Is it benificial switching over to 64bit to 32bit in Windows 7 Ultimate

[indrashis95]

Hi I'm Indrashis from kolkata(India),i'm new in the forum and need help about the difference between 32 bit and 64 bit Operating System.I'm not very familiar with 64bit OS,I've been running a system with Windows 7 ultimate 32bit version for almost a year.Now I wish to switch on to 64 bit ....
i have=
AMD PHENOM2 X4 945 3.0Ghz
2 GB DDR3 RAM
ATI 5770 1GB GDDR5 GPU
Gigabyte Mobo
16inch LG LCD monitor
etc etc
.........I have to download all the drivers and softwares of 64bit version if I want to switch on to 64 bit version of W7.So,I want to know whether it will be good to upgrade to 64bit version???Will it increase the performance of my system??(My system is used mostly for playing games like crysis,COD etc etc)

 

[DirtRider]

This is a question I have been playing with for some time and still have not gone over to 64 bit. The only advantage that I could really see for my setup was to be able to get more usable RAM. However that will not be the case for you as you only have 2 GB install on your system anyway. I did a bit of checking on my performance and it seems that I am not really stretching my available RAM to its limit as it is so gaining more would not really achieve much.

Some say that 64 bit just runs better and is great for gaming other say they cannot really see much impact. So in the end I suppose the change over is a personal thing and what works for your system and the application you run. For me still cannot see any advantages that would make me go through the whole process of doing a clean install of W7 64 bit

 

[catilley1092]

indrashis95, welcome to the forum! Last November, after using 32 bit systems for nearly ten years, I made the jump to 64 bit Windows 7, and glad that I did. My PC came with 2GB RAM, and ran fine. But I wanted my system to be more snappier, and I upgraded it to 4GB, and am a very happy camper.

Although 2GB RAM is reported to be the necessary minimum for 64 bit Windows 7, 3GB would be more practical. 4GB is considered by many to be the "sweet spot", and for the majority of home users, the most you'll need.

Ever since joining this forum, and even before, I've read so many posts regarding 64 vs 32 bit, and vice versa, honestly I don't see why you shouldn't upgrade, as long as your hardware supports it. 64 bit Windows, as far back as XP, runs most 32 bit programs fine. Note that I stated most. There are a few exceptions, but not many, unless you're running programs written prior to 2000, and some of them will run on it.

Some older hardware, especially printers, may be a problem. You may be able to run these devices in virtual machines (VM's), but I don't want to run a ten year old printer anyway.

Properly configured, 64 bit outperforms 32 bit hands down. Few, if any BSOD's, multi-tasking isn't usually a problem, and your system can utilize more RAM. For example, if you were to have 4GB installed in a 32 bit system, only 3.25GB is available for your use, and some of that will be needed for your video card. That three fourth GB is wasted.

Hopefully, my post has been of some help in your decision making regarding the move to 64 bit. And I hope that you enjoy your stay here. There's plenty of well qualified help here, I've learned more in the past nine months than the previous nine years combined.

Best of Luck,
Cat

 

[mike3rdof5]

Cat speaks wisely, he knows.
Yes 64 bit is definitely the way to go, and yes 4 gig of RAM seems to be the "sweet" spot for a 64 bit OS.
As software evolves, more and more 64 bit apps will be available, so you might as well be ready to use them don't you think?
Windows 7 is a real pleasure to use, you see by my specs I'm running Pro 64 bit. Microsoft got this one right, and the 64 bit version is flawless. Go for ur upgrade, you will never be sorry.
Mike.

 

[Mychael]

I think you need to ask yourself these questions first.
1/ Is my system currently stable.
2/ Is it doing all I need to do as it is right now.
3. Are you prepared to basically start from scratch again to get everything working.

If you've answered yes to the first two questions and no or only a maybe to the last then I'd be inclined to leave things as they are at least for another 6 months.

 

[TrainableMan]

Well if you are going to switch I say do it right away. Once you have all your settings how you like them and all your programs installed you will not want to start over again.

But note, If you use very old 16-bit programs they will not run under native 64-bit.

 

[DallasDad]

There's an article here on the forum that explains the 64 bit vs 32 bit question.
64 bit may not automatically outperform your 32 bit OS, it depends on things like what kind of software you run. If you run software that has been optimized for 64 bit, then all else being equal, yes it will indeed outperform the 32 bit OS.

Here's the link to the article: https://www.w7forums.com/windows-7-64-bit-vs-32-bit-t484.html

 

[catilley1092]

That was a very informative article. My post agreed with it, I also stated "properly configured". Meaning that your hardware is capable of running it, and that you have the necessary drivers for everything, including your printer & other accessories. If you have these things, you're ready to go.

If not, it's best to stick with 32 bit.

Cat