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Vista Ultimate - should I upgrade??

prism

prism

Senior member
I have the opportunity to get Vista Ultimate 32-bit for $80 via student discounts. Right now I'm using XP. Are enough of the bugs worked out of it yet? I don't really do much gaming except for WoW a few months out of the year. My computer specs are as follows:

AMD 64 3000+
1 gig DDR 3200
Radeon X700

My rig's obviously a few years old; would Vista still run smoothly on my baby?

Thanks for any and all info.

EDIT: Is there much difference performance-wise between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions?

EDIT 2!: After doing some more searching on my school's website, it looks like I can get the 64-bit version for just a few bucks more. Both of these choices are upgrades, not the stand-alone full installs. Any differences between upgrades and full OS's these days? I remember back in the days of Windows 98 that the full OS was more fully-featured than the upgrade.
 
In my experience I found that Vista was happier on a multi-core machine. The more RAM the better also. Two gigs was my sweet spot for Vista.
 
hmm...it would run on average on your rig. i would highly step up to 2GB of ram (1GB is minimal for me, but it runs vista home basic fine) and i dont know how old/how much ram your video card has, but it should least have 128MB.

i'd say buy it now and keep it until you get a new rig...but stay with xp on your current rig. if you had an athlon x2, 2GB of ram, and a more powerful video card, i would tell you to step up to vista no problem.
 
i can run vista okay on 1gb pc 266 with a 1.7 dothan core. vid card is 9600 64mb.. and still does aero (though I have it off).
 
$80 is a good price especially for Ultimate so I would also say go ahead & buy it but don't install it till you get a new PC.
 
If you ask me, stay with XP. Vista is still pretty buggy and woefully slow no matter what specs your machine has......
 
Being able to run it, and it running well are two different things, and for that machine it's not worth the upgrade, but it still may be worth the price.

But then again... If you upgrade your machine and don't go 64 bit...
 
Originally posted by: Jmman
If you ask me, stay with XP. Vista is still pretty buggy and woefully slow no matter what specs your machine has......
Click to expand...

Bullshit. If your system is fast enough vista runs great. Also I've never had a BSOD in Vista EVER.
 
Originally posted by: ChaoZ
Side note: How much would it cost to upgrade to 64 bit if you already have Vista Basic?
Click to expand...

It doesn't cost anything really. You just need to obtain a 64bit cd. You existing product key will work. They aren't limited to 32bit or 64bit.
 
The main benefit of 64-bit Vista is that you can run >= 4GB of RAM. While 2GB should be good enough for everyday needs, you never know if you'll need more RAM in the next year or two.

Reports about a difference in speed in 32-bit and 64-bit Vista are varied. I use Vista 32 on my laptop and Vista x64 on my desktop. While the latter performs better, it has a much better processor, so I can't be sure what improvement a 64bit OS provides.

If you have CPU-intensive software that comes in 64bit versions, they may see some benefits. For example, 7zip, VirtualDUB and Paint.NET are some apps that provide separate 64bit versions.

On the downside, 64bit Vista will not let you install unsigned drivers. This means you can't run Peer Guardian 2 (and last time I checked, CoreTemp). The only way around it is to press F8 every time you boot.

If you are in an Computing or Engineering major (or know someone who is), check if your school has an MSDN Academic Alliance for students. You can score a free Vista Business out of it.

edit: After looking at your hardware, I suggest you stay with XP a little longer. For decent Vista performance, you need >= 2GHz dual core and >= 2GB RAM.
 
Used Vista Ultimate for a while, it's about the same as XP. I don't like the way it sorts files and folders. I especially don't like the limitation of freeware I can't use due to restrictions of some sort. Vista is definitely faster, but I'm happy with XP. Abit IP35 Pro, HD3870 and 4GB RAM on the Vista. I could run dual systems by getting an E8400 for the Vista system, but I really don't feel like spending more money this year after dropping a big chunk of change on a Wii w/ games, accessories and wireless router.

Ps. Wrong forum. We got thing call OS forum.
 
Why the hell would you want to 'upgrade' to Vista? Why would it benefit you? It's slower, buggier, and overall offers no benefits. Then we add in the software gamble. Are you sure everything you use will work on Vista? I wouldn't count on it. And then we get to the new interface. OOOooooahhhh shiny Vista Aero, what a load of crap. I get the same effect with WindowsBlinds and it didn't cost me $200. (or $80 in your case) Then you already stated you don't game except for WoW, so DX10 is a moot point. (plus your card doesn't even support that) Stick with something that actually works decently well. It may be bloatware compared to Linux, but XP is years ahead of Vista. (ironic isn't it?)

</rant>
 
I was able to get Vista Ultimate for free as part of the MS Feedback Panel program that started this past December. I haven't installed it yet, but MAY do so when I have a 5 week semester break during May.
My PC isn't all that up-to-date either, (asus p4p-800e deluxe MOBO, P4-Northwood 3.06, and 2X1 GB ram in dual channel mode with 2X512 MB ram also in dual channel mode. I noticed a HUGE difference when I went from 3X512 to the current memory config...

Microsoft has a small app you can run to tell you if your PC is Vista ready:

http://www.microsoft.com/downl...Other1&mg_id=10413WHb1
 
I left Vista on my laptop, since it came with it, but I'm no big fan. It wants at least 2 gig of memory to run smoothly.

I have a free copy of Vista that I got through some MS program last year, but I have no personal reason to install it on any of my home boxes. XP works just fine.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
Originally posted by: Baked
Ps. Wrong forum. We got thing call OS forum.
Click to expand...

Laast time I checked, this was the operating System forum - somes referred to as "OS." 🙂



 
If you are a software developer, then get Vista hands down. There are lots of new APIs in Vista to play with that are not available on XP.

Vista Ultimate also comes with Media Center; so if you're interested in recording TV shows or using a remote control to play music and DVDs, that might be another reason to upgrade. You'd obviously also need a TV tuner card though, but they're pretty cheap these days.

Vista would also allow you to play DX10 games, although with your current system I don't foresee this happening anytime soon. 🙂

Otherwise, if you have to ask us whether to upgrade, then the default answer is probably "no". Upgrade when you have your own reason, or when you buy a new PC.
 
Originally posted by: Kirby64
Why the hell would you want to 'upgrade' to Vista? Why would it benefit you? It's (1)slower, (2)buggier, and (3)overall offers no benefits. Then we add in the (4)software gamble. Are you sure everything you use will work on Vista? I wouldn't count on it. And then we get to the new interface. OOOooooahhhh shiny Vista Aero, what a load of crap. I get the same effect with WindowsBlinds and it didn't cost me $200. (or $80 in your case) Then you already stated you don't game except for WoW, so DX10 is a moot point. (plus your card doesn't even support that) (5)Stick with something that actually works decently well. (6)It may be bloatware compared to Linux, but XP is years ahead of Vista. (ironic isn't it?)

</rant>
Click to expand...

1) FUD
2) FUD
3) FUD
4) FUD
5) FUD
6) FUD

Yup, that was a well informed and unbiased post. Please, continue posting.
 
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