32bit or 64bit for gaming

[Kua]

Here's a fairly OT question: If Win 7 installs a program into the x86 Program Files folder does that mean that particular application can't take advantage of the wonders of a 64-bit OS?

 

[HAz]

32bit WinXP SP3 nLited here, all 312 currently installed games work flawlessly on max details, no reason to upgrade really.

For win 7 it really is a worthwhile upgrade. also he has 4gig of ram running on a 32bit os which is not very cleaver to say the least.

 

[shaggyd]

You sure you only bought it last year?? Vista x64 has been a common operating system for a couple of years now. Manufacturers who wanted validation from Microsoft for their drivers needed to create x32 and x64 sets. If you bought a printer model that was already a few years out of date then more fool you.

Yep, the manufacturer had foolishly fitted a printer controller chip that cannot handle 64-bit instructions, hence no drivers. Yes I was a fool, but I needed a colour laser for OU work and at £70, this was a bargain. The printer had very good reviews online, however there was no mention of 64bit issues.
Also, sub £200 colour lasers were few when I needed one at the time, now they are the latest fashion as people are not happy with inkjets running dry and cost of inkjet cartridges.

 

[Paul_cz]

For win 7 it really is a worthwhile upgrade. also he has 4gig of ram running on a 32bit os which is not very cleaver to say the least.

Sure, I would go Win7 too if I had 4gigs, but currently I have 2 and with optimized XP it is enough for everything.If I were to upgrade right now from XP to 7, I would only lose..since all my 312 games and around 50 programs work perfectly, it could only go worse from here.

 

[Random Guy]

Here's a fairly OT question: If Win 7 installs a program into the x86 Program Files folder does that mean that particular application can't take advantage of the wonders of a 64-bit OS?

AFAIK, I believe it means that the program will run under the WOW 32-bit emulation, but because it is running in a 64-bit OS, it will have full access to the 2 GB per-program maximum that is standard for a 32-bit application (provided you have enough RAM). Now, whether or not your program makes use of the extra RAM is another question entirely.

Having said that, I seem to recall that the 64-bit versions of Half Life still ran from the x86 folder, so there may be more to it than I think.

 

[BlizzardX]

You can custom install programs (if you chose the directory yourself) in to the program files and not the x86 one and they run fine... I wouldn't read too much in to the directory name really.

 

[Keltik THC]

ive been using 64 bit vista for ages and been on Windows 7 x64 for weeks now.

not a single problem in any of the games or in anything at all, i just wish developers would start developing more x64 based software!

 

[HangTime]

If you bought a printer model that was already a few years out of date then more fool you.

I dunno, where printers are concerned there isn't such a stigma attached to the age of the device. In terms of the actual hardware, I suspect a LJ printer that's a couple of years old is still pretty decent, and was likely had at a bargain stock clearance price. I worked as a Print Technician for 4 years in the first half of the decade and there was nothing technically wrong with many older models providing they were adequately serviced.

Obviously, driver support is a different kettle of fish but people don't normally worry too much about future compatibility when making purchases (i.e. if running Win32, you probably aren't overly concerned at that moment in time about say 64bit, or Unix support).