Getting a new PC

[Tom]

and I was thinking about just going ahead and getting a high system, but in
the 64bit flavor. My question is, can a 64bit system run 32bit games. I know
some games are already out that run 64bit, but there are many more 32bit
games that I am interested in right now.

Is it possible?

 

[VRG Scotty]

and I was thinking about just going ahead and getting a high system, but
in the 64bit flavor. My question is, can a 64bit system run 32bit games. I
know some games are already out that run 64bit, but there are many more
32bit games that I am interested in right now.

Is it possible?

Yes, so long as the game will work..I've BF2 running on both without
fault..plus a shed load of other games

 

[Andy [YaYa]]

Yes, so long as the game will work..I've BF2 running on both without
fault..plus a shed load of other games

Maybe we can delve a little deeper here...

Why do you want to install the 64-bit Windows Vista vs. the 32-bit?
What kind of system specs are you shooting for? Quad/Dual Core? Ram? Video/Sound Card?

I'm personally running 32-bit and see no reason to upgrade to 64-bit at this time. I've heard that this is the best 64-bit version of Windows so far, but that's not saying too much Windows XP64 was pretty bad when it first launched and I hear 64-bit has a couple minor annoyances that can be easily avoided if you don't really "need" 64-bit.

So what're you thinking "Tom"? Got a plan for this new system? what are you running now?

-A.

 

[VRG Scotty]

Maybe we can delve a little deeper here...

Why do you want to install the 64-bit Windows Vista vs. the 32-bit?
What kind of system specs are you shooting for? Quad/Dual Core? Ram?

I'm personally running 32-bit and see no reason to upgrade to 64-bit at
this time. I've >heard that this is the best 64-bit version of Windows so
far, but that's not saying too >much Windows XP64 was pretty bad when it
first launched and I hear 64-bit has a >couple minor annoyances that can be
easily avoided if you don't really "need" 64-bit.

Hey Andy just bought me the new AMD Phenom 9850 plus 4Gb of OCZ 1066 RAM
and Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DS5, AMD 790FX mobo...and also Vista Ultimate
64bit....gonna give that a run through see how it handles..will post results
here....watch this space

 

[Andy [YaYa]]

Hey Andy just bought me the new AMD Phenom 9850 plus 4Gb of OCZ
1066 RAM and Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DS5, AMD 790FX mobo...and also Vista
Ultimate 64bit....gonna give that a run through see how it
handles..will post results here....watch this space

Psh, you don't need us, nerd! You just wanted to brag about your gear. I'm
offended.

What, you going with integrated video on a buggy Phenom chip?

http://www.memtest.org/ - run this for a couple hours once you get the
system built.

 

[Roy Ballew]

In case you get something that seems to NOT work... Do this with any
program..

Right click mouse... Properties.. Select the Compat options..

In case something doesn't like the Aero (Glass) effect .. select "Disable
Desktop Composition"

I have couple old programs that works great here running Vista Ult. 64bit..

 

[Tom]

Maybe we can delve a little deeper here...

Why do you want to install the 64-bit Windows Vista vs. the 32-bit?
What kind of system specs are you shooting for? Quad/Dual Core? Ram? Video/Sound Card?

I'm personally running 32-bit and see no reason to upgrade to 64-bit at this time. I've heard that this is the best 64-bit version of Windows so far, but that's not saying too much Windows XP64 was pretty bad when it first launched and I hear 64-bit has a couple minor annoyances that can be easily avoided if you don't really "need" 64-bit.

So what're you thinking "Tom"? Got a plan for this new system? what are you running now?

-A.

Here's what I am thinking on getting:

CoolerMaster Cosmos Silent Gaming Tower Case w/ 420 Watts Power Supply
EVGA nForce 780i SLI Mainboard FSB1333 DDR2 3 x PCIe x16 SATA RAID w/
USB2.0,IEEE1394,&7.1Audio
CPU: (Quad-Core 2 Extreme QX9650 @ 3.8GHz 1333FSB 12MB L2 Cache 64-
bit (overclocked)
150GB Gaming Western Digital Rapter 10,000RPM SATA
HDD2: 250GB SATA-II
Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System
(2x2GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 DC Memory
Vista Ultimate 64bit
800 Watt Power Supply
Everything else is extreme candy (sound card, speakers, gaming
devices, etc)

Price: about $3500

Now, the reason I want to get 64bit, is that there are some game that
are already made to run on the 64 bit systems (Crysis is one I am
really wanting right now), but I like some 32 bit games as well. Since
the majority of those games are still in the 32 bit range, I don't
want to get a 64 bit if they don't run on the system. This system will
easily be upgradeable too, so this is a plus.

Thanks for the reply

 

[VRG Scotty]

Psh, you don't need us, nerd! You just wanted to brag about your gear. I'm
offended.

What, you going with integrated video on a buggy Phenom chip?

http://www.memtest.org/ - run this for a couple hours once you get the
system built.

hehe nah..I'm sticking with my 8800GTX

 

[Andy [YaYa]]

Here's what I am thinking on getting:

CoolerMaster Cosmos Silent Gaming Tower Case w/ 420 Watts Power Supply
EVGA nForce 780i SLI Mainboard FSB1333 DDR2 3 x PCIe x16 SATA RAID w/
USB2.0,IEEE1394,&7.1Audio
CPU: (Quad-Core 2 Extreme QX9650 @ 3.8GHz 1333FSB 12MB L2 Cache 64-
bit (overclocked)
150GB Gaming Western Digital Rapter 10,000RPM SATA
HDD2: 250GB SATA-II
Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System
(2x2GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 DC Memory
Vista Ultimate 64bit
800 Watt Power Supply
Everything else is extreme candy (sound card, speakers, gaming
devices, etc)

Price: about $3500

Now, the reason I want to get 64bit, is that there are some game that
are already made to run on the 64 bit systems (Crysis is one I am
really wanting right now), but I like some 32 bit games as well. Since
the majority of those games are still in the 32 bit range, I don't
want to get a 64 bit if they don't run on the system. This system will
easily be upgradeable too, so this is a plus.

Thanks for the reply

I hated Crysis. Once you get done shooting trees the rest of the game is crap, but all the kids want to play it because it taxes the crap out of your system for no good reason (read, unoptimized).

Liquid cooling = lame/overpriced, but I'm just jelious, never had the opportunity to play with liquid cooling. Keep in mind though, it's pretty overkill for most applications now a days unless you plan to seriously push the limits of your system. Don't forget the water block for your video card and chipset. Makes no sense to me to do all that work installing a water cooler only to leave fans on the video/mobochipset.

Intel Quad Cores suck, but unless the Phenom B3 step is out, you might as well go for it.

Raptors suck, get 2 cheaper 500gb drives and raid them together. More storage, comparable speed.

4x1GB ram is cheaper, runs the same. If you buy 1gb sticks you can get the 1066mhz stuff. Even if your motherboard doesn't support it (but I think it does) you can use the overhead for overclocking if you feel like it.

Don't skimp on the PSU, get a good brand like Antec, Enermax, Silverstone, etc.

Get an X-Fi card! Any model, doesn't matter, games sound SOOOO much better with one. Drivers are still a little iffy, but they got most of the bugs out now, just get the latest drivers online when you install it.

Vista, well whatever. I got my copy of Ultimate from a MS employee, I don't think there's anything on it I really use that's not in Home Premium.

Don't buy OEM, get Retail.

Good luck,
-A.

 

[Dustin Harper]

Yes, a 64 bit system can run 32 bit games. Some run a little slower, but not
bad. A lot of games out there also have 64 bit versions available, as well.

 

[Dustin Harper]

Crysis is a great game. Liquid cooling is great, quiet, gives lower temps
than air cooling. Intel Quad Cores are great, much better than the Phenom's.
Raptors are good, but some 7200 RPM drives can out perform them easily. 2 x
2 GB of RAM leaves two slots open for expansion.

--

Dustin Harper
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.vistarip.com | Vista Resource & Information Page

Here's what I am thinking on getting:

CoolerMaster Cosmos Silent Gaming Tower Case w/ 420 Watts Power Supply
EVGA nForce 780i SLI Mainboard FSB1333 DDR2 3 x PCIe x16 SATA RAID w/
USB2.0,IEEE1394,&7.1Audio
CPU: (Quad-Core 2 Extreme QX9650 @ 3.8GHz 1333FSB 12MB L2 Cache 64-
bit (overclocked)
150GB Gaming Western Digital Rapter 10,000RPM SATA
HDD2: 250GB SATA-II
Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System
(2x2GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 DC Memory
Vista Ultimate 64bit
800 Watt Power Supply
Everything else is extreme candy (sound card, speakers, gaming
devices, etc)

Price: about $3500

Now, the reason I want to get 64bit, is that there are some game that
are already made to run on the 64 bit systems (Crysis is one I am
really wanting right now), but I like some 32 bit games as well. Since
the majority of those games are still in the 32 bit range, I don't
want to get a 64 bit if they don't run on the system. This system will
easily be upgradeable too, so this is a plus.

Thanks for the reply

I hated Crysis. Once you get done shooting trees the rest of the game is
crap, but all the kids want to play it because it taxes the crap out of your
system for no good reason (read, unoptimized).

Liquid cooling = lame/overpriced, but I'm just jelious, never had the
opportunity to play with liquid cooling. Keep in mind though, it's pretty
overkill for most applications now a days unless you plan to seriously push
the limits of your system. Don't forget the water block for your video card
and chipset. Makes no sense to me to do all that work installing a water
cooler only to leave fans on the video/mobochipset.

Intel Quad Cores suck, but unless the Phenom B3 step is out, you might as
well go for it.

Raptors suck, get 2 cheaper 500gb drives and raid them together. More
storage, comparable speed.

4x1GB ram is cheaper, runs the same. If you buy 1gb sticks you can get the
1066mhz stuff. Even if your motherboard doesn't support it (but I think it
does) you can use the overhead for overclocking if you feel like it.

Don't skimp on the PSU, get a good brand like Antec, Enermax, Silverstone,
etc.

Get an X-Fi card! Any model, doesn't matter, games sound SOOOO much better
with one. Drivers are still a little iffy, but they got most of the bugs out
now, just get the latest drivers online when you install it.

Vista, well whatever. I got my copy of Ultimate from a MS employee, I don't
think there's anything on it I really use that's not in Home Premium.

Don't buy OEM, get Retail.

Good luck,
-A.

 

[Andy [YaYa]]

Crysis is a great game. Liquid cooling is great, quiet, gives lower temps
than air cooling. Intel Quad Cores are great, much better than the Phenom's.
Raptors are good, but some 7200 RPM drives can out perform them easily. 2 x
2 GB of RAM leaves two slots open for expansion.

Phenoms look better on paper, that's all I'm saying. Eff Intel in the eye. If it wasn't for AMD we'd have no quads and possibly really expensive ones right now. I buy AMD just so you Intel guys can afford your second rate chips.

I'll gladly get more excited over AMD vs. Intel any day. Unfortunately Intel gives away more freebies so I'm stuck with em for now.

-A.

 

[Andy [YaYa]]

You are wasting $2000 ..

I just built my new system for $1300..

Bought separately Rosewill R5601 Case
Rosewill 550W PS
750G Hitachi HD (read reviews) almost as fast as Raptor..
750G WD (drive I took out of my other puter)
E8400 Intel CPU... 3G running @ 4G .. temp is running around 10C you do not
need water cooling.. lol .. I have always used stock H/S and fan.. clean
crap off..
put on a very
thin coat of Silver paste.. Just make sure the H/S and Fan are snapped on
tight and correctly..
I use onboard sound.. no need for a crappy sound card.. Yes, crappy ,, you
heard me...lol I have a stack of them in my desk.
Abit IX38 Quad MB..
Samsung DVD Burner.
9600GS Video..
4Gigs DDR2 1066..

Vista Ult .. 64bit..

and btw, I buy my stuff from N e w e g g DOT c o m (for many years now)..

Oh dear god I've wandered into Microsoft.public.windows.vista.hardware.small.penis.

Fine, mine is small enough.

I LOVE my X-Fi, it sounds amazing, and for $50 I think it's worth it. I don't know if my Realtek 7.1 just wasn't setup right or something, but Lord of the Rings Online sounds amazing as does any other EAX game in Vista. Now at 37, my ears aren't what they used to be, but I think there is a noticeable difference between onboard and a decent stand alone card. Can you get by without one? Oh hellz yes, so don't think I'm trying to snub you here, if money is a object (and for $3500, I'm guessing it is NOT) then by all means go with onboard.

I never really bought into Hitachi. I've been a strong supporter of Seagate for a while (local boys, lots of friends have worked with them for a while, and I get drives for free), but I find most HDs to be of decent stock to not recommend one over another.

If you want to get rid of any of those sound cards, let me know. I'm building some alt systems, need something to slap with them, they don't have onboard audio.

-A.

 

[Roy Ballew]

You are wasting $2000 ..

I just built my new system for $1300..

Bought separately Rosewill R5601 Case
Rosewill 550W PS
750G Hitachi HD (read reviews) almost as fast as Raptor..
750G WD (drive I took out of my other puter)
E8400 Intel CPU... 3G running @ 4G .. temp is running around 10C you do not
need water cooling.. lol .. I have always used stock H/S and fan.. clean
crap off..
put on a very
thin coat of Silver paste.. Just make sure the H/S and Fan are snapped on
tight and correctly..
I use onboard sound.. no need for a crappy sound card.. Yes, crappy ,, you
heard me...lol I have a stack of them in my desk.
Abit IX38 Quad MB..
Samsung DVD Burner.
9600GS Video..
4Gigs DDR2 1066..

Vista Ult .. 64bit..

and btw, I buy my stuff from N e w e g g DOT c o m (for many years now)..

 

[Tom]

OK, I will probably just go with the 32 bit system. I have seen video of
some striking differences in special effects from 32b to 64b, and they are
quite noticeable.
Funny thing is about my second response, is that you're only one who
addressed my primary question regarding games. One asked what I was getting
in hardware, I gave the specs, and they wanted to give their opinbions of
what they'd do, and I don't live for others and money is of no consequence
to me, I do perfectly fine . Anyway, they totally didn't answer my
question about 32b games on a 64b system, you did.

Thanks, again,
Tom

 

[Tom]

Agreed,

And I read a good deal of forums regarding hardware setups and read the
specs ( really push systems with games and editing applications), and I want
this one, as it will be good to go for at least 2-3 years if not more. 64b
also offers the ability to use more RAM and you're thinking about the extra
slots are spot on to what I was thinking.

Later,
Tom

 

[Andy [YaYa]]

Well in all honesty if you get all the hardware you're talking about the 64bit version of Vista will run just as well as the 32bit version with [I believe] no noticeable difference. I wouldn't worry about gaming so much as future expandability.

If you got a slower system with like 2gigs of ram I'd recommend sticking with 32bit, but if you're going to go with 4 gigs ram, get the 64 bit version.

I'm glad money is of no object to you, most people who recommend cheaper alternatives do so because they'll perform just as well as their more expensive counter parts, and it doesn't matter how much you spend, next week your computer is only going to be worth half of what you spent on it. If you spend less to start your losses will be less.

If you're going to spend all that cash, buy a Dell XPS or Alienware, or a Voodoo PC, or /drool a HP Blackbird. That way you get a killer rig with a 3 year warranty.

-A.

 

[Andy [YaYa]]

...unless of course you want the experience of building your own rig.

Well in all honesty if you get all the hardware you're talking about the 64bit version of Vista will run just as well as the 32bit version with [I believe] no noticeable difference. I wouldn't worry about gaming so much as future expandability.

If you got a slower system with like 2gigs of ram I'd recommend sticking with 32bit, but if you're going to go with 4 gigs ram, get the 64 bit version.

I'm glad money is of no object to you, most people who recommend cheaper alternatives do so because they'll perform just as well as their more expensive counter parts, and it doesn't matter how much you spend, next week your computer is only going to be worth half of what you spent on it. If you spend less to start your losses will be less.

If you're going to spend all that cash, buy a Dell XPS or Alienware, or a Voodoo PC, or /drool a HP Blackbird. That way you get a killer rig with a 3 year warranty.

-A.

 

[Drew]

Why waste all the money on any of those machines you recommended ?? 1/ They
will cost WAAAAY more then they are worth !! 2/ they will be has beens in a
year !! 3/ I would not buy a Dell if you paid me.
4/Re Read my first line followed by number 1
I had my machine built for less than 1000.00 US A little research in
purchasing was all it took
Intel " Bad Axe" D975XBX2 motherboard
Intel Q6600 processor
4 gigs Kingston HyperX DDr800
2 ATI crossfired 3870s
2 LG dvd burners
Twin 160gig sata hard drives
Antec 550 watt power supply
All running VERY cool in a Thermaltake Armor case
and connected to existing 24" digital flat panel as well as the following
Logitech's z5300e 5.1 system
Saitek's eclipse keyboard
Razer's Death adder mouse
Saitek's x52 flight system
Bose triport headphones
running Vista Business 32bit and I also have the 64bit version just not
loaded
This system has been running rock solid and screaming fast since Vista first
rolled out

All in all there is no more than 2000.00 worth spent on all this so yes it
is possible .... Just my 3 cents

..unless of course you want the experience of building your own rig.

Well in all honesty if you get all the hardware you're talking about the
64bit version of Vista will run just as well as the 32bit version with [I
believe] no noticeable difference. I wouldn't worry about gaming so much
as future expandability.

If you got a slower system with like 2gigs of ram I'd recommend sticking
with 32bit, but if you're going to go with 4 gigs ram, get the 64 bit
version.

I'm glad money is of no object to you, most people who recommend cheaper
alternatives do so because they'll perform just as well as their more
expensive counter parts, and it doesn't matter how much you spend, next
week your computer is only going to be worth half of what you spent on it.
If you spend less to start your losses will be less.

If you're going to spend all that cash, buy a Dell XPS or Alienware, or a
Voodoo PC, or /drool a HP Blackbird. That way you get a killer rig with a
3 year warranty.

-A.

OK, I will probably just go with the 32 bit system. I have seen video of
some striking differences in special effects from 32b to 64b, and they
are
quite noticeable.
Funny thing is about my second response, is that you're only one who
addressed my primary question regarding games. One asked what I was
getting
in hardware, I gave the specs, and they wanted to give their opinbions of
what they'd do, and I don't live for others and money is of no
consequence
to me, I do perfectly fine . Anyway, they totally didn't answer my
question about 32b games on a 64b system, you did.

Thanks, again,
Tom

 

[Tom]

Here's what I am thinking on getting:

CoolerMaster Cosmos Silent Gaming Tower Case w/ 420 Watts Power Supply
EVGA nForce 780i SLI Mainboard FSB1333 DDR2 3 x PCIe x16 SATA RAID w/
USB2.0,IEEE1394,&7.1Audio
CPU: (Quad-Core 2 Extreme QX9650 @ 3.8GHz 1333FSB 12MB L2 Cache 64-
bit (overclocked)
150GB Gaming Western Digital Rapter 10,000RPM SATA
HDD2: 250GB SATA-II
Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System
(2x2GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 DC Memory
Vista Ultimate 64bit
800 Watt Power Supply
Everything else is extreme candy (sound card, speakers, gaming
devices, etc)

Getting back again with another question.

Is there any real advantage to having a Quad-Core2 6850 (or 9650)
@3.8ghz overclocked to just having a (Quad-Core) Intel Core2 Quad
Q6700 @ 2.66GHz 1066FSB considering the graphics card I am getting
above. Going down a bit on the CPU will reduce the cost a bit and a
friend of mine said that I would be wasting money on something that
won't really be needed, even with Crysis and that the GPU I want will
more than suffice combined with a lesser CPU.

Thoughts?