Windows XP Pro 64-bit

[SmurfWithAStick]

A friend may be giving me his unused version of Windows XP Pro 64-bit OEM. I was originally planning to go with Windows XP Pro 32-bit w/SP2 for $140 OEM. I was wondering if 64-bit had any worth-while advantages. Does SP2 work well with it or does it already have it? Thanks in advance.

[AnotherMuggle]

Originally Posted by SmurfWithAStick A friend may be giving me his unused version of Windows XP Pro 64-bit OEM. I was originally planning to go with Windows XP Pro 32-bit w/SP2 for $140 OEM. I was wondering if 64-bit had any worth-while advantages. Does SP2 work well with it or does it already have it? Thanks in advance.

Most people will probably advise against XP 64bit. It was an OS that was never widely accepted for a number of reasons. The main reason being compatability, very little software (particularly drivers) has been designed with XP 64bit in mind. I have a licence for both 32bit and 64bit versions and always use the 32bit versions. The benifits that you can get from a 64bit version are greatly outweighed by the disadvantages of it.

Also, don't forget, if you want to use a 64bit version, you will need a 64bit system architecture.

[SmurfWithAStick]

Thanks; guess it's settled then. Too bad, though; I thought I could save 140 bucks.

[alanebro82]

I use XP-64 bit and have no problems at all. I would advise that you do a little research and see if all of your system drivers are available for 64-bit OS first though.

A couple of my friends use my computer and can't tell that I use 64-bit. It works perfectly (and boots up faster due to 64-bit architecture). Just my two cents though.

For clarification, I like 64-bit so much that I will never go back to 32-bit. However, it does require a bit more research to make sure that all components are 64-bit supported in drivers.

[perkster]

if you have new vista ready components likely it will work with xp 64bit. one other advantage is you can go above the 3.2gb max effective ram, so have 4gb say

[SmurfWithAStick]

I've never built a computer before, so, specifically, which components need drivers?

[AnotherMuggle]

Originally Posted by SmurfWithAStick I've never built a computer before, so, specifically, which components need drivers?

Every piece of hardware, inside and out, of a computer needs a driver. A driver is basically used to allow a computer to communicate with it's hardware.

You will need drivers for all of the following (and possibly others):
Motherboard
Graphics Card
Sound Card
Network Card (wireless/ethernet)
Mouse/Keyboard/Webcam

Sometimes Windows will already have a default driver for things such as the graphics card, but these drivers are limited and offer poor performance when compared to the manufacturer's version.

Normally it is best to download direct from the manufacturer's website as they are the newest releases.

[SmurfWithAStick]

Thanks. I didn't realize everything needed a driver. I thought somethings like the PSU and peripherals didn't need one, just a program or something.

[AnotherMuggle]

Originally Posted by SmurfWithAStick Thanks. I didn't realize everything needed a driver. I thought somethings like the PSU and peripherals didn't need one, just a program or something.

The PSU will not require a driver. As for peripherals, the driver is often included as part of a software package, so manufacturer's don't always state that what you are installing is actually a driver.

[SmurfWithAStick]

Thanks for the info, but before I switch over completely, what are the advantages of 64-bit, again?

[AnotherMuggle]

Originally Posted by SmurfWithAStick Thanks for the info, but before I switch over completely, what are the advantages of 64-bit, again?

Top 10 reasons, from Microsoft themselves:
LINK

[SmurfWithAStick]

Cool. Sounds good.