Pentium D w/ win7 64-bit or 32?

[overbound]

I have a PentiumD CPU 2 core 2.80GHz. I've read somewhere that while the PentiumD can run as a 64 bit processor it runs better with a 32bit OS such as Win7 32bit. Reason was something about the PentiumD not being a true 64 bit processor and running emulation to support it or something like that. Anyway can anyone confirm or deny this? Should I use 32bit OS or 64bit?

 

[505090]

depends on how much ram you intend to use the processor is fine

if you don't need the extra ran stick with 32, especially with an older system you are going to have a hard time finding 64bit drivers

 

[overbound]

Will the 64bit OS help with gaming at all? I do like to play some rather high end computer games and I need all the help I can get my system is rather old as you said E510 same as the Ram post you helped me with. I'm also concerned with what I read about it being a 32bit processor that emulates 64bit w/e that means....

 

[shubham1401]

It won't help with gaming...
Performance will be the same.

 

[rodney_ws]

If you REALLY like to play "some rather high end computer games" then you will give up on your Pentium D and step up to a more modern processor.

 

[overbound]

If you REALLY like to play "some rather high end computer games" then you will give up on your Pentium D and step up to a more modern processor.

Well that's stating the obvious.

Anyway so I should stick with the 32bit OS version even if I find the drivers for the 64 bit? Will I gain anything by going to 64 bit? Even a slight performance increase?

 

[Scotteq]

Don't bother with a 64 bit OS for that comp. You'll go through a lot of trouble for Equal performance, at best.

Just make the change with your next build.

 

[505090]

there will be a very slight performance drop with 64 do to increased overhead (nothing to do with the processor), but your not going to see any significant performance difference between 32 and 64 bit

you will see more headaches and difficulties with 64 than than 32; on an older system drivers, software,....

 

[rodney_ws]

The limitations of a 32 bit OS won't really apply to you since you'll be CPU/GPU bottlenecked as well. Some people with high end gaming rigs would scream bloody murder if they only had access to 3.25 GB of RAM... but for someone just wanting to play something like Oblivion or TF2, they won't really have a reason to complain.

Recently I built a new i5-750 system with an ATI 5850 and I just had a 32 bit Windows 7 evaluation copy lying around. Being too lazy (and bandwidth starved) to download a proper 64 bit version, I installed Win 7 Enterprise 32 bit. My system was limited to 3.25 GB of RAM, but the performance was still fast as hell. Obviously as newer games come out that start to utilize four or more gigabytes of RAM this will be a problem, but for now it really isn't a tighter bottleneck than your current CPU.

 

[overbound]

Now this leaves me wondering why they would even made the pentiumD 64bit. I mean what kind of "upgrade" slows you don't heh. Anyway thanks for all the answers I'll stick to 32bit for now rodney_ws I'd pick yours as the best answer had I only made this a question XD.

 

[505090]

processors have been 64 bit compatible for a long time now as far it's usefulness well that depends on what you use it for

 

[PsyKhiqZero]

From what I understand 64bit works the same between all the desktop class amd and pentium chips. However intel was a bit more accurate in describing it with EMT where AMD used 64bit.

EMT stand for extended memory translation, this give the CPU the abiltiy to address more then 4gigs of memory. Intel's Itanium series (now deceased) used a real 64 bit cpu.

This is from what I remeber and mostly what I speculate. Here is a thread on the subject.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/200585-28-intel-pure-pure

 

[megamanx00]

Some of the P4 based CPUs are only 32-bit. One of the ways Intel differentiated the Pentium Ds was that some models lacked 64-bit support. If your CPU supports a 64-bit OS, then there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[overbound]

I thought 64-bit support was a rather new thing like around 2004 or 2005 and if it was new then you'd expect it to be faster wouldn't you? My PentiumD does support 64bit is there a difference between supporting 64bit and actually being a 64bit processor?

Completely off topic but PsyKhiqZero if you like Sonic the Hedgehog you might like this: http://www.timetwisted.sonicstrike.net/ its a demo of an old school Sonic game I've been working on for years.

 

[505090]

as i recall EMT was a work around for 32 bit OS's to address more memory, that is a separate issue than being a 64bit OS

64 is faster for it's applications it's like the difference between a car and a truck, one goes fast the other can tow, it all depends on what you want to do

and yes supporting 64 bit is 64 bit, no difference

 

[odin_611]

This is an old thread I realize, but I have been playing around overclocking a Pentium D chip for a while now, I prefer to use this dinosaur for playing with OC's when the mood takes me because it's cheaper than an oil change to replace if I kill it. I'm adding to this just in case anyone else comes across this thread in hopes of an answer.

ANYWAYS, what I wanted to add in terms of the interfacing between a 32 bit chip and 64 os's, is there is a real communication issue when you go passed 60% OC, not sure why, probably an overloaded buffer or something, but I'm capable of OCing to 3750 Mhz in 32-bit win7, but I get a mem management BSOD 5 minutes into a P95 stress test if I go passed 3442 Mhz in 64-bit Win7. Yes, I've done multiple DIMM and Ram stick tests, no issue with the DIMMs or the Ram that I can find. (I chased this problem around for almost a year before resorting to a 32-bit OS)