What's the difference: 32bit vs. 64bit?

[piatnik1996]

hello... so.. i bought a new computer and I don't know which operating system is good for it ... i don't know , i have an i7-860S processor(2,80GHz) , 6 GB of RAM, Nvidia GTX 295 1792MB ... and I see in other forums and site's some specifications about the difference..
32bit operating system is for home, like gaming and see some movies ;
and the 64bit operating system is for business and other stuff...
but a friend of mine says something like : don't junk your money for 6GB RAM because the PC needs 64bit operating system because it's too performant... or something like this .. and now I don't have any idea which system I download and install on my new computer...can my new computer support the 32bit operating system ?
please help me !!
____________________________________
piatnik1996

 

[zigzag3143]

hello... so.. i bought a new computer and I don't know which operating system is good for it ... i don't know , i have an i7-860S processor(2,80GHz) , 6 GB of RAM, Nvidia GTX 295 1792MB ... and I see in other forums and site's some specifications about the difference..
32bit operating system is for home, like gaming and see some movies ;
and the 64bit operating system is for business and other stuff...
but a friend of mine says something like : don't junk your money for 6GB RAM because the PC needs 64bit operating system because it's too performant... or something like this .. and now I don't have any idea which system I download and install on my new computer...can my new computer support the 32bit operating system ?
please help me !!
____________________________________
piatnik1996

It can support either. to find which you are running type system info in search.

Let us know which one you have and if you want to change it

Ken

 

[piatnik1996]

Well.. now I have a slow PC and I have the 32bit operating system and I really like it,
and it didn't have any problems...
So I need your help

 

[sergiogarcia9]

No doubt here at all. You will be best off with x64 (64-bit)

Most people with just 4gb or even 2GB ram, and a x64 capable processor would use x64 as their OS. You have 6GB, one of the best CPU's out there (x64 capable too) and one of the newest gfx cards. You will have so much more performance with x64 than with x86

32bit operating system is for home, like gaming and see some movies ;
and the 64bit operating system is for business and other stuff...

The people who wrote or said that should really not think they're smart about computers.
x64 is better in performance, if you got the PC for it. And in this case you do.
Business, gaming, movies etc. all that you can do on x64. I actually do not think i've seen anyone running the newest games on a x86 based system.

The simple rule i have is this;
More than 2GB of Ram, and a x64 capable CPU, with at least 2 cores running at min 1.6ghz, you want to run x64.

 

[bobkn]

hello... so.. i bought a new computer and I don't know which operating system is good for it ... i don't know , i have an i7-860S processor(2,80GHz) , 6 GB of RAM, Nvidia GTX 295 1792MB ... and I see in other forums and site's some specifications about the difference..
32bit operating system is for home, like gaming and see some movies ;
and the 64bit operating system is for business and other stuff...
but a friend of mine says something like : don't junk your money for 6GB RAM because the PC needs 64bit operating system because it's too performant... or something like this .. and now I don't have any idea which system I download and install on my new computer...can my new computer support the 32bit operating system ?
please help me !!
____________________________________
piatnik1996

The 32 bit OS can only address up to 4GB of RAM, and rather less (like 3.2 GB) would actually be available inside Windows. With your 6GB, you need the 64 bit version to use it all.

There are a few issues with the X64 version. You can't run old 16 bit software directly in it. Some 32 bit software uses 16 bit code in its installer, so that can be a problem too. Win7 X64 also doesn't permit unsigned drivers to be installed, ordinarily. (That's not a big deal. Most of the drivers I've seen are signed, even if they're not WHQL approved. I'm using beta drivers for the ATI graphics card in the X64 system I'm writing this from.) It's conceivable that there could be more trouble getting peripheral drivers for Win7 X64 system than for the 32 bit system, but that mainly applies to peripherals that aren't supported by their manufacturers any more.

If you get Win7 X64 Professional or Ultimate, they include an XP Mode for free. That's XP running in a virtual machine. It's intended for businesses running old software, but it could be useful for home users as well. (I can't speak from personal experience - I have only Win7 X64 Home Premium.) That would allow you to run old 16 bit software.

I recommend that you go with X64. If you were buying an appliance PC (Dell, HP, etc.), X54 would be the default OS with 6GB of RAM.

 

[piatnik1996]

Sergio Garcia
So... Your comment was very very useful thanks you very much...
but BOBKN says something about the x64 drivers ...
And what are he mean about the BETA drivers ??
Please help
THX again

 

[sergiogarcia9]

As i see it, you should not have any problems with drivers with those components. But if you could list your components, that would be best, so we can see if they're windows 7 compatible or if some of them arent

A beta is a piece of software, that is under development, and therefore not a finished product

 

[Product FRED]

A 64-bit processor has more bandwidth than a 32-bit processor. Windows 7 x64 takes advantage of that, allowing more data to be processed, faster. That's why you need more RAM for x64 than x86 (32-bit). Basically speed would be the advantage. You should really have at least 4GB of RAM though for a smooth experience.

If you ask me, 64-bit is the future. You cab still run all of your 32-bit apps and can also run any 32-bit OS inside Virtual PC (free) or any other virtualization software. Windows 7 x64 is the first truely stable, meant-for-everyday use 64-bit Windows OS. Most computer manufacturers are offering 64-bit as a standard now as well. Since you have 6GB of RAM, you definitely want to use 64-bit edition, otherwise you'll only be able to use about 3.5GB of it, even if you put it all in.

 

[bobkn]

Sergio Garcia
So... Your comment was very very useful thanks you very much...
but BOBKN says something about the x64 drivers ...
And what are he mean about the BETA drivers ??
Please help
THX again

I think I've worried you with too much information.

I have read some suggestions that people with X64 systems might have trouble trying beta drivers. I try them all the time for my graphics card. With nVidia graphics cards, it's almost a hobby in itself - beta drivers seem to leak almost every week.

You want the X64 version, in my opinion. Your hardware is new, so there should be no driver issues at all.

 

[jacky45]

that y i want install the 64 bit of windows 7,
but sadly...
mine is Dell Inspiron 1420. this model of dell cant support 64bit.
i search all around the forum and google it.
but i still cannot install.It keep asking me the load driver b4 can go in installing progress... sad....
i try the vista x64 matrix storage driver. it still cannot pass the load driver step....

 

[Product FRED]

If you don't have a 64-bit processor, there's 100% no way to get any 64-bit OS running. You'll need to install Windows 7 32-bit.

 

[sergiogarcia9]

that y i want install the 64 bit of windows 7,
but sadly...
mine is Dell Inspiron 1420. this model of dell cant support 64bit.
i search all around the forum and google it.
but i still cannot install.It keep asking me the load driver b4 can go in installing progress... sad....
i try the vista x64 matrix storage driver. it still cannot pass the load driver step....

Since your CPU is 64-bit capable, you are able to install Windows 7 x64.

I found this little guide on CNET, try to follow it (it's even for the same laptop as yours)

My holiday upgrades have started and I upgraded a Dell Inspiron 1420 today, it was a good experience, however there were some very important drivers missing in the out of the box process that were easy enough to fix so I wanted to share the details for those who might not find this so obvious because you have a machine that works GREAT with Windows 7!  First, verify what sound device and video device you have before you start this process – it will provide some confidence in the steps here. The Dell Inspiron 1420 I’m referring to had a SIGMATEL STAC 92XX C-Major HD Audio processor and a NVidia GeForce 8400GS Graphics processor. Windows 7 doesn’t seem to know this hardware is part of the machine and so the drivers are completely missing, instead there is generic audio driver (enables the headphone jacks, but not the built-in speakers) and a generic VGA graphics adapter driver provided (that provides full resolution but no Aero support).  I wanted to capture the basic experience for others to learn about.

Installing Windows 7 64-bit on a Dell Inspiron 1420 Notebook - CNET Windows 7 Forums

 

[The Blessed One]

Almost all PC's and Laptops are now sold in the UK with 64-bit OS's. Most of the time it's Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium. So as you can tell, 64-bit has become mainstream here which is about time.

I still run 32-bit though because I use an essential software which is probably the only one which doesn't fully support 64-bit: Sandboxie. However, I've had enough and will install the 64-bit when Service Pack 1 is released for Windows 7!