Bit confused

[Reverend]

If I install a 64 bit OS such as Windows 7, I've enabled my system to see more than 3 gig of RAM.

What if I now run a 32 bit program on it, assuming that program doesn't require drivers, do I not have the best of both worlds?

What's the problem with that? Admittedly, the 32 bit software would not be optimized for 64 bit, but if 12 gig of RAM were now visible to it, who would care?

I've got a feeling there's a lot I don't understand here Anyone got a lesson or link for me?

Thanks - rev

[Steve R Jones]

This question has been asked a few hundred times so far

The vast majority of software out on the market is 32 bit and should run fine on a 64 bit machine...

Most 32 bit machines will use and see up to 3.5 gigs of ram.....Depending on what you do with the machine - the majority of people can get by fine on less then 4 gigs of ram. If you're a typical user - having 12 gigs of ram could easily be a waste of money.

[Welshjim]

Reverend--Almost any reference on 64-bit which is a few weeks old is out of date. But..
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...tall,2301.html
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1....htm?s_cid=120

[Reverend]

Steve:

I'm not a typical user but I'm new the the 64 bit thing and admit I don't quite understand the difference(s).

I work with digital audio and a very powerful machine (i975 quad 3.3, 12 RAM and 2.5 terabytes). The issue when changing over to a 64 bit OS is usually the availability of drivers for audio devices and hardware.

I guess my question is, assuming drivers are not an issue and 32 bit stuff runs fine - why don't we all just use a 64 bit OS and benefit from the additional RAM?

There must be more to a 64 bit OS than just being able to read a long number?

[Reverend]

Thanks Jim:

Looks as though I did have the gist of it after all. Thanks for the links

[SuperSparks]

I guess my question is, assuming drivers are not an issue and 32 bit stuff runs fine - why don't we all just use a 64 bit OS and benefit from the additional RAM?

Good question. I've been running 64-bit since the early betas of Vista in 2006. Even back then I didn't have much problem finding drivers, and certainly for the last couple of years just about all new hardware comes with 64-bit drivers. 32-bit software runs just as well in Windows x64 as it does in Windows x86, you can use ll the RAM that you care to put in, and you get some added security benefits with x64 as well. If there is a downside to 64-bit, then I haven't run into it in the last 3½ years, and I've been a bit baffled as to why people seem to be reluctant to move to it

[SpywareDr]

The question is ...

If the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor indicates that your PC -- including all of its peripherals and installed software -- can support a 64-bit version of Windows,

... why not move up to 64-bit?

64-bit computing is (finally) well on its way to becoming the common standard.