x86 or x64

[n00bz0rd2]

I've been using my retail of Win7 32bit since launch. I want to upgrade to the 64bit version. My hardware is all 64bit compatible.

What are advantages / disadvantages? I'm talking mainly about major ones (program incompatibility, speed increase/decrease, etc.

I mainly play games, small bit of Photoshop and Dreamweaver and general web crap.

[Mystical_2K]

hi mate, i run both 64-bit and 32-bit version of Windows7 on my 2 desktops, to be perfectly honest i dont see a great difference (specs are not identical on the pcs but are close) with day to day stuff, but when using software like maya and you use the 64-bit version on the 64-bit machine then i did notice a speed increase (slight) but again that may have been the hardware differences i dont know, some minor things like the dolphin emulator are now releasing 64-bit only versions for a while as they are apparently getting a noticible increase in speed

personally i would always go for the 64-bit because i feel for the price difference you might as well have it, things like the applications with program compatibility problems are mostly a thing of the past now and if your running Windows7 for example i have yet to come across a compatibility problem

i would recommend it mate but see what others have to say

Mystical_2k

[face]

x64 will work with 64 bit programs and 32 bit programs but not 16bit
x86 will work with 32 bit and 16 bit but not 64 bit
some old programs even the fully 32bit ones have 16 bit installers
X64 will allow more than 4gigs of ram x86 wont (for client versions of windows such as 7 xp and vista) It may show 4gigs or more but x86 wont use it.
x64 will allow upto 4gig of ram use for 32 bit programs x86 limits it to 2gig per program but this can be bypassed to allow 4gig.
Drivers and programs that use driver like software such as antivirus need to be 64 bit to work on x64 and x86 have to be 32bit to work.
These are the main differences

[yus786]

if you dont need an uber fast gaming pc or whatever stick with the 32bit

you gotta look for 64bit stuff once you go 64bit, like apps and stuff, i found it a hassle looking for a 64bit nod32 antivirus but did find one.

there isnt much of a speed difference too