Install Win 7 Ultimate x86 or x64 with 4GB RAM?

[mttomb]

I use it for games, net surfing and music. Right now I am not playing much games. I lost everything around the end of last year do to my hard drive frying. I believe it was an after affect to my power supply going out and taking a lot of things with it. The hard drive was an after affect a month later. The only game that I am playing now is one that an Win98 system can handle. The name of the game is Starz. Ever hear of it?

 

[mttomb]

The evga 790i that I am using ( not the x58 my bad again ) does not have an onboard Video.

 

[mckillwashere]

I find it kinda weird that it only detects a part of the memory not all of it

 

[Cheesegeezer]

Isn't it also to ask does the x64 version of Windows 7 use the x86 drivers. That should be another question you should ask. Not just the 500MBs of ram that is not accounted for, but will you have to find x64 drivers for all of your older hardware. Now for me I can't go to x64 OS system because I don't have the money to go out and get new printers and other devices that manufactors only put out x86 drivers.

Thanks you for your time.

mttomb

MCP, MCDST

64 bit OS still includes a 32bit emulator, so you can use both 64bit and 32bit drivers and software. However if you are running a 32bit piece of software then it will be in "emulator mode" and may not be as quick as you like. If you are running 64bit then this will make use of the 64bit architecture in your cpu and allow all of your memory to be utilised.

Most games these days are still programmed in 32bit so even with a 64bit OS it will still emulate it as a 32bit game slightly reducing performance.

I would stick with 32bit, I would honestly say that a 64bit OS is only really useful for graphics/animation/iintense video editing and authoring, but for the average use 32 bit is the way forward.

Hope this Helps