Which Operating System?

[FJunior225]

I am currently building a new gamimg pc and have already picked out my hardware. I am not sure which operating system to go for and need help. This is my first pc i am building and there are no neccessity for microsoft office programs such as word etc. This is strictly for gamimg and would like to know what is my best option.

Components:
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD5
Radeon HD 4870
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem
Western Digital 640GB 7200rpm

All advice is appreciated!!

 

[Scotteq]

How much memory do you intend on installing?

 

[FJunior225]

right now 6GB which i can upgrade at any time.

 

[weewoot]

xp 64 bit, or wait untill windows 7 64 comes out.

 

[Bullheaded67]

You will want a 64-bit variety of some sort for the amount of RAM you are installing. If you are playing recent games then I would recommend installing Win7 x64 RC and then installing the RTM in October when it is released to the public. If you are uncomfortable using RC software then I would go with Vista x64.

 

[FJunior225]

I have xp already.... not sure which bit (32 or 64)... I'm just looking for what is best for me in the future and trying to save money at the same time. I do not mind RC software, but like I said I am new to this whole process so will I be okay starting up my pc with no operating system and then downloading to RC software? Sorry if I am asking a dumb question!

 

[FJunior225]

Basically what I am asking is can I use my already owned xp (if its 64 bit) and upgrade it with the SPs? Or should I go out and buy a whole new operating system? If so which one that will benefit me and last me for the future?

 

[Scotteq]

Basically what I am asking is can I use my already owned xp (if its 64 bit) and upgrade it with the SPs? Or should I go out and buy a whole new operating system? If so which one that will benefit me and last me for the future?

Regarding the earlier post - With no operating system, you will not be able to reach out and download anything. You will need to download and have your discs prepared in advance.


The Release Candidate for 7 will be available until the end of this week from Microsoft. This version is good until May 2010, at which time it will shut itself down every two hours to remind you to purchase a regular licence.


Sooner or later, you'll need to buy a real licence. You can use Win 7 RC until the real version is publicly available in October. Or you can buy/use Vista 64 now - with a coupon for the free upgrade to 7 - and upgrade it later.

 

[FJunior225]

Regarding the earlier post - With no operating system, you will not be able to reach out and download anything. You will need to download and have your discs prepared in advance.


The Release Candidate for 7 will be available until the end of this week from Microsoft. This version is good until May 2010, at which time it will shut itself down every two hours to remind you to purchase a regular licence.


Sooner or later, you'll need to buy a real licence. You can use Win 7 RC until the real version is publicly available in October. Or you can buy/use Vista 64 now - with a coupon for the free upgrade to 7 - and upgrade it later.

Thank you very much. That makes sense.... I am gonna stem a new topic about if I go with vista 64, does it matter which version or can I just buy the cheapest one?

 

[Scotteq]

You can buy whichever version you like - For home usage, please use Home Premium unless you have the need to set up networking domains, encrypt your drives, or things like that.

 

[FJunior225]

Thank you again for your help... I greatly appreciate it... Im sure ill be asking more when I first boot up my computer and something doesnt work.

 

[JessicaD]

Fjunior225,

If you wish to try Windows 7, you may want to hurry up and download Windows 7 RC while you still can. Come August 15th the Win 7 download will no longer be available. The Win 7 RC can be downloaded directly from Microsoft here: http://tinyurl.com/cwl3fs
Also, if you have worries about this process, Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 RC Support Forum located here http://tinyurl.com/9fhdl5 . It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams.

If you enjoy your experience with the RC version of Win7, you can now pre-order your copy of Windows 7 for a discounted price! For more information, see the Windows 7 Pre-Order offer page here: http://tinyurl.com/nldc8p

Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team

 

[renzuokun]

If you ask me i would totally go and get the windows 7 64 RC. if you ask me, windows 7 is complete, i have yet to see a bug. It's more stable than vista and as fast if not faster than XP in all of my games. since you have 6 gb of ram 64 bit will absolutely fly.

 

[nukemaster]

+1 to getting Vista Home Premium(64-bit) with a Win7 free win7 upgrade. With the latest SP Vista is very stable. Just be aware, 16-bit apps will no longer run on any 64-bit version of Windows. For dos stuff, use DOSBox.

Getting WinXP 64-bit seems like a bad idea with XP being over 8 years old. It was also not made with multicore in mind as much as newer versions of Windows(Vista/7)

 

[nukemaster]

Yeah, because we all know how well multi core has gone so far...

Second, how about compatibility? I'm sure companies don't want to leave XP for a reason...

Your right, there are many legacy devices and programs that cause companies to stay with XP. My Media Center is XP as well(it works well that way and XP is what it was built for). Your point? 5 years after XP many companies still used windows 2000, why? cause it worked.

So, what does not work for me anymore? My scanner, but that stopped working when XP came out. Starwars Episode 1 Racer and Shadows of the empire(16 bit installers, if i was to make my own installer, the app it self is 32-bit and would run). Do i miss those? nah, if i want to i can dual boot XP, i have over 1000gigs of partitioned(the drive is short stroked, this gives faster speeds and access times.) space that could be used for that, but i have yet to need it.

As for multi-core, programs codes for it can generally see a good improvement(want to encode HD on a single core?).

 

[nukemaster]

Then in that case, should I not still be running windows 98? XP killed as much(more) software as Vista did. To add to that, all the software i mention not working, will NOT work on XP 64 either since its a 64 bit problem. With 6 gigs the OP is going to need a 64 bit os. XP makes NO sense for 64-bit. The FREE win7 offer sweetens the deal *shrug

 

[Snowbum]

If fjunior wants to take advantage of triple channel, then I see no problem with a 3x2gig setup.

I have been using Windows 7 build 7100, mostly for gaming and works just fine. I would just download the rc and then purchase W7 when it comes out.

 

[renzuokun]

w7 rc is fantastic, so long all of your applications will work in vista, they will work on windows 7, but theyll be faster.

 

[Zoron]

but it's not out yet and it seems to have the same compatibility bs issue as Vista.

Ok... I'm tired of hearing this statement with nothing specific to back it up. What compatibility issues are you referring to? What specific hardware or software will not run on Win 7 that makes you keep repeating this same thing over and over again? Simply stating "Windows 7 has compatibility issues" simply isn't good enough anymore. If you cannot provide specific examples, then please stop repeating your opinion and stating it as fact.

 

[Zoron]

Those links stated nothing specific... more blanket statements about UAC (which can be disabled anyway) and how older software wasn't designed with it in mind. However, that software can still and does run on Vista... but those links say nothing about Windows 7. UAC in Windows 7 is more configurable than it is in Vista. However, even with UAC, I haven't had any trouble running any of the apps that I've thrown at it.

But that's not really what I wanted. What I wanted to know is how your PERSONAL experience with Windows 7 led you to believe that it would suffer from compatibility issues. Posting a bunch of general links about Windows Vista doesn't do anything to answer that question.

Also, I wanted to know what specific software you came across that didn't run on Vista or won't run on Windows 7. When I say that, I mean software that doesn't run AT ALL. Software that can be patched or run in admin mode doesn't count as a "compatibility issue", as the software can run... just not necessarily out of the box. (As a lot of software has a problem with... most still need to be patched after they're installed). Whether you like UAC or not is irrelevant.

 

[Snowbum]

With any new operating system there is bound to be compatability issues. However, Vista & windows 7 will NOT have and DO not have compatability issues with any current software. Infact, I have programs designed for windows 98 running on my Windows 7 machine. Habitat, you cannot compare the intitial release of vista to what it is today.

You provide no solid evidence, and your information is complete biased bs. Your constant vista bashing is not necessary and disruptive.

WE ALL KNOW YOUR OPINION SO STFU!

 

[Snowbum]

Most patch work is solving issues residing in the program itself.

Exactly my point, bill gates said it himself, "ask me when we release the next version of windows." I dont disagree that vista had issues at the release. However, the current status of the OS is much more efficient and solid. Just like how XP sucked at the release and matured over time.

(I dont want to hear your BS of how a fresh install of XP runs better than xp sp2) Blah blah blah blah......

 

[Snowbum]

You have not helped the OP with anything you have said in this thread. Stop trolling around arguing your blatantly pointless opinions at any chance you get.

 

[cjl]

Well, if you prefer one that works smoothly and doesn't have any problems, I don't see why you like XP. XP works great on a fresh install, but it seems incredibly prone to grinding to a screeching halt over time. Vista and 7 seem to hold their performance better long term.

 

[aznguy0028]

Actually no, all I asked was "How is the compatibility though". How do you know that isn't going to help the op?

Alritey, I will ask the OP what games he will be running since his system would be used strictly for gaming.

I am currently building a new gamimg pc and have already picked out my hardware. I am not sure which operating system to go for and need help. This is my first pc i am building and there are no neccessity for microsoft office programs such as word etc. This is strictly for gamimg and would like to know what is my best option.

Components:
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD5
Radeon HD 4870
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem
Western Digital 640GB 7200rpm

All advice is appreciated!!

Hello OP, what exact games are you trying to run on this new system? I am currently using Vista x64, and I would say i have almost every new game out since i am a very avid gamer. I am also running XP 32bit on my 2nd system. Just state your games you want to run, and I will tell you if it's compatible with Vista x64 or not. This should address Hab's question about compatibility pertaining to your question about gaming on certain OS (xp,vista,w7) in 32/64bit mode.

To address Hab's statement about rethinking getting 4gb of ram over 6gb; the OP already has 6gb of ram and is using an i920, of course he would want to use the ram in tri-channel so XP 32 would be not make logical sense in that regard due to the lack of tri-channel support and and being unable to support >4gb. Also since he is gaming, Xp (both 32 and 64) have the oldest API (out of xp/vista/w7)which is DX9, so that would not make sense for getting the most out of his gaming experience. Vista & W7 will be able to run games in DX10/11. Clearly the OP's graphics card is a ATI 4870 which is capable of running DX 10.1/11 as i'm sure you already knew so using DX9 in XP would be a clear waste.

MY OPINION: In my opinion, i would recommend you to use W7, I've been using the RC with a dual boot from Vista, and it has been great imo. If you can no longer get the RC, then Vista x64 would be a solid choice. You could always upgrade to W7 later if you wanted to. SO THE LOGICAL CHOICE for the OP's needs would be either Vista 64 or W7