64-Bit System Question?

[vegettoxp]

Hello there guys, I just wanted to get a better understanding for 64-Bit Computing. My new Rig will be 64-Bit (Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770) Ready and since I have never used 64bit system, I just wanted to learn more about it. So if you guys can answer few of my question, it would really make my life a lot easier.

1) I know the biggest problem these days is 64-Bit Driver Support? Is this still Ture or Have things changed?

2) When it comes to software, I know the software have to be written in order to take advantage of 64-Bit System and Multi-Core, I am gona do my best to

get all my software 64-Bit Ready, but Will I still be able to run 32-Bit Based Software on 64-Bit system? I am pretty sure that not all software out there are gona be 64-Bit ready. Your Thoughts?

And if you guys can give me any good links that talk about 64-Bit Computing, Please share them with me. I wanna learn as much as possible before I go from 32-Bit System To 64-Bit System.

Thank You for All you Help!:welcome:

P.S. Fusion

[zanzabar]

1) drivers are good now, u may run into legacy support problems but anything recent will be fine

2) windows x64 runs natively x86 and x64, x64 will be faster but x86 apps will be within 1% of what it is on a 32bit os but x64 apps run much better than x86 and ram usage is much better

[MikeB12]

2 of my pc's have been vista 64 for a while now...

before you convert.. run around and collect vista 64 drivers for all your hardware and burn a cd or save it so you'll have them handy after a fresh install.
the only thing that didn't have 64 bit support on my 2 was a logitech gamepad 2 (but it was one of those $10 cheapos, so that really wasn't an issue... and vista 64 had native support, just logitech's button congure software doesn't run on 64).

as far as apps, almost all my apps are 32 bit.. most of my 64 bit is windows based stuff that got installed with the os cd.
point being, you'll have 2 program folders..

all the 64 bit stuff defaults to:
http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/4641/capturevi1.jpg


and the 32 bit defaults to:
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/4593/capture1zz9.jpg

[alexanderhuzar]

Have no fear, 64-bit is here! :up:

[Pandaz3]

I have one Ubuntu 64 (Dual boot with XP home) Two with Vista Home Premium 64, One with Vista Ultimate 64 and one with XP 64. No problems here.

[FatRakoon]

When was XP64 released ?

Got to be 3 years or so surely?

Well, I have been running XP64 since about 2 weeks before its official release on my main PC.

I have over the last year or so, moved all my LAN PCs ( 8 of them ) to XP64

My daughters PC I have given Vista Premium 32 ( I didnt want to waste it, but I dont want to waste my time with cruddy 32 Bit O/S ) and I am on and off with XP64 and Vista64 with my main PCright now ( Vista never quite runs as good as XP64 does but its getting better )

So, my thoughts are at this time, just wondering why the hell you are still using 32Bit?

-

For what its worth, I have run a PC with a 4-Boot setup of XP32, XP64, Vista32 and Vista64 and I have run a number of tests on them all and in nearly all cases, XP64 came out as the fastest O/S... Vista64 came second and Vista32 came third, with bog-standard rubbish XP32 being last in every single test... I have not wasted my time on XP 32 bit for years anyway, so I didnt really care for it.

--

Whatever you might think, 64Bit has matured and is the way to go... Stop being stupid and just ditch XP32 and go to 64 Bit... XP or Vista I dont care, as long as its not 32 Bit.

[ExodusC]

I'm running Windows XP Professional x64 on both my main box and my older AMD S939 box, I love it.

The only, and I mean only thing I could not find drivers for was an old $5 capture card from Hong Kong. Virtually everything has an x64 driver available nowadays. Oh, and almost all x86 software runs just fine on XP64.

[alexanderhuzar]

The only, and I mean only thing I could not find drivers for was an old $5 capture card from Hong Kong. Virtually everything has an x64 driver available nowadays. Oh, and almost all x86 software runs just fine on XP64.
I completely agree with this statement. Unless you have a 10 year old no-name piece of hardware, everything is going to work just fine on Vista x64. If your computer meets the recommended requirements (NOT the minimum ones), then you'll have no problems.

A MS guide is here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/systemrequirements.mspx, but I'd change the minimum to a 1.8 GHz Core2Duo and a hard drive that does AT LEAST 60 MB/sec sustained read rate.