64 bit OS & software questions

[Jaimes Conda]

I know 64bit OS is available right now and that some chess software is available which will function on 64bit OS.
However I believe the standard/norm at this moment is 32bit.

The reason for the question is,the price of 32bitOS multiple core computers is dropping and a 4 core machine would be nice.

But how long before 64bit becomes the norm?Is it worth waiting for?

Jaimes

[bob]

I know 64bit OS is available right now and that some chess software is available which will function on 64bit OS.
However I believe the standard/norm at this moment is 32bit.

The reason for the question is,the price of 32bitOS multiple core computers is dropping and a 4 core machine would be nice.

But how long before 64bit becomes the norm?Is it worth waiting for?

Jaimes

all that is being made is 64 bit processors. So they are already the "norm".

Just because vendors sell 32 bit O/S systems pre-installed, doesn't mean the processor is not a 64 bit processor. The 32 bit O/S just cripples the processor and doesn't use the longer data word lengths, and extra registers.

[Marc Lacrosse]

I know 64bit OS is available right now and that some chess software is available which will function on 64bit OS.
However I believe the standard/norm at this moment is 32bit.

The reason for the question is,the price of 32bitOS multiple core computers is dropping and a 4 core machine would be nice.

But how long before 64bit becomes the norm?Is it worth waiting for?

Jaimes

In the present state of computing, 64 bits OS is not useful for most common applications.

There are two main exceptions:
1. graphics and video processing (transcoding and so on) for which there are 64-bits applications running much faster than their 32 bits counterparts.
2. chess (!) : quite a few 64 bits engines run much faster than the corresponding 32bits versions

To run a 64 bit chess program you need a 64-bits enabled computer (most recent ones are, be they mono or mutliprocessor ones) and a 64-bits OS.

In the MS family of OSes there are both XP and Vista 64 bits ones. Any of them will allow you to run 64 bits engines at full speed.

When I built my Q6600 a few months ago I opted for winXP 64 because I could find a second hand genuine XP64 Microsoft CD online for 140$ which is much less expensive than any Vista 64 bits version. Moreover there are theoretical reasons to think that a bit more speed could be reached under XP64. and finally I was afraid with soft- and hardware incompatibilities reported with Vista.

I initially configured my PC with a dual boot (one XP64 and one XP 32bits) in case I could suffer problems for some programs with XP64. This was not necessary : all my chess programs run perfectly under XP64 and I never booted the win 32 OS !

Just my little experience with it.

Marc

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

I know 64bit OS is available right now and that some chess software is available which will function on 64bit OS.
However I believe the standard/norm at this moment is 32bit.

The reason for the question is,the price of 32bitOS multiple core computers is dropping and a 4 core machine would be nice.

But how long before 64bit becomes the norm?Is it worth waiting for?

Jaimes

In the present state of computing, 64 bits OS is not useful for most common applications.

There are two main exceptions:
1. graphics and video processing (transcoding and so on) for which there are 64-bits applications running much faster than their 32 bits counterparts.
2. chess (!) : quite a few 64 bits engines run much faster than the corresponding 32bits versions

To run a 64 bit chess program you need a 64-bits enabled computer (most recent ones are, be they mono or mutliprocessor ones) and a 64-bits OS.

In the MS family of OSes there are both XP and Vista 64 bits ones. Any of them will allow you to run 64 bits engines at full speed.

When I built my Q6600 a few months ago I opted for winXP 64 because I could find a second hand genuine XP64 Microsoft CD online for 140$ which is much less expensive than any Vista 64 bits version. Moreover there are theoretical reasons to think that a bit more speed could be reached under XP64. and finally I was afraid with soft- and hardware incompatibilities reported with Vista.

I initially configured my PC with a dual boot (one XP64 and one XP 32bits) in case I could suffer problems for some programs with XP64. This was not necessary : all my chess programs run perfectly under XP64 and I never booted the win 32 OS !

Just my little experience with it.

Marc

Thanks a lot Marc for the useful experience of yours,I mean regarding the installation of the two operation systems and having a dual boot....
When the time comes for my next hardware upgrade,I'll buy XP 64 and will not install the XP 32 as a reserve variation....

[Jaimes Conda]

I know 64bit OS is available right now and that some chess software is available which will function on 64bit OS.
However I believe the standard/norm at this moment is 32bit.

The reason for the question is,the price of 32bitOS multiple core computers is dropping and a 4 core machine would be nice.

But how long before 64bit becomes the norm?Is it worth waiting for?

Jaimes

all that is being made is 64 bit processors. So they are already the "norm".

Just because vendors sell 32 bit O/S systems pre-installed, doesn't mean the processor is not a 64 bit processor. The 32 bit O/S just cripples the processor and doesn't use the longer data word lengths, and extra registers.

Thanks for the reply. I am right in saying that not all chess software is compatible with 64bit? If so this is a problem and it is best to continue wth a 32bit O.S.

Jaimes

[Jaimes Conda]

I know 64bit OS is available right now and that some chess software is available which will function on 64bit OS.
However I believe the standard/norm at this moment is 32bit.

The reason for the question is,the price of 32bitOS multiple core computers is dropping and a 4 core machine would be nice.

But how long before 64bit becomes the norm?Is it worth waiting for?

Jaimes

In the present state of computing, 64 bits OS is not useful for most common applications.

There are two main exceptions:
1. graphics and video processing (transcoding and so on) for which there are 64-bits applications running much faster than their 32 bits counterparts.
2. chess (!) : quite a few 64 bits engines run much faster than the corresponding 32bits versions

To run a 64 bit chess program you need a 64-bits enabled computer (most recent ones are, be they mono or mutliprocessor ones) and a 64-bits OS.

In the MS family of OSes there are both XP and Vista 64 bits ones. Any of them will allow you to run 64 bits engines at full speed.

When I built my Q6600 a few months ago I opted for winXP 64 because I could find a second hand genuine XP64 Microsoft CD online for 140$ which is much less expensive than any Vista 64 bits version. Moreover there are theoretical reasons to think that a bit more speed could be reached under XP64. and finally I was afraid with soft- and hardware incompatibilities reported with Vista.

I initially configured my PC with a dual boot (one XP64 and one XP 32bits) in case I could suffer problems for some programs with XP64. This was not necessary : all my chess programs run perfectly under XP64 and I never booted the win 32 OS !

Just my little experience with it.

Marc

Merci beaucoup Marc.........Jaimes

[Marc Lacrosse]

[

Thanks for the reply. I am right in saying that not all chess software is compatible with 64bit? If so this is a problem and it is best to continue wth a 32bit O.S.

Jaimes

No no no.

Under XP64 all 32 bits programs run as well at their normal speed (they just do not benefit from the 64 bits OS).

... and 64 bits programs run at their full speed !

Marc

[Spock]

No no no.

Under XP64 all 32 bits programs run as well at their normal speed (they just do not benefit from the 64 bits OS).

... and 64 bits programs run at their full speed !

Marc

Not all 32-bit programs run under XP X64 - although all chess ones seem to that I've tried. If you use your machine for other things you may encounter problems. For example, the BBC iPlayer will not install under XP X64. The installer doesn't recognise it as XP at all. It says you're not running XP... Channel 4 VOD is the same. And I've struck others as well. But for chess it would be very rare indeed for a 32-bit engine not to run

[bob]

I know 64bit OS is available right now and that some chess software is available which will function on 64bit OS.
However I believe the standard/norm at this moment is 32bit.

The reason for the question is,the price of 32bitOS multiple core computers is dropping and a 4 core machine would be nice.

But how long before 64bit becomes the norm?Is it worth waiting for?

Jaimes

all that is being made is 64 bit processors. So they are already the "norm".

Just because vendors sell 32 bit O/S systems pre-installed, doesn't mean the processor is not a 64 bit processor. The 32 bit O/S just cripples the processor and doesn't use the longer data word lengths, and extra registers.

Thanks for the reply. I am right in saying that not all chess software is compatible with 64bit? If so this is a problem and it is best to continue wth a 32bit O.S.

Jaimes

There are no programs that are incompatible with 64 bit processors, but you need a 64 bit executable. However, you can run 32 bit applications on a 64 bit O/S (I do it all the time on my linux laptop) but those applications do not see the extra registers...

32 bit O/S versions will soon become extinct, just as the 32 bit processors are fading away...

[Marc Lacrosse]

Merci beaucoup Marc.........Jaimes

You are welcome.

A few additional comments.

1. Dual boot with XP32 and XP64 is very tricky to install. Windows boot manager does not allow for this. You need to use an external utility for organising partitions and "hiding" the other OS everytime you switch. The one I used is the excellent freeware "Graphical Boot Manager (GAG)" v4.7. So if your main use of the PC is chess I would go for XP64 only without venturing into this dual installation.

2. There is a free 120 days trial version of "Windows XP professional x64 Edition". It is still available at Microsoft sites (although somewhat difficult to find). Do not use it : there is no way I could find for updating to a full payed version so I had to erase everything and go for a complete reinstallation once I had got the full version ...

3. The right way to buy win XP 64 is to go on one of those sites specialised in reselling original disks of (somewhat outdated) softwares.
For example I bought mine on www.cietdirect.com. You find a lot of such sites with a little googling : +Windows +"x64 Edition" +original.

Marc