32 bit or 64 bit in this situation?

[DrTeeth]

Unfortunately, my chipset supports a max of 4GB and that is what I
have installed. This means that both 32 and 64 bit OSs have the same
amount of memory available, viz 3.12 GB. See MSKB 929605 for more
info.

Are there any performance benefits in this situation to using 64 bits
over 32 bits (Windows and/or Linux)? I am only interested in better
performance and nothing else like driver availability.
--

Cheers,

DrT

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Unfortunately, my chipset supports a max of 4GB and that is what I
have installed. This means that both 32 and 64 bit OSs have the same
amount of memory available, viz 3.12 GB. See MSKB 929605 for more
info.

Are there any performance benefits in this situation to using 64 bits
over 32 bits (Windows and/or Linux)? I am only interested in better
performance and nothing else like driver availability.

My standard reply, which goes beyond your situation.

The advantage of running a 64-bit version of Windows basically exists
only if you also run 64-bit applications under it. Bear in mind that
there are very few such applications available yet. If you are
presently running 32-bit Windows, you don't have any 64-bit
applications, so to achieve any advantage, you not only have to
replace Windows, but also your applications, *if* (and that's a big
"if") 64-bit versions exist.

Also note that you will need 64-bit drivers for all your hardware.
Those drivers may not all be available, especially if some of your
hardware is a few years old. So it's possible that you might also have
to replace things like your printer, scanner, etc.

So the answer to your question is that it may not be a great idea
right now. That will undoubtedly change in the near future, but for
now, 64-bit Windows mostly means some extra trouble and expense for
little or no benefit.

On the other hand, installing 64-bit Windows instead of 32-bit Windows
makes you able to buy 64-bit software as it becomes available, instead
of the older 32-bit versions. That means that installing 64-bit
Windows--even though it may do very little for you at present--puts
you into a better position for the future.

One additional point: the 64-bit version lets you use more than the
approximately 3.1GB of RAM that the 32-bit version can use. Very few
people need or can make effective use of more than 3.1GB, but if you
are one of them, that's something else to consider.

 

[Al Romanosky]

Does your chipset (Board) support 64 bit OS?

Applications must be specificaally written to take advantage of a 64 bit
system.. Win 64 OS will creagte teo two Program Files folders - one for 32
and one for 64 applications.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

Unfortunately, my chipset supports a max of 4GB and that is what I
have installed. This means that both 32 and 64 bit OSs have the same
amount of memory available, viz 3.12 GB. See MSKB 929605 for more
info.

Are there any performance benefits in this situation to using 64 bits
over 32 bits (Windows and/or Linux)? I am only interested in better
performance and nothing else like driver availability.
--

Cheers,

DrT

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

Two benefits of 64bit even if only 4gb RAM is as good as it gets:

You get to use ALL of the memory

You can open more stuff (multitask) without suffering a crash

It will not be any faster when running 32bit applications, but I have
noticed that IE 8 64bit is faster to load my Pageflakes home page

As long as you can get 64bit drivers for all of your external hardware, give
it a whirl..

 

[Victek]

Unfortunately, my chipset supports a max of 4GB and that is what I
have installed. This means that both 32 and 64 bit OSs have the same
amount of memory available, viz 3.12 GB. See MSKB 929605 for more
info.

Are there any performance benefits in this situation to using 64 bits
over 32 bits (Windows and/or Linux)? I am only interested in better
performance and nothing else like driver availability.

Since you're only seeing 3.12 GB with a 32 bit OS you would get almost a
full gig more with 64 bit. That would improve performance if you
sufficiently load the system - you would be able to run more applications
before the system would have to start using the page file. An important
issue is whether or not the BIOS supports memory mapping above the 4 GB
address space. In order for the OS to use all 4 GB for itself and
applications the memory addresses for hardware need to be moved up.

 

[DrTeeth]

You get to use ALL of the memory

See the MSKB, not if the chipset's maximum supported memory is
installed...as in my case.
--

Cheers,

DrT

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

 

[DrTeeth]

Since you're only seeing 3.12 GB with a 32 bit OS you would get almost a
full gig more with 64 bit.

No, no, no.

I have already said that both 32 and 64 bit OSs see the same amount of
memory and I gave a reference in the form of an MSKB to show exactly
why.
--

Cheers,

DrT

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

 

[DrTeeth]

It will not be any faster when running 32bit applications, but I have
noticed that IE 8 64bit is faster to load my Pageflakes home page

I have noticed that the 32bit version of IE8 is used in a 64 bit
version of Win7. Are you SURE of the 'bitness' of the version of IE
you are using?
--

Cheers,

DrT

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

I have noticed that the 32bit version of IE8 is used in a 64 bit
version of Win7. Are you SURE of the 'bitness' of the version of IE
you are using?
--

Cheers,

DrT

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

Yes.. there are two versions of IE8.. I use the 64bit version..

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

See the MSKB, not if the chipset's maximum supported memory is
installed...as in my case.
--

Cheers,

DrT

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

Windows 32bit sees the extra memory but can't use it

Windows 64bit sees the extra memory abd can use it..

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, DrTeeth.

I have noticed that the 32bit version of IE8 is used in a 64 bit
version of Win7. Are you SURE of the 'bitness' of the version of IE
you are using?

Are you SURE of your understanding of 64-bit Win7?

In 64-bit versions of both Vista and Win7 (and perhaps in WinXP x64, but I
haven't run that in years), TWO versions of Internet Explorer are included.
By default, the 32-bit IE runs, even in the 64-bit Windows. It's easy
enough to run 64-bit IE; just browse to its .exe file and click on it - or
create a shortcut or an icon or pin it to the Start menu, just like any
other application. It also is easy to run both 32-bit and 64-bit IE apps
side by side.

To see which version of IE you are currently looking at, just use the
familiar Help | About Internet Explorer. If the Version line says 64-bit,
then it is; if it doesn't mention "bitness" at all, then it is the 32-bit
IE.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8064.0206) in Win7 Ultimate x64 RC 7100

 

[Anteaus]

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791558.aspx

By default, out of a 4GB address-space 2GB is reserved for the OS, and 2GB
for apps. You can change this behavior to allow 3GB for apps by way of a
boot.ini parameter.

Not tried 64bit Windows, But I found that 64bit Linux (Debian 5 with KDE)
was actually slower than 32bit with 4GB RAM. Why I'm not actually sure, but I
do know that in most distros it's only the kernel that's fully 64bit, most of
the apps have still to catch-up.