What is the point to Windows x64?

[zzidaric]

I helped a non-tech savvy computer friend put together a computer from parts last night. When he was at the computer shop - the salesguy sold him on an AMD 64 (socket 754) and an ASUS A8N-E Deluxe mobo.

To add to this, my buddy wanted to set up the computer as a PVR and so bought an ATI 9600XT AIW at FS (on sale for $150).

We put the computer together and then loaded the OS. Everything was OK but the mobo did not have the right drivers - nor did the video card. So we went on another computer and downloaded drivers. Things worked better.

Unfortunately the ATI AIW card does not function for TV/PVR mode. We can't get onto the Internet (driver issues with ethernet?).

Today I do research and find many others having the same problems.

With this said - my question now is - what is the point to a 64 bit CPU is there is not much you can do with it except run a 32 bit OS?

Am I missing something?

Thanks

Zed

[ShadowVlican]

future sake? marketing? ppl buy 300hp cars but most hardly get to use that 300hp

[gman]

For a normal Joe, no point at all until there is application (that you will use) takes advantage of it while a 32bit version can't do the same.

[WiZZLa]

Your friend should have bought a socket 939 if he plans on upgrading (unless he wants to go to a Sempron later OR if he got a good deal on the S754.)

In terms of performance, 64 bit applications written correctly give a performance boost over 32 bit apps, but not a huge one right now. Did you even install Windows x64? The motherboard you have has 64 bit ethernet drivers that work, so there may have been another problem.

[zzidaric]

After a bit of reading I guess the best thing to do is to go back down to Windows XP regular 32 bit.

kind of dumb having a 64 bit cpu

Z

[HoTiCE_]

64 bit (currently as of today) resumes itself to one word.


Marketing.




no use...no performance increase for today's applications, especially for home or /and office users.

[ProfessorChaos]

no use...no performance increase for today's applications, especially for home or /and office users.

not true....

even tho the 64 bit extensions have no use as of now(until vista) there are other extensions than will make an A64 ruin an AXP....SSE2,SSE3 extensions, onboard memory controller and increased efficiency and a shorter pipeline

if u compare a A64 3200+ 2.0GHz with a AXP 3200+ 2.2GHz....the A64 make minced meat out of the AXP

it's basically future proofing with 64 bit...it wont become mainstream until vista comes...but...why have a civic when u can afford a ferrari?

[duckdown]

I use completely 64 bit OSes
(dual boot between OpenBSD x64 and Windows XP Professional 64 Bit Edition)

I have absolutely NO problems with any of my stuff, the only thing that didn't work was Alcohol 120% or Daemon Tools for mounting images, but a program called FantomDVD took its place so even mounting is fine now.. (and d-tools 4 is due out any time)

I have tried all kinds of games, from Source games, to BF2, to old school Doom..

Games are also beginning to come out with 64 bit versions (Far Cry and Riddick already come to mind)

[windwaker]

There's a forum website dedicated to Win x64. I forgot the addy. It collects all sorts of x64 drivers & some freeware.

64-bit CPUs are slight faster than 32-bit ones even in 32-bit OSes. You could install totally 64-bit OS like Linux. There is a lot of 64-bit software in Linux.

[x86asm]

64-bit CPU's are definitely superior to 32-bit but many people question if we really need it. I believe we do since there is a lot of ppl getting close to the 4GB addressing limit imposed by 32-bit addressing. To avoid this we go to 64-bit. Not only do the A64's have embedded memory controllers. They have shorter instruction latencies for the most part. They also have better cache control instructions (these instructions provide a HUGGGEEEEEEEE speed increase if used properly). Plus the 64-bit CPU's have 2x the number of internal storage (registers).

Translation: 64-bit CPU's ROCK lol, but I dont think they are necessary as of yet.

Also the transition from 16-bit to 32-bit took approximately a decade. The 386 (first 32-bit CPU) came out in '85 but the first 32-bit mainstream OS was Win95 released in 95, 96. It will take at least half that time to make the transition. From I believe 2K3 or 2k2 when AMd announed the 64-bit arch.

But keep in mind that a XP 3200+ can beat some A64's in certain tests especially those that depend heavily on clock speed.

Point? Money, money is what they want so they will force an advancement on you even if they know you dont need it lol, can you blame them?