What 64 bit applications do you use, and should i be using?

Yucca · 9 Sep 2007 at 20:20

Hi all,

So i have a new lappy and its got vista 64 bit on it. But the only software that i can see that comes with it thats actually 64 bit software is internet explorer 64.

So im sure that the whole point of having a 64 bit processor and 64 bit vista and so that you can use 64 bit software instead of the old 32 bit stuff.

So what free 64 bit software is out there that i should be getting?

Tute · 10 Sep 2007 at 01:44

To put it simply, there isn't really any.

The only real advantage of Vista x64 at the moment is the extra RAM support, however with 4GB being the next logical step after 2GB, it makes it a worthwhile upgrade.

I believe Farcry has an x64 client, and maybe HL2 (although i'm not certain on that).

Once Vista x64 gains a good foothold on the market, the games will start coming. Look at multi-threaded games - how long have we had multi-core processors before games started supporting them?

Theguy · 10 Sep 2007 at 01:47

HL2 does have a x64 client yes, but last time i tryed the proformance was about 10fps less then 32bit.

Shoseki · 10 Sep 2007 at 01:49

There could be open source applications that run on your 64 bit machine... they are designed to work on many many systems...

Tute · 10 Sep 2007 at 01:51

Just had a look on google, and the only benchmarks I can find are from late 2005, when the x64 client actually hurt performance.

Although I have to add that they were testing on XP x64, which isn't known for it's great driver support.

We really need someone to run some benchies and see if things have changed in 2 years.

tntcoder · 10 Sep 2007 at 02:19

I think theres a 64bit Firefox in the making, and of course there is a 64bit version of IE.

Theguy · 10 Sep 2007 at 02:29

there is already a x64 version of firefox. its not very good though, and i belive flash isnt compatible with x64 versions of internet browsers.

Tute · 10 Sep 2007 at 10:30

tntcoder said:
I think theres a 64bit Firefox in the making, and of course there is a 64bit version of IE.

None of the addons work with them though. I wanted to use IE64 but flash wouldn't even install.

Shoseki · 10 Sep 2007 at 12:41

Hmm is there like a 32-bit compatibility layer in 64 bit windows? I have 32-bit flash running on firefox in Ubuntu on 64 bit operating system, just required a couple of libraries.

I thought there wasn't supposed to be much difference between 64 bit windows and 32 bit, and that it just "worked" with the older 32 bit applications?

Theguy · 10 Sep 2007 at 12:51

yea there is, it is called WOW, cant remember what it stands for now.

however with certain applications (normally older ones) they dont work with 64bit.
flash is a pertect example, you cannot use 32bit flash in a 64bit web browser.

Corasik · 10 Sep 2007 at 13:27

WOW is used to run 32bit apps on the 64bit windows OS. So you can use WOW to run a 32bit version of IE, and have 32bit plugins like flash and it works well. You cant run 16bit apps on the 64bit OS, but you can run virtualPC, and run a virtual dos PC, which acutally works quite well. Better than just trying to get an ancient 16bit app working on 32bit windows in many cases.

What you cant do is run a 64bit web browser, and then expect WOW to make 32bit plugins work. Thats more a problem with how plugins interface with the browser. If they used interprocess it would be fine, as different processes can exchange data between 32 and 64bit. But when the plugins get integrated into the browser, that ability is lost, so they dont work. IE A single thread cannot be 32bit and 64bit at the same time.

Simple 64bit apps are generally a fraction slower than their 32bit equivilents, as the cpu/memory is throwing around 64bit's instead of 32bits. But if you have enough memory bandwidth then its not so noticeable. So as memory gets faster that difference virtually disappear. And given a more 'complex' 64bit program that actually uses 64bit maths, then 64bit windows can execute calculations in a single clock tick, rather than having to work out the result using a number of 32bit instructions.

Shoseki · 10 Sep 2007 at 13:42

So use this WOW thing to run 32-bit firefox and flash and you're sorted ^^.

Yucca · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:50

So there are no 64 bit apps i should be using then? No nero 64 or media player 64 or winrar 64 or live messinger 64 etc?

Cob · 10 Sep 2007 at 17:39

Not really.

We're still waiting for the developers to pull their fingers out. And that may not happen until MS release a x64 only desktop OS (something that Vista should have been IMHO).

azteched · 10 Sep 2007 at 17:50

There's no real advantage in most desktop apps being 64-bit-ized AFAICS..in fact many apps shouldn't need to make any assumptions about the size of a pointer, so should they simply need a recompile for x64.

FatRakoon · 10 Sep 2007 at 21:14

I have been using XP64 for quite some time now, and for me, I have found it to be so perfect in almost everythign that I have no intention of ever going back to stock XP.

Its smoother, sleeker and as for HL2 having a lower FPS, I myself found this to be the opposite, and HL2 for me runs much much better in 64Bit.

For what its worth, I currently do not have the Catalysts installed, instead Im using the standard XP64 Drivers, and my gaming is great. I also know that one game I have asks for OpenGL, but Im unsure what that is, but BF2, Company Of Heroes, Need For Speed etc are all running better than they do with the catalysts, and this has allowed me to avoid the DOTNET garbage that I dont want either.

In terms of reliability, I feel that XP64 has not only caught up with XP but it has surpassed it... 10-fold.

Now, I feel that XP is too old and useless to be worth bothering with.... Vista on the other hand is a similar thign to XP... We have the 32 and the 64 bit versions, but considering that every single chip that is coming out these days is 64bit, even considering a 32 bit OS, is just ludicrous. Vista 64 will soon dominate the market, and it is *** way the market will be going... Vista32 is only out there just to get the cheap people who have not been bothered to upgrade recently or have cut serious corners by buying a cheap PC ( That probably wont be fast enough to run Vista properly anyway ) into the playing field.

No, 64Bit is the way to go... XP or Vista, it makes no difference really as long as its 64.

The question abotu what apps should you be using has already been answered.

I will add a couple of things though, that moving on up has forced me to abandon.

1 - MidiFile ( Specifically XG ) playback.

I cannot play XG Midifiles anymore. I have a few options... DB50XG on my TBSC. An MU10, or SYXG50, but XP64 an indeed Vista have stopped those.

2 - PageDefrag.

Loved this prog. XP64 and Vista once again wont play ball.

3 - Partition Magic

XP64 will run it, but not if it needs to shutdown and restart to do its jobs, but Vista hates it... Even after you get rid of Vista, any partitions that vista has touched, cannot work properly. I have lost data because of the way Vista can access its Partitions, and in fact, a short while ago, I sent off my Raptor to WD because of what Vista did to it, and even WD said that Vista had messed it up and they sent me a new drive!!! - WooHoo!