New
#11
Yep, because you don't have 2 cores doing the work of 4. You have 4 doing the work of 4.
Yep, that's what I was trying to tell you before. However, I don't know yet if Haswell (4th Generation) is better with 4 sticks or 2. I know that Sandy and Ivy Bridge (2nd and 3rd Gen) are good with 2 sticks...
Home Premium should be more than enough:
Windows 7, what's the difference between the editions? - Neowin
Windows 7, what's the difference between the editions? - Neowin
Windows 7 editions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Go with 64-bit, though. I recommend the Retail version (not OEM, or "System Builder") because then you'll be able to upgrade to a new motherboard or even a new system without having to buy a new copy.
I don't know, but I would assume it's either the same or perhaps even less because the last I remember, I thought Windows 8's requirements were lower than Windows 7's.