32 bit or 64 bit

[gnarlytom]

Hi,

I am a new member so please excuse me for any noob questions!

I have been wanting a new pc for a while (i'm using a dell inspiron 1300 with xp at the moment), but have been holding out for windows 7, and finally took the plunge a couple of days ago. I've read quite a lot about 32bit and 64bit but i'm still undecided! I'm leaning very much towards 64, and just want a bit of advice.

here are the specs of my new machine:

Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS4 motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
2GB RAM
1TB harddrive
1GB Raedon 4650

my only concern is the 2GB of RAM but i guess that i can easily add more.
When adding more Ram do i need to match it all up? e.g. it currently has 2x 1GB sticks, so is it best to get 2 more 1GB at the same speed, or does it not really matter that much?

I will probably play the odd game, but i'm by no means a hardcore gamer - a bit of a hard-core multitasker though!

Thanks

 

[zigzag3143]

Hi,

I am a new member so please excuse me for any noob questions!

I have been wanting a new pc for a while (i'm using a dell inspiron 1300 with xp at the moment), but have been holding out for windows 7, and finally took the plunge a couple of days ago. I've read quite a lot about 32bit and 64bit but i'm still undecided! I'm leaning very much towards 64, and just want a bit of advice.

here are the specs of my new machine:

Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS4 motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
2GB RAM
1TB harddrive
1GB Raedon 4650

my only concern is the 2GB of RAM but i guess that i can easily add more.
When adding more Ram do i need to match it all up? e.g. it currently has 2x 1GB sticks, so is it best to get 2 more 1GB at the same speed, or does it not really matter that much?

I will probably play the odd game, but i'm by no means a hardcore gamer - a bit of a hard-core multitasker though!

Thanks

Your ram is going to be an issue. It is easy to replace and not that expensive. It will make a world of difference in the number of things you can do at once. Other than this minor issue I see nothing that you shouldnt be able to do in win 7.

You have plenty of storage, a good video card, a decent cpu and motherboard.

When you buy new ram it really needs to be matched.

Hope this helps

Ken

 

[gnarlytom]

Hi,

thanks for the info. I'm not sure i understand matching RAM. Does it mean that you can have it in pairs (e.g. two different pairs, but matched within pairs), or does it mean that you have to have matching pairs also.

e.g. i have 4 Ram slots, so can I have two different pairs, or do i need two identical pairs?

How much RAM would you recommend?

 

[Tews]

For the best performance, always purchase your ram in pairs ... or kits .... otherwise you could be setting yourself up for problems... while unmached sticks may work, if they are'nt matched, the faster ram will lower itself to the lower ram to ensure parity ... moral of the story .... always buy your ram in pairs...

How much RAM would you recommend?

The rule of thumb is to figure out how much you need, and double it...

 

[gnarlytom]

For the best performance, always purchase your ram in pairs ... or kits .... otherwise you could be setting yourself up for problems... while unmached sticks may work, if they are'nt matched, the faster ram will lower itself to the lower ram to ensure parity ... moral of the story .... always buy your ram in pairs...

so for example would this be ok:
1GB (X manufacturer)
1GB (X manufacturer)
...plus....
2GB (Y manufacturer)
2GB (Y manufacturer)

 

[zigzag3143]

Hi,

thanks for the info. I'm not sure i understand matching RAM. Does it mean that you can have it in pairs (e.g. two different pairs, but matched within pairs), or does it mean that you have to have matching pairs also.

e.g. i have 4 Ram slots, so can I have two different pairs, or do i need two identical pairs?

How much RAM would you recommend?

If it were mine I would buy as much ram as I could afford and will fit on the motherboard within reason (8gigs on 64bit)

when you buy ram the sticks in the box are matched to run with each other. Even if you buy two boxes of the same ram at the same time sticks from one may not work ideally with sticks from the other

You want to buy the same speed (ie pc 5600) the same latency (cli 3,3,3,etc), etc. getting the identical specs reduce the chances of them not playing well together. Not everyone thinks this is important. I have had to many random crashes, hangs, etc to not pay attention. there are tons of good sources out there for reading up on before you need to buy any.

Your system will run with 2 gigs it will just run better with more.

Hope this helps

Ken

 

[gnarlytom]

Thanks for your help,

I'll have a play around with it first when it arrives and then decide what to do

 

[DeaconFrost]

Another option, is to sell your 2 GB kit and buy a 4 GB kit, if 4 GB would be enough for you. At this point, there's very little reason to go with an x86 OS.

 

[zigzag3143]

Thanks for your help,

I'll have a play around with it first when it arrives and then decide what to do

We will be here if you need us

Ken

 

[gnarlytom]

Another option, is to sell your 2 GB kit and buy a 4 GB kit, if 4 GB would be enough for you. At this point, there's very little reason to go with an x86 OS.

you wouldn't recommend just sticking in a 4GB kit alongside the 2GB kit, even if i try to match speeds?

 

[zigzag3143]

Another option, is to sell your 2 GB kit and buy a 4 GB kit, if 4 GB would be enough for you. At this point, there's very little reason to go with an x86 OS.

you wouldn't recommend just sticking in a 4GB kit alongside the 2GB kit, even if i try to match speeds?

how many slot does the mobo have? If i were you I would start with 4gigs and then add 4 more later. Not much more expensive for the original 4 than if you get 2


Ken

 

[gnarlytom]

Another option, is to sell your 2 GB kit and buy a 4 GB kit, if 4 GB would be enough for you. At this point, there's very little reason to go with an x86 OS.

you wouldn't recommend just sticking in a 4GB kit alongside the 2GB kit, even if i try to match speeds?

how many slot does the mobo have? If i were you I would start with 4gigs and then add 4 more later. Not much more expensive for the original 4 than if you get 2


Ken

I've got 4 slots. i think i might buy a 4gb kit, so then should i also leave the 2GB in, or might it cause problems?

 

[DeaconFrost]

Unless it is identical to the 2 GB kit, you never know for sure if it will play nice or not. Go for it, and if it doesn't, sell the 2 GB and run with the 4 GB kit for now.

 

[zigzag3143]

leave the 2 gigs in. Make sure you find out what you have first. you can download either everest, or cpu-z to tell you really detailed info abt the ram. with that in hand you want to get the exact same specs on the 4gig kit you buy

Ken

 

[gnarlytom]

ok thanks very much everybody!

 

[zigzag3143]

ok thanks very much everybody!

Good luck and again welcome

When you get a chance could you fill in your system specs (lower left corner) so that we know what hardware you have. It makes things easier

Ken

 

[wallyinnc]

so for example would this be ok:
1GB (X manufacturer)
1GB (X manufacturer)
...plus....
2GB (Y manufacturer)
2GB (Y manufacturer)

Tom
Just a little further clarification: if you want 4G, buy a 2x2G matched pair (as an example only look here: Newegg.com - Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT25664AA667 - Desktop Memory)
As explained, the matched pair Dual Channel Kit will guarantees that they work well and according to the specs (not according to the lowest spec between a non-matched pair)
Hope it helps