What version of windows to use

[masteroc]

Hey, im building a new gaming computer (thanks for the help Invisible and all other who helped me pick the parts) and now im just wondering what version of windows to run for games. The computer will have 4gb of memory. At first i was going to use windows vista 64bit...until i saw the price tag for that . Then i thought about using windows xp 32bit (with the Dx10 patch), but saw that it was hard to get it to recognize more than 3.5gb of memory. So then i turned my attention to windows xp 64bit and read that it wasnt compatible with some programs (and i wasnt sure if the Dx10 patch would work on this) and that it was sometimes actually slower than the 32bit version. So i was wondering what you guys thought about all this...i would really like to avoid having to shell out the moola for vista, but if that is really the best solution then i guess i will.

Thanks

 

[atomic tofu]

no os will be able to do all things for all people...
that said, I have Xp Home, XP media Center, and Vista Ultimate (only 32bit)

I prefer Vista

for kicks I also have
NT5
2k Pro
95 p)

the latter 3 are just unused shiny genuine cds

 

[masteroc]

but what version will do what i need it to do:

recognize 4gb of mem

play dx10 games (with or without a patch)

run pretty much all the apps i need (mostly games but some system utils)

 

[atomic tofu]

i am going to have to say....vista 32bit with PAE enabled...but I hate mentioning that nowadays, lol

dx10 is only REAL in vista...you can get a hacked thing to allow the game to work, but it's not dx10.

all but one software app I have runs on Vista. I would put the guestimate of what I use around 30-45 apps. Not including games.

Vista 64bit will see 4+gbs fine but has much stricter parameters when it comes to allowing hardware/software to run

again, as I have said, you have to know the limitations and be realistic about what you seek.


http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/64bit.mspx
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/41531554-d5ef-4f2c-8fb9-149bdc5c8a701033.mspx

 

[EricB]

xp 64 will run circles around xp 32. it just have some compatibilities issues

 

[masteroc]

Can anyone with experience with Vista 64 bit comment here. The only reason im reluctant to go to Vista is that my friend who is very good with computers tells me that the experience he has had with Vista showed that it ran a lot slower than windows xp. But i really want that Direct X 10 so that i can get the full benefit from games. Are you sure that the DX10 patch for xp doesnt really give me full DX10??

Thanks

 

[masteroc]

oh, also, can windows xp 32bit take advantage of my Q6600 proc. In other words, can the 32 bit os use all 4 cores of my proc or will they be wasted?

 

[Fat.Clown]

32 bit is fine for q6600

 

[atomic tofu]

Windows xp will use and see all of your cores, whether you have 2, 4, etc
same for Vista

The usage or gain from that potential is up to you. For example, if you buy a quad core cpu for your grandma to surf the net or email, the os will not deliver any real gain from multi cores.

If you have a quad core and intend to just do gaming, even hardcore gaming, you may not realize or allow the OS to realize the potential of all of the avialable cores.

If you want to get an os that will utilize all of the available cores, because you run math intensive apps, multi task, do video editing, partake in "folding" or other distributed computing...etc etc etc...you get the idea.

XP or Vista and a dual/quadcore will benefit you at the base level by the quickness or efficiency of running the OS, anti-v, firewall, other apps upon system startup. Those will be immediate and obvious...but after boot up, if you don't do much...it won't help you.

I don't game much, but I multi task. Current gaming development and most general application development does not code for multi core CPUs (games and gpus are another thing).

Think of it like you building "Superman", you get all the ingredients together, put it all in a test tube...out pops Superman, but instead of letting him try and save the world you want him to play a round of Mahjongg with you. I also play Mahjonng on Vista.

 

[KSoD]

oh, also, can windows xp 32bit take advantage of my Q6600 proc. In other words, can the 32 bit os use all 4 cores of my proc or will they be wasted?

Actully the truth here is that Windows, OS X nor Linux is capable of handling 2 nor 4 cores. Yes they can use them. But they do not utilize them. They are not coded for SMP. (Symeterical Multiple Processing) which fully utilizes the extra cores.

So while they will use them and you will get more speed out of it than you would a single core processor. They can not take full advantage of them like a applicaiton like WinRar can which is SMP.

Now i know many people are going to come in here and argue with me on this. But the truth is only a SMP coded appication cant take full advantage of the multiple cores of a CPU. Windows nor any other OS is coded that way yet. Sorry to say it but that is the truth. XP for sure is not SMP cause it was released before Dual core was ever dreamed of. OS X is still usign the same kernel it did almost 5 years ago when it released version 10. Linux is proably the closest only cause they are updated so much.