now, unless you run some really obscure piece of hardware in the PC. Most mainstream hardware that has been around for the past 5 years has 64-bit driver support.

I find a definite performance boost when multi-tasking on a 64-bit OS. In fact, I upgraded my work laptop to the 64-bit Win 7 RC and it works so much faster than it did when I was on 32-bit. There are definite benefits to using 64-bit, but if you have older software that won't support it then I wouldn't recommend upgrading if you're reliant on that software. You'll know whether you have something that won't work though. It will look very outdated even in 32-bit.
 
Thanks, My main concern is drivers. I have a Dell xps 420 running 32 bit Vista... The dell website has no drivers for Windows 7 so would vista 64bit drivers work with windows 7?
 
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monkeyspank said:
Why should I when there is no need? By your own reasoning why should I use the outdated Directshow when I could be using Media Foundation?
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no need? lots of codecs out thee and you get full use of your computer.
:confused:
I just don't get your reasoning. No you might not notice anything substantial But you lose nothing and gain a "lot under the hood"
 
monkeyspank said:
Why should I when there is no need? By your own reasoning why should I use the outdated Directshow when I could be using Media Foundation?
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Now you're just being difficult for the sake of it. You say you're not trolling, but look through your first two posts and tell us again that you're positive they can't be seen as trolling. You then go on to say compatibility for mkv files need to be "hacked in" when the result you need can be simply achieved by installing a codec pack. You can also run almost all recent 32-bit programs on 64-bit technology, so you get the benefits of both worlds. It seems crazy to me that given the choice, unless you have an extremely good reason such as a piece of software you rely on constantly will never work in 64-bit, that you wouldn't run 64-bit just because "you're bored of it".

As I've already said, at the end of the day you think 32-bit suits you best. So stick with it, but please don't come in here and try to sway others with your minor issues with 64-bit.
 
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matthewhotdude said:
Thanks, My main concern is drivers. I have a Dell xps 420 running 32 bit Vista... The dell website has no drivers for Windows 7 so would vista 64bit drivers work with windows 7?
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In the majority of situations, yes, they would. Windows 7 actually takes care of driver installation for you, and it does a really good job of it when you initially install it. When I switched to the release candidate, I didn't have to install any drivers. They were already there for me when it first booted into Windows. Pretty impressive stuff for Windows :D
 
AcidHell2 said:
no need? lots of codecs out thee and you get full use of your computer.
:confused:
I just don't get your reasoning. No you might not notice anything substantial But you lose nothing and gain a "lot under the hood"
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This pretty much sums it up. If Windows doesn't do something that Mac OS does natively, but there's something out there that will do it in Windows, I don't go out and buy a Mac. I simply get the program for Windows because I won't benefit from having a Mac. If, however, a Mac did it natively, and Windows could do it with another piece of software, but Windows wasn't going to offer me any future proofing but the Mac would, then the obvious choice for me would be to switch to a Mac. You can say the same about 32-bit and 64-bit. 64-bit will offer the future proofing and clear hardware and software benefits now, and in the future. 32-bit is an ageing platform that has long been in circulation and it is now time for it to move over and let 64-bit through.
 
I'm so bored of my Win7 x64 install, I'm going to install a 16bit OS when I get home!

There is no reason whatsoever to stick to 32bit nowadays - the 32bit option is only there for people with older 32bit hardware (P4's and the like).
 
monkeyspank said:
benefits of 64 bit?
Stability... never had any stability problems on 32 bit win7
RAM address limit... I've never noticed the difference between 3.5 or 4GB ram.
security.. No security problems on my 32 bit OSs for probably over 5 years.

So why am I trolling, not making the smart choice, and wasting my time.
You tell me
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benefits of 32 bit?
Stability... my W7 32bit laptop is less stable than my overclocked W7 64bit PC. May be unrelated issues, but I've never had any problems on 64bit.
RAM address limit... if I wanted 3GB of RAM I wouldn't have bought 6GB. OK, maybe 3.5 -> 4GB isn't much of a difference, but if you want any more, you might as well have that higher limit.
Security... No security problems here on a 64bit OS.

matthewhotdude said:
Thanks, My main concern is drivers. I have a Dell xps 420 running 32 bit Vista... The dell website has no drivers for Windows 7 so would vista 64bit drivers work with windows 7?
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True, but you don't NEED to get drivers from Dell. You can still get drivers from the manufacturers' sites, and they're likely to be more up-to-date. And, like Chokka said, Windows 7 does a very good job of installing drivers. I didn't need to install any. The only ones I've actually installed are updated graphics drivers, but I haven't noticed any fps increase over the ones W7 gave me. Also, yes, Vista 64-bit drivers do work with Windows 7.

Plus, W7 will happily run any 32-bit program, so incompatibilities aren't an issue now. I believe you can force an application into 32-bit too, by adding a command to the shortcut. That'd fix your iTunes and Media Center problems. I can say I haven't had either of these (or any, in fact) problems in Windows 7 64-bit, but then, I only use iTunes a little, and I don't watch many MKV files.

To me, the RAM limit was the main factor. Seeing as how you'd only gain a little more available RAM, it might not be worth it to you (even though there are absolutely no foreseeable downsides).

I'd go for x64, you want x86. It seems there will be no way to convince you otherwise, so do what you want.
 
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