Windows XP 64-bit

[Wonko the Sane]

I'm building a new computer soon, and I was wondering what sort of issues I could expect to face if I go with XP 64-bit. The reason I want to use this OS is because the new motherboard has room for 8 GB of RAM and a 32-bit OS won't be able to use half of it. I think Vista 64-bit is right out due to what sounds like crappy SLI video card support.

Thanks,
WtS

 

[drothgery]

I'm building a new computer soon, and I was wondering what sort of issues I could expect to face if I go with XP 64-bit. The reason I want to use this OS is because the new motherboard has room for 8 GB of RAM and a 32-bit OS won't be able to use half of it. I think Vista 64-bit is right out due to what sounds like crappy SLI video card support.

Thanks,
WtS

With Vista x64, you'll at least have some promise that any SLI issues will get better. XP x64 has much worse driver support than Vista x64, and won't get better.

 

[Zoatebix]

NVIDIA's drivers for XP x64 get updated with MUCH better frequency than they used to (The current drivers are from Nov 6th, which isn't bad), and Microsoft releases updates for it consistently. The driver problems you'll have will be with peripherals like printers and such, and there's little chance that those will get better.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

The biggest issue with the x64 stuff is driver support. It's a mixed bag for Vista -- yes, you'll see better drivers as time goes on compared with XP x64, but Vista x64 is a *lot* snarkier about unsigned drivers, which can complicate life incredibly if you deal with older or less mainstream devices.

Unless you really need the 8GB, though, it really won't provide that much benefit over 4GB. Even going from 2 to 4 on Vista doesn't provide that big a jump -- about the only time I noticed was when task-switching out of Vanguard or LotRO.

 

[Redrobes]

I have been running XP x64 for about a year to year and a half now and I have had very little driver issues. Firstly I had the first nVidia beta x64 driver and it worked just fine. I have a newer one now but basically I have had no issues whatsoever with them.

My newer Canon printer works very well too though my ancient Epson laser printer does not have one. Newer versions from the same company are x64 tho. All newer HP ones are x64. I have a Canon scanner which does not have a driver the last time I looked but I rarely use it so its hooked up to an old machine. Again HP scanners generally are tho. I'm not a gamer on the PC so I use on mobo sound which has been fine. I have heard of some reports of dodgy drivers for some cards but x64 has been around for a long while now.

The newer driver development system in place from the start of this year unifies all the driver development from 2K to Vista64 though if you have been developing with an older framework then I guess you might stick with it. The point is that newer drivers for Vista mean that you get all the old ones for free if the dev can get access to all the variants to test on.

So far to date this OS has crashed exactly 0 times. I find that you don't get root kits and viruses often due to the 64 bit kernel. The downside to that is stuff like Zone Alarm haven't got an x64 variant and the odd stuff like root kit revealer is 32 bit only. Still, a lot of stuff is x64 now including all the other sys internals tools. I use image magick quite a bit which has an x64 variant now. I noted the other day that 7Zip was x64 capable and that it uses multi-threading too. Its all going in the right direction. ViewingDale and all my tools have also had native x64 variants for about a year now.

4Gb is quite a lot but if you are going nuts with something then don't rely on paging out to the HDD any more. Paging a gig takes forever. So fit the 8Gb if you need that much RAM.

If your going SLI then the Asus P5N32-E SLI is supposed to be a doozy. You can get 3x8800 GTX's onto that beast - apparently.

 

[trancejeremy]

I've been using x64 for quite some time (had the beta, then bought the real version) and driver problems haven't been a problem except for like the first month.

Only problems I've had is that the free version of AV Scan doesn't like it (won't install), Walmart's music store won't recognize it as WinXP any more (used to and bought a few songs, but now it won't let me buy more)

 

[azhrei_fje]

Run 64-bit Linux with multiple virtual sessions running 32-bit Windows.

 

[borc killer]

I had no driver issues when I was using XP-64 but I did have some software that did not run. Running Vista 64 right now and very very happy, but I am not running SLI so don’t know much about that end of things.

 

[Wonko the Sane]

With Vista x64, you'll at least have some promise that any SLI issues will get better.

Good point.

Unless you really need the 8GB, though, it really won't provide that much benefit over 4GB.

You're probably right, but I've bottomed out my 2 GB of RAM on several occasions (usually when rendering big, ridiculously detailed CC3 creations into pdf). 4 GB would likely suffice, but I get a certain amount of money to buy this thing (company grant), so I figure I might as well max the board out. 64-bit processors are going to be more and more common as time goes by, so with the push that Vista is getting, it seems like Vista 64-bit might be the way to go. As crappy as it will be initially, it's bound to get better, isn't it?

So far, the system I think I want is:

Motherboard: EVGA nForce 680i SE SLI (TR Version)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Processor (with a Zalman CNPS9500 LED Cooler on top)
GPU: 2 x EVGA GeForce 8800 GTX 768 MB
Memory: 2 x OCZ Vista Upgrade Edition Dual Channel 4096MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz (8 GB total)
HD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB
Power: Thermaltake Toughpower 1200-Watt
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit
Case: NZXT Apollo Black ATX Mid-Tower

Can't wait to see Hellgate: London on this thing

 

[Redrobes]

Cool ! Well come back and post how it flies and what driver issues you encountered.