Performance: Win7 32-bit vs 64-bit

[Mark Phelps]

Tried a search on this first -- said nothing found ... so here goes ...

Had to build a new Win7 Pro system a month ago due to old system PSU burning up the motherboard. So, built a new system with AMD 1090t 6-core processor and 4GB of 1333 memory. Was a lot of work doing that -- and it works OK.

But having done that, I had all the makings of switching over to 64-bit. So, I installed Win7 Pro 64-bit from scratch and have been installing my apps, one by one.

Also converted the drive access to AHCI in the process.

The plan was to switch over to 64-bit once I was finished to reap the benefits of improved performance.

Problem is ... I don't see any.

Given the same hardware, the same apps, the "real-time" performance experience is the same, whether using 32-bit or 64-bit.

I suspect that purchasing another 4GB of 1333 memory may improve the 64-bit performance -- but I'm hesitant to spend the money since, if it doesn't, I then HAVE to switch over to 64-bit or have an extra 4GB of memory sitting there unusable under 32-bit.

So, is there something I'm missing? I actually thought that 64-bit would be faster performance.

 

[yowanvista]

You won't notice any major speed improvements unless you use native 64-bit applications such as Photoshop x64 or any other heavy programs

I suspect that purchasing another 4GB of 1333 memory may improve the 64-bit performance

The performance increase won't even be noticeable if you upgrade to 1333

 

[Maguscreed]

The numbers say otherwise, but I myself have never noticed a significant difference between 32 and 64 bit applications in day to day type use. If data were moving down a highway, the bit marker would determine how many lanes that highway had. Theoretically more lanes means more traffic and less congestion, it's probably a bit more noticeable in very high data applications, say video conversion. For your normal office apps and internet browsers, I just don't think it has a chance to really show a noticeable difference.

That's my personal take though, as with many things, other people's experience may vary.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I switched and don't see any performance improvements and didn't expect to.

I used 4 gigs of RAM on 32 bit and am using 4 gigs on 64 bit.

As far as I know, the differences are supposed to be fairly subtle and not particularly related to "speed".

 

[pparks1]

I'm another member who noticed no performance increase at all between 32-bit and 64-bit based on the software and such that I use. The "only" reason that I run 64-bit is because I have 8GB of RAM for running virtual machines.

 

[Mark Phelps]

Hey ... great. Thanks for all the feedback, folks.

So, to ask the question a different way, is there any downside (other than having to contact MS to reactivate) to staying with 64-bit? I'm asking because, since I only have one copy of Win7 Pro, once I activate the 64-bit, ther's basically no going back.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

The significant issue would be whether or not the programs you use will install and run properly on 64 bit.

Nearly all will.

A few won't.

It's up to you to sort that out through experimentation, Google, etc.

 

[Maguscreed]

I have not run into any apps that won't install in win 7 x64 , though I did have that problem with xp and vista 64. Granted I have moved on from most of the older software I was using back then as well and found newer, better replacements.

 

[Stormkitty]

Unless you still use 16-bit apps for some reason, there's pretty much no reason to not use 64-bit Windows 7 if your system can handle it.

 

[GeneO]

Unless you still use 16-bit apps for some reason, there's pretty much no reason to not use 64-bit Windows 7 if your system can handle it.

+=1 You may need that extra memory in the future. I need it for Photoshop.

One performance gain you get with 64 bit + greater than 4GB of memory is that more of your programs and data can be cached in memory and hence start up basically instantaneously second+ time round (or you can keep them open).

Unless you have 16 bit apps there is no reason to live in the past

I wonder if superfetch takes into account the amount of RAM you have. Anyone know?

 

[pparks1]

If you activate 64bit and later decide to run 32bit you can do that.

As long as you don't have software, or drivers that don't work under 64-bit there really isn't a great reason to not use it. For example, my company didn't have a 32-bit VPN client for the longest time. if you were running Windows 7 64-bit, you couldn't VPN in. That was a bit of a problem for remote workers and forced them to run 32-bit.

 

[cluberti]

Agreed with the others that at 4GB of RAM, you won't notice much of a difference at all. The CPU does have access to double the registers though (32 bit can only use the first 32 registers, 64bit allows use of all 64 registers), and as such memory or CPU-bound applications do have a perceptible difference. Most apps aren't these, though, so unless you've got a reason to move to 64bit there may be little need to wipe a working 32bit OS. However, the converse is also true - there's really no reason not to use 64bit either at this point, unless you have some rather odd needs (native 16bit support, 32bit-only device drivers or 32bit software that relies on said device drivers, like VPN software). That choice is up to you, but your initial question of whether or not you'd notice a difference is pretty much moot. Windows will boot and run slightly faster, but in real-world perceptible terms, not much will change.

 

[Mark Phelps]

Thank again for all the feedback, folks.

I've run into two problems migrating to Win7 64-bit, both being programs I have used for a long time and have come to rely upon. One is an inconvience and has a simple workaround that I have been using. The other, though, is a dvd-importing app that came with my Sony Handycam -- and despite several exchanges with Sony support (during which ALL they keep telling me to do is reinstall it -- again!), still does not work.

Given the lack of performance gain, the fact that I don't have or use any of the high-end commercial apps that come in 64-bit versions, and the problem I can't fix, I'll just go back to using 32-bit.

 

[cluberti]

I would bet the import program is using a driver that either doesn't work at all in 64bit, or works poorly. Those are the types of programs I would be wary of when migrating to 64bit anyway .

 

[whs]

1. 16bit applications do not run in Windows7 - 32 or 64bit
2. with 4GBs of RAM the performance difference of 32 vs 64bit is very marginal and not noticeable
3. I have a couple of applications that do not run on 64bit - but those are rare cases
4. Yes, Superfetch will use all the RAM available for caching

 

[Tarka Dal]

You will have a lot of problems when you try to upgrade form 32bit to 128bit which is the next step. But, saying that it won't be for a good while...We hope.Otherwise we will all have to cough up large amounts of dosh for upgrading again...

 

[Mark Phelps]

Upgrading from 32-bit to 128-bit?? That's not going to happen before Windows 8 -- and by then, I'm hoping that the vendors of the two apps giving me problems will have solved them for 64-bit. And, if that OS is anything like Windows 7, it will have a way of running "old" 64-bit apps.

 

[yowanvista]

You will have a lot of problems when you try to upgrade form 32bit to 128bit which is the next step. But, saying that it won't be for a good while...We hope.Otherwise we will all have to cough up large amounts of dosh for upgrading again...

Win8 won't even be 128-bit

 

[ghostof1822]

Differences between 32 bit and 64bit. 32 bit recognizes only 4 gigs of 1033 mhz may show you your memory stats but only shows what the system requirs of. So if you have above four gigs of stick and running frequency of 1600mhz. 32 bit will not recognize thats of memory yoy had put in. 64bit on the other recognizes 24 gigs of memories. You can tell the defferenceon the speed of Booting up the system. A bit faster than 32. Some say they care less some do.or some dont know but pretends to know so they say i rather stick with 32 ... it all depends on you and your system if you want all ypur hardware to be recognize what it actually is not just. An os requirements. Hope this answers your questions and others as well. Any questions ask away. Thanks.

 

[pjbeee]

IMHO, 32-bit W7 seems "snappier" on older machines that I've upgraded to Win7. See my post elsewhere in the forums.