Gaming with 32 bit operating systems???

[Lust of a Gardener]

Not getting the full 4Gb of RAM

I recently upgraded computer:

Gigabyte MA770-UD3
Phenom II X4 940
Sapphire HD 5770 1Gb
Kingston 4gb RAM
Hiper 530w PSU

I'm currently running Windows 7 32 bit, and I was wondering if this would have a major effect on gaming.

At the moment I'm getting these framerates:

Napoleon Total War (everything ultra; x2 AA; x2 Antistropic) 18 - 30 FPS

Bad Company 2 (everything highest; x4 AA; x4 Antistropic) 30 - 45 FPS

Crysis Warhead (Mostly enthusisast; x2 AA) 20 - 25 FPS

Am I being limited by my OS? Would I be able to squeeze much more FPS out of these games?

Could really use your help, thanks.

 

[jaquith]

No, not really the only "limit" would be if you purchased more RAM >4 GB because the 32-bit OS stops at 4 GB. Most folks running 64-bit are only doing so because of the memory limit; there are also compatibility issues under 64-bit.

Therefore, stay with your 32-bit unless there a new game that has a 64-bit optimized install.

Regarding "Not getting the full 4Gb of RAM" - please explain? If you had an on-board GPU or some other GPU requiring "shared" memory that's about the only reason to explain partially missing memory. How much is missing?

 

[ko888]

Windows 7 32-bit won't see all 4 GB because there are address ranges reserved for hardware memory mapped I/O. You're fortunate if Windows 7 32-bit recognizes 3.25 GB. That's the limitation of a Windows 32-bit desktop OS.

 

[Emperus]

Compatibility issues when using a 64 bit OS are mostly a myth nowadays..

 

[jaquith]

^In Vista 32-bit ~ 3.5 GB, but OP stated Windows 7 and to get exact it depends upon PAE. WIN 7 will "see" all of the RAM. 64-bit has some of the "see" verses accesses issue - Hardware or BIOS Reserved.

 

[jaquith]

Myth depends on if you're running older XP carry over apps, drivers don't concern me. In addition, I only run either XP Pro 32-bit or Windows 7 64-bit Pro.

Next, the OP will need to spend $ to update from 32-bit to 64-bit to gain NOTHING!

Yeah, sure go 64-bit but will it actually "do anything" better FPS - doubt it. Get your Googling a going. I'd be interested in seeing any Microsoft.com vs forum links on this subject.

Bottomline, to improve your FPS: OC the CPU, OC the DDR, and OC the GPU - use MSI Afterburner.

 

[Lust of a Gardener]

Well, I have a copy of Windows 64 bit that I can use. I'm just afraid of losing everything on my Harddrive. Is it possible to simply delete my old operating system and load the new OS on a different harddrive?

I was also wondering why I wasn't getting great FPS, and was it a result of a lack of RAM, especially as some of those games are VERY memory dependent.

 

[jaquith]

^ No, you will need to install the Windows 7 CLEAN. So back-up all of your data and I'd recommend re-formatting and reinstall your apps from scratch.

^ No, OC the RAM may yield a 3-4 FPS maybe 5 FPS from its rated speed. (e.g. rated 1333 MHz -> 1500 or 1600 OC DDR). The bottlenecks are from PCIe lane speed, architectures Intel vs AMD, and CPU and obviously #1 GPU(s).