32 to 64 bit upgrade. How?

System type is 32-bit OS and 64-bit capable. How do I upgrade from 32 to 64 bit?

I changed from 32 to 64 with only 4 GB of RAM when I last rebuilt. Can't tell the difference in ordinary day-to-day operation.

You may as well do it if you were starting from scratch and building a PC, but I don't know that I'd go to the trouble otherwise--unless you have some over-riding reason to need 64-bit.

I am supposed to be capable of 6 GB RAM. Would that suffice? And how do I add two more GB's?

pappi said:

I am supposed to be capable of 6 GB RAM. Would that suffice? And how do I add two more GB's?

Suffice? Suffice for what purpose? If you want to use 64-bit, go ahead. Nothing wrong with 64-bit and 4 GB RAM or 6 GB RAM or whatever.


If you aren't currently using all of your 4, there's no reason in the world to buy more, regardless of the 32-bit/64-bit question. Adding more RAM won't improve anything if you have enough already.

You can easily determine if you are using all of your 4 by looking at Resource Monitor within Task Manager.

If you now have two 2 GB sticks of RAM and add a third 2 GB stick, you'll have 6, but you'd be in single channel mode rather than dual channel. It's only a minor performance hit. If you actually need a 5th or 6th GB of RAM, go ahead in spite of the single channel issue.

But you've given us no reason to believe you are using all of the 4 you now have.

The first two responders gave me the idea that going from 32 to 64-bit OS requires RAM greater than 4 GB.

At the moment, 4 GB seems much more than what I need or actually use with my current 32-bit OS..

I have a suspicion I have only two slots for memory sticks. That means I have to remove one 2GB stick and replace it with 4 GB stick to make 6 GB. Is there a way to find out how many slots I actually have without opening the notebook? My system information does not provide the answer.

pappi said:

The first two responders gave me the idea that going from 32 to 64-bit OS requires RAM greater than 4 GB.

At the moment, 4 GB seems much more than what I need or actually use with my current 32-bit OS..

I have a suspicion I have only two slots for memory sticks. That means I have to remove one 2GB stick and replace it with 4 GB stick to make 6 GB. Is there a way to find out how many slots I actually have without opening the notebook? My system information does not provide the answer.

One said recommend 32 bit. The other said no point in changing.

Their larger point is that there is no particular advantage to changing and it would take X hours to do it. Why waste X hours for no apparent gain?

If you had 64-bit and asked if you could go back to 32-bit, I suspect they'd say "Yeah, you could, but why would you".

The fact is you can use either assuming your hardware supports either.

I personally have been using 64-bit and 4 GB of RAM for years.

You can download Speccy (free) from Piriform.com. Run it. It's a great tool for identifying your hardware and will tell you how many slots you have.

If you have 2 slots, yes, you'd have to ditch a 2 GB stick and replace it with a 4 GB stick. That would give you 6, but you'd be in single channel mode.

Single channel mode and 6 GB is NOT ideal, but better than 4 GB in dual channel IF AND ONLY IF you actually would be using the 5th and 6th GB of RAM.

And you state that you likely wouldn't.

So, no need for 6 whatsoever.

Install 64-bit if you want to and be prepared to ask yourself why you went to the trouble.

Unless you have an over-riding reason beyond curiosity or "staying up to date", etc.

I snipped this while on two running windows, (1) seven forum active posting (2) Windows Media Center watching live TV broadcast with external TV tuner.

I do not know how to interpret the Resource Monitor graphic display. Does it say how much RAM is in use?