Win 7 Pro 64

[Jaydip]

Currently I'm using windows vista 32 bit(ultimate edition).I plan to upgrade to win 7 pro 64 bit.Here is my system specs

CPU :- core i7 920 (stock)
MB :- wx58bp
ram :- 3 GB ddr3 1333mhz corsair
gfx :- gtx 470

my MB does not allow overclocking so while upgrading to win 7 can it be a bottleneck?i also want to know what is optimum ram amount needed to run win 7 smoothly?will 6Gb suffice?If core i7 at stock become a bottle neck what is the best cpu+mb combo you suggest?Sorry to ask so many questions.Looking for your valuable suggestions.

 

[veri745]

Win 7 will not create any bottlenecks, and it should run better on your 3GB RAM than Vista.

Your system does not require an upgrade unless you are currently lacking the performance you want. Win7 is less resource constrained that Vista.

 

[Jaydip]

Thanks for the reply.Actually i have heard that 64 bit requires a great deal of resource and that is what concerns me.

 

[fffblackmage]

Requirements for Win7:

1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)

16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)

DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

 

[COPOHawk]

There is no reason to go to 64 bit Windows unless you have at least 4 GB of RAM. That being said...I think 4 GB of RAM is kind of a minimum for Vista/Windows 7 anyway. But if you keep to 3 GB, stay 32 bit.

Keep in mind that the 32 bit version is inherently going to provide slightly better compatibility for older apps.

HTH...

 

[Jaydip]

So if i upgrade the system ram to 6 GB win 7 64 will run smooth?Also if i can downgrade from 64 bit to 32 bit in the future?

 

[Edrick]

I have Win7 64-bit running on a wide array of computers ranging from 2GB RAM to 12. I would never run the 32-bit version...EVER. If you upgrade your RAM at a later date, then you would have to upgrade your OS as well. Why bother? 64-bit is the future and runs all games/applications I can throw at it.

Bottom line is your system is fine for Win7 64-bit. And it will run smoother than Vista does now.

 

[Jaydip]

Thanks everyone for your valuable inputs.i will only be upgrading the ram to 6 GB at present, i will upgrade the rest of the system at a later date.

 

[dorion]

A downgrade to 32 bit from 64 bit would require a full reinstall. BUT your Windows 7 key will happily work on a Windows 7 32 bit install as long as they are both the same version of Windows.

My opinion is that you should upgrade. Windows 7 is so much better than Vista, and you will not notice the difference in the number of your bits.

 

[Jaydip]

So if i buy the 64 bit edition , will i get the 32 bit version along with it as well?

 

[VirtualLarry]

So if i buy the 64 bit edition , will i get the 32 bit version along with it as well?

If you buy retail.

 

[Jaydip]

So if i buy a OEM version i have to stick with the version being provided with the pack?

 

[dpodblood]

Just buy the 64 bit version. There is no advantage to running 32 bit. The fact that you have 3GB of ram will have no impact. You are not going to lose any performance by running the 64 bit version. If you decide to upgrade to 6GB later down the line it simply means you will be ready.

 

[Jaydip]

Thanks.I will be buying the 64 bit then.Just another question,how is the xp mode of win 7 pro?is it really helpful?

 

[dpodblood]

I believe you only get "XP mode" (which is seperate from XP compatibility mode) In the ultimate edition (double check on that). Personally I would use VMware workstation or VMware server rather than the XP mode included from MS.

 

[Jaydip]

Thanks for the info.I actually checked and found that win 7 pro supports xp mode as well.Anyways will be buying the 64 bit edition.

 

[fffblackmage]

I believe you only get "XP mode" (which is seperate from XP compatibility mode) In the ultimate edition (double check on that). Personally I would use VMware workstation or VMware server rather than the XP mode included from MS.

You get it in Profession Edition too. Actually, I think any version higher than Home Edition gets it, IIRC.

I have Win7Pro. Though I've tried XP mode just for fun, I haven't really needed it.

AFAIK, you can use any Win7 key for both the 32-bit and 64-bit version, as long as it is the same edition (Home, Pro, etc).

I have a budget HTPC with only 2GB of ram and 64-bit Win7. It runs fine without issues.

 

[VirtualLarry]

So if i buy a OEM version i have to stick with the version being provided with the pack?

Not exactly. MS only provides one edition in the OEM versions, either 32-bit or 64-bit. But the installer doesn't care whether or not the key is 32-bit or 64-bit. In another way of saying, any key will install the correct edition, it depends on the install media what you get. So if you have 32-bit but want to install 64-bit, then just get a hold of 64-bit install media.
You do have to match the edition (Home Premium to Home Premium) etc.

 

[COPOHawk]

I have Win7 64-bit running on a wide array of computers ranging from 2GB RAM to 12. I would never run the 32-bit version...EVER. If you upgrade your RAM at a later date, then you would have to upgrade your OS as well. Why bother? 64-bit is the future and runs all games/applications I can throw at it.

Bottom line is your system is fine for Win7 64-bit. And it will run smoother than Vista does now.

I am put in a position to slightly disagree with you. Although I run Win 7 64 on most of my own workstations (personally), I do have at least one computer on Win 7 32 and have multiple customers on Win 7 32. There is no downside, unless the computer has more than 3.5 GB of RAM. My testing shows that some older apps written for XP won't work on 64 bit software, but run fine on 32 bit software.

Although 64 bit is the future...the vast majority of existing apps are 32 bit, which run in a 32 bit environment with the 64 bit OS. More and more apps are 64 bit, including both a 32 bit and 64 bit version Office 2010...but not all.

BOTTOM LINE: it depends on your situation and that of your hardware.

 

[Kivada]

You'll be fine, 64 bit doesn't need more resources, it allows you to add allot more resources as you aren't limited to the 4Gb total system ram/cache. Meaning you can upgrade your ram all the way to 24Gb you have the money as well as add in as many 4Gb VRam GPUs as you have 16x slots for.

The 4Gb limit includes system ram, vram, CPU, HDD, DVD and whatever other device caches you have. On a 32 bit OS if that amount exceeds 4Gb total the extra is clipped from the system ram. There are quite a few wingnuts out there with 32 bit windows and 4+Gb of system ram and a 2Gb video card that insist they can actually use it all just because the system profiler shows what's installed, not what's accessible.

 

[StinkyPinky]

32 bit Win 7 is an abomination and MS needs to do penance for producing it.

 

[Jaydip]

I am willing to opt for the 64 bit because i wish to upgrade to Sandy Bridge when it becomes available.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

There is no reason to go to 64 bit Windows unless you have at least 4 GB of RAM. That being said...I think 4 GB of RAM is kind of a minimum for Vista/Windows 7 anyway. But if you keep to 3 GB, stay 32 bit.

Keep in mind that the 32 bit version is inherently going to provide slightly better compatibility for older apps.

HTH...

He has >4GB of ram... don't forget to include the Video Ram, which is >1GB for the 470.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

I am willing to opt for the 64 bit because i wish to upgrade to Sandy Bridge when it becomes available.

Go 64bit

3072 + 1280 > 4096

 

[FishAk]

For your system, you are looking in the wrong place for a performance boost. You need more RAM, but for the biggest performance boost, you need the RAM that comes on an SSD. Put your 64 bit OS and programs on that.