Should I get the 64 bit version of Windows?

Read the article that everyone's commenting on.
Subscribe to the RSS Feed for comments on this article.

I've run 64bit windows vista ultimate, it worked pretty well for me, and yes, some programs that enable have a larger 64bit executable than it is in 32bit (looking at cinema4d.exe: 11,284,480 bytes versus 14,947,840 bytes).
I have a question, though: I read somewhere that microsoft built in a certain feature or something that limits the amount of RAM to 8GB in 64bit versions, if it's true, why would they do that?

From a Computerworld article that's almost 3 years old: "...there are few, if any, 64-bit systems that support 16 exabytes of RAM. Building a machine that supports that much memory would be extraordinarily expensive. To counter this cost, many manufacturers impose RAM address space limits that fall somewhere between the 4GB limit of 32-bit machines and the theoretical 16 exabytes that a 64-bit system should be capable of addressing. Most existing 64-bit systems limit physical RAM to somewhere between 8GB and 256TB."

http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2006/0,4814,107597,00.html

And from the Crucial FAQ website, these are the Microsoft imposed limits for 64-bit Vista (Crucial makes memory modules):

Windows Vista (64 bit)
Ultimate: 128 GB
Enterprise: 128 GB
Business: 128 GB
Home Premium: 16 GB
Home Basic: 8 GB

So to answer Mike's question "why would they do that?" the answer would seem to be cost.

Out of curiosity I bought an extra GB of memory (total 3GB) and installed the 64bit version of Vista Business on my Thinkpad T61 notebook. It went without problems. All my devices are up and functioning (HP multifunction, Epson scanner, Brother labelprinter, USB disk and sticks) I find it quite stable and well performing. No plans to go back to 32bit, but that would be no problem because Vista 32bit also worked very well.

My wife bought me a new HP laptop for our anniversary and it came with Vista 64. I've had a few problems with it hanging up (requiring a reboot), but the only problem that I can directly tie to the 64 bit version is driver incompatibility. I have not been able to hot sync my Palm Treo 755p, since I got the machine. My printers (HP 990CE & Hp 3300) work fine and my USB bluetooth adapter seem fine.

@Mike
Most motherboards have a limitation on the amount of RAM they will recognize. Even high end motherboards (like my nVIDIA 680i SLI) only accept a maximum 8GB of RAM. I mean, your maximum 8GB RAM comment sounds like a motherboard hardware limitation. Lookup your motherboard manual online, maximum RAM *will* be documented. If you're shopping for a machine that you want to run with a 64bit OS, make sure the computer (and by extension, I mean, the motherboard in that computer) supports the amount of RAM you're thinking about. If you go this right, it's gonna get very techy very quickly: be prepared to learn about makes and models of different motherboard manufacturers. Mary's comment is also good.

My only choice on the Vista Ultimate computer I wanted was 64-bit. I admit I am being overly careful about what I connect to it or download on it. My HP 2710 All-In-One printer took a special download from HP and, thankfully, it is working very well. I researched the 64-bit issue before purchase and decided to go with it (after crossing my fingers); however, I knew before hand that I still have my XP desktop and a laptop to fall back on if I run into trouble. Had I not had the backup I have, I would have probably chosen another computer that offered the 32-bit Ultimate.

I'm running Vista 64 and it works fine EXCEPT finding 64bit drivers for usb to serial adapters, Sony HD video camera and some older programs.

Have been bugging Sony, but no 64bit driver for a $900 High Def video camera with an enternal hard drive. How do I get the video off the camera if the computer doesn't recognize it?

One of my responces from Sony they said they haven't sold a 64 bit computer yet. (They do now). Visiting the local Costco and checking found 75% of the computers they see, notebooks and desktops are now 64bit Vista.

So far my two printers, Epson and HP have both come out with 64bit drivers.

Just be aware some of your favorite devices or programs may not be compatible!

For those with driver problems try a free program called 'Drivermax' helped me.

I have Vista 64bit on one computer and Vista 32bit on another. My biggest problem has been programs and hardware that is not compatible with Vista, including my older PDA. Why can't MS make things backwards compatible? I have a few programs that will load on the 32 machine that will not load on the 64, which is related to exe install files.

Best comment i can make is thank you leo.
You have answered my question even before
i got a chance to ask it.
I was gonna buy a 64bit system-but with
your info I've decided against it...
Thank you for the support you give.
I look forward to your Emails every week.

To post a comment on "Should I get the 64 bit version of Windows?", please return to that article's main page.