Do I have 64 bit capability?

Hi there
Hold your horses a little bit.

You certainly CAN run a 64 Bit OS like W7 x-64 but what you unfortunately WON'T be able to do is run a 64 Bit GUEST VIRTUAL MACHINE. -- You can run a 32 bit virtual machine with no probs on that system.

If you aren't interested in running Virtual machines then no prob.

Incidentally you *Might* be able to turn the INTEL Virtualisation feature on in the BIOS setup -- at boot time press the relevant key to get into the BIOS setup -- not sure what it is on your system -- it's often things like the DEL key or F2 or whatever.

Just add more RAM anyway --its cheap enough and even if you only have 1 memory slot single slot 4GB RAM modules are common and cheap now --- ensure you buy RAM with the same number of PINS -- if you go to a store take the module with you -- there are a few different types of RAM now with different numbers of pins so don't waste money by buying the wrong type.

A PENTIUM IV will FLY on W7 with 4GB RAM -- the main drawback is a Pentium IV is a power hungry hog and if it's a laptop your battery will probably only last around 30 mins if that !!!!.

That's one reason why Pentium IV's disappeared from laptops fairly quickly --was nothing to do with performance -- they just GOBBLED up power.

Cheers
jimbo

Is there any benefit to installing 64bit windows if you're going to have 4gb ram?? - is that extra 1/2 gb usable over 32bit going to make any difference.

Nigsy said:

Is there any benefit to installing 64bit windows if you're going to have 4gb ram?? - is that extra 1/2 gb usable over 32bit going to make any difference.

about 10%. nothing you will see or feel. Plus 32bit uses less resources than 64 so it may be a wash.

Hi there
unless you NEED 64 bit applications -- I'd stick with the 32 bit version on that particular machine.

32 / vs 64 bit performance is not easy to compare on these types of machines -- a 32 bit application runs in a WOW (Windows on Windows) system -- overhead here on a 64 bit enabled CPU. 32 Bit applications will take at least TWO Internal instructions lengths compared with a native 64 bit piece of machine code -- but again it's not so simple -- your older DISKS and other hardware will be so much slower than the overhead of the CPU translating / mapping 32 bit code to the 64 bit CPU architecture that you really won't see any difference.

The value lies in 64 bit code when you run a true 64 bit application like Photoshop - then you WILL see a difference even with only 4GB RAM -- always assuming your disks aren't really slow.

For your older machine I'd stick with the 32 bit version.

Cheers
jimbo

Hi there

DEFINITELY get more RAM -- I even "Upped" a tiny ACER ASPIRE ONE Netbook to 4GB -- cost me 32 EUR for a single 4GB memory module. Works brilliantly -- I can even run TWO VM's on this tiny netbook as well I generally have an XP VM and a Virtual W2K3 SERVER !!!! although for this I do use an external monitor.

It even runs Photoshop CS5 passably too -- although you have to have an external monitor for most functions since the screen resolution is too small for the minimum photoshop requitrments with the netbooks own screen. - WWorks fine with external monitor.

BTW the humble Netbook with a decent SSD and the 4GB RAM makes a lot of "conventional" Laptops and even some desktops look really SLOW -- and it has decent Video including a proper HDMI full 1080p HD video out -- but to make full use of this you really need to add more RAM like I've done by chucking out the 1GB module and replacing it with the 4GB module -- there's only a single memory slot on these.

Don't be put off by the sales specifications -- sometimes the specs say 1GB RAM max -- but that was because at the time the specs were written when 4GB or even 2GB single memory modules were either hard to obtain or prohibitively expensive.

Any machine however old that is capabable of running a 32 BIT OS CAN have up to 4GB memory installed AND WORKING providing you can find the appropriate memory module.

I'm often amazed at how many errors you see in the system specifications for some machines.


Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

Hi there

DEFINITELY get more RAM -- I even "Upped" a tiny ACER ASPIRE ONE Netbook to 4GB -- cost me 32 EUR for a single 4GB memory module. Works brilliantly -- I can even run TWO VM's on this tiny netbook as well I generally have an XP VM and a Virtual W2K3 SERVER !!!! although for this I do use an external monitor.

It even runs Photoshop CS5 passably too -- although you have to have an external monitor for most functions since the screen resolution is too small for the minimum photoshop requitrments with the netbooks own screen. - WWorks fine with external monitor.

BTW the humble Netbook with a decent SSD and the 4GB RAM makes a lot of "conventional" Laptops and even some desktops look really SLOW -- and it has decent Video including a proper HDMI full 1080p HD video out -- but to make full use of this you really need to add more RAM like I've done by chucking out the 1GB module and replacing it with the 4GB module -- there's only a single memory slot on these.

Don't be put off by the sales specifications -- sometimes the specs say 1GB RAM max -- but that was because at the time the specs were written when 4GB or even 2GB single memory modules were either hard to obtain or prohibitively expensive.

Any machine however old that is capabable of running a 32 BIT OS CAN have up to 4GB memory installed AND WORKING providing you can find the appropriate memory module.

I'm often amazed at how many errors you see in the system specifications for some machines.


Cheers
jimbo

VM's on a netbook? 1080p? The poor thing would die under the strain. It isn't possible.