Windows 7: 64 bit vs 32 bit? - Discussion

[clifford_cooley]

OK here goes I have waited for someone to answer my question without having to ask it. Im not even sure how to search for the answer. All I find are articles talking about the difference in 32bit and 64bit. Mainly a memory issue. My question is if the Windows 7 DVD comes with both are we going to have an option to install the one of our choice. Or will the computer make the selection for us in regards to our OS or CPU at the time.

 

[Ian]

My question is if the Windows 7 DVD comes with both are we going to have an option to install the one of our choice. Or will the computer make the selection for us in regards to our OS or CPU at the time.

Yep, you'll either get both on the same DVD and you can make a selection yourself when you first install, or they will come on 2 separate discs.

OK I just made this post and then clicked "New post" and "Todays post". Guess what it doesnt show in the list.

All fixed now, thanks for the heads up Clifford!

 

[merk]

in a nutshell, if you ever plan to have more then 3gb of memory in your pc, install the 64bit.

you can not upgrade from 32bit to 64bit.

If there's the remotest chance you'll have 4gb or more of memory, go with the 64bit. I've been running 64bit since vista and haven't encountered any major issues. if you have any old hardware there is a chance that the drivers for it wont work under 64bit. but i haven't encountered that problem with anything current.

 

[jc2711]

Thank you

Hello

Thank you for this it has helped me out tremendously. I will be going for the 32 bit version, on the hope it will be the least problematic. I crash around on computers as opposed to understanding what is going on. The thought of my computer not working is a stress too far.

Thank you

J

 

[Jpak88]

I just have a silly little question... When I got my laptop w/ Vista, all the "nifty" stuff like Aero wasn't usable because I'm 32bit... Here they're showing off all these CRAZY-cool things in the demos like new Aero things, and other stuff.. And I'm just thinking, am I not going to be able to use all this still?

 

[Ian]

I just have a silly little question... When I got my laptop w/ Vista, all the "nifty" stuff like Aero wasn't usable because I'm 32bit... Here they're showing off all these CRAZY-cool things in the demos like new Aero things, and other stuff.. And I'm just thinking, am I not going to be able to use all this still?

Aero works great in 32-bit, so I think your problem could be down to something else (perhaps the graphics card can't support it). If you make a new thread with your laptop specs we should be able to see if it will work on your computer

 

[Jpak88]

nah you know what it was that I just figured out... All this time, I only had Vista Home Basic, which didnt have Aero stuff. The US isn't getting any "Basic" versions of 7, so I should be good =P Good old Wikipedia and its explainations of things.. Anyway, thanks buddy =) If I DO need help after the installation (which is ABOUT to happen) I'll do just that and start a new threat =)

 

[Ian]

Hehe, that would explain it Good luck with the install!

 

[ricktrue]

Exactly the info I was looking for. Thank you very much.

 

[catilley1092]

Windows 7: 64 bit vs 32 bit?

I noticed when looking at my PC specs that it is 64 bit capable. What is the difference between being straight out 64 bit & being capable of 64 bit? I know that my Firefox browser is 32 bit, as under help it says nothing about it being 64 bit. It only says that it is the 3.6 Beta 4 version. And not to change the subject, but this 3.6 Beta 4 version is nice. I don't use 3.5.5 anymore. Any answers to my main question would be greatly appreciated. And if it matters, I'm running only 2GB RAM.

 

[clifford_cooley]

What is the difference between being straight out 64 bit & being capable of 64 bit?

If your hardware can address 64-Bits at one time then you are 64-Bit Capable. A 32-Bit operating system will only access 32-Bits at one time even if it is on a 64-Bit system.

Each bit is a binary switch. Each time you add a binary switch you double the amount of addresses the operating system can address.

If you are using a 32-bit operating system. The maximum amount of addresses is 4_GB. Remember everything in the computer needs addressing. After all hardware has been addressed then the remainder of the addresses can be alloted to system memory. This is why a 32-Bit operating system cannot address all 4GB of memory.

If you are using a 64-bit operating system. The maximum amount of addresses is 17,179,869,184_GB. This is a big jump from 4_GB. And they are now talking about 128-Bit operating systems aswell.

 

[catilley1092]

Yes, I'm aware about the 128 bit rumors. My PC is two weeks old. Does this mean that I'll never see Windows 8 on it? There's nothing wrong with technology advancement, but there is a lack of 64 bit drivers as we speak. What will happen when 128 bit comes out? I just hope that a 64 bit Win 8 is offered. But I skipped Vista with no problem, so if Win 7 is still running well, I may just wait until my PC breaks before changing. Surely Win 7 will last as long as XP. By the time the support for it runs out, it will be 13 years old. That's a legacy to be proud of, and I'll run it on my laptops until the wheels fall off.

 

[Veedaz]

Don't worry catilley 32bit will be around for some time yet

 

[CycloneVance]

How?

Just as a sidenote, the easiest way to find out if you have a 64 bit capable system is to use the freeware CPUZ software:

http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

Thanks Ian for the pros and cons for the 64 bit systems! - and the even more helpful URL. But when I went to this website, it confused me, and I didnt know what to do.
Could you please point me in the right direction (what to do once I'm on the website) so I can *succesfully* know if my system is 64 bit capable.

 

[draceena]

With CPU-Z - Download and run CPU-Z :: On the CPU tab there is a line called "Instructions" with some variables next to it in a box, if you see EM64T (if its Intel) or AMD64 (if its AMD) then your processor is 64-bit capable.

 

[catilley1092]

Sometimes the answer is obvious. If you see a AMD sticker with 64 in the lower left corner, it's 64 bit capable.

 

[CycloneVance]

Anything else?

With CPU-Z - Download and run CPU-Z :: On the CPU tab there is a line called "Instructions" with some variables next to it in a box, if you see EM64T (if its Intel) or AMD64 (if its AMD) then your processor is 64-bit capable.

Koolz! Thanks for that.
Is there anything else that I need to be 64 bit capable, besides the proceesor, for a 64 bit system to work on my comp?

 

[draceena]

I would suggest a quick check on the net to see if there are 64bit drivers for items you have like printers, scanners, video cards, audio cards, etc.

I see many people with issues on these items after the 64 bit install that would have gone much smoother if they had checked if the 64 bit drivers were available before installing it.

 

[neurogirl]

I have a quick question...

I just got a new laptop and was advised to install the 64 bit Windows 7 because of my processor and whatnot... now someone told me that I should have done the 32...

The store I bought this from gave me no disks for the OS... if I make a backup copy will it contain both the 32 and 64 bit systems so I can start over?

 

[clifford_cooley]

Hi neurogirl - Welcome to w7forums

Can you tell us why you were told you needed the 32-Bit version?

You can make a backup copy of the 64-Bit OS but it will only be a 64-Bit backup.