Is my Cpu 64bit?

[Richard Beer]

I used cpu-z and it gave me this

On instructions I saw EM64T or somthing similar does that mean I have a 64bit cpu and ill need to get the 64bit version of vista?

 

[Raikiri]

You do have a 64 bit CPU, but you don't need the 64bit version of Vista.

 

[doodah]

Yes, you dont "need" to get 64bit Vista. Optimised 64bit apps will run better but not many around and by time they become mainstream that 820 will be old hat

 

[lay-z-boy]

Only get a 64 bit OS if you KNOW that you WILL be getting 4GB of ram+ or already do.

At which point I would suggest upgrading the cpu to a conroe of some sorts as the 820D is old hat.

 

[Richard Beer]

cant upgrade to 4GB in the future my case is too small for a better mobo and the one I have at the moment will only support up to 2GB. I would buy a cheap intel core 2 duo and overclock it to 3.0ghz but my mobo doesnt have overclocking abilities i dont think.

What would happen if I was running 64bit vista and didnt have 4GB?

 

[lay-z-boy]

64 bit eats up more ram at stock and can have compatibility problems with 3rd party 32 bit software.

 

[Tute]

64 bit eats up more ram at stock and can have compatibility problems with 3rd party 32 bit software.

Oh dear god. No it doesn't.

You know that CPU thing in your PC? Well it's very smart in that it can execute both 32 and 64-bit instructions. When you install Vista x64, all you're doing is installing a version of Windows that is the same as the x86 one, but has support for x64 instructions as well.

This way, when you run an x86 program, it is executed at full speed, as though you were running an x86 operating system.

The problems you describe will be the same as the x86 version, and if they're not, then you're doing something wrong.

Oh, and here you go. Read up before you claim it "eats" RAM.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperFetch#SuperFetch

OP, there is NO reason to not buy the x64 version of Vista over the x86 one if your processor supports it. I'd recommend reading some threads over at the Windows forum, this question comes up almost daily.

 

[lay-z-boy]

Urgh FFS I know what super fetch is, I wasn't talking about that at all.

I have a vista disk with all the 32bit and 64 bit versions on, Installing ultimate in 64bit mode consumed more ram than 32 same goes for XP.

You can also quit your patronising tone about cpu's because I have had first hand experience of 32bit apps not working in a 64 bit environment.

 

[Sone]

in the good ol days of Win3.1/3.11 you could install win32s to add some 32bit support in. Is ist possible MS will realse something similar for 32bit vista?

 

[Lanz]

in the good ol days of Win3.1/3.11 you could install win32s to add some 32bit support in. Is ist possible MS will realse something similar for 32bit vista?

No, there wouldnt be any point. Win32s was there because there wasnt a win32 version of Windows3.1 - where as there is a 64bit ver of XP/Vista.

 

[Tute]

Urgh FFS I know what super fetch is, I wasn't talking about that at all.

I have a vista disk with all the 32bit and 64 bit versions on, Installing ultimate in 64bit mode consumed more ram than 32 same goes for XP.

You can also quit your patronising tone about cpu's because I have had first hand experience of 32bit apps not working in a 64 bit environment.

What kind of extra memory consumption are we talking about here? Because if you aren't talking about SuperFetch then all I can think about is that WOW64 may be using some extra itself.

And if you don't like the tone, then try the RTM button. Right next to my post.