[cif]

Hi, I will list my specs below but what I am wondering is whether or not my PC will run as fast or faster in Windows 7 adjusting for performance, ie no Aero etc, than in XP, and if I choose Windows 7 should it be 32-bit or 64-bit? Secondly which version of Windows 7 will be fastest, as intuitively I would choose Ultimate as it "appears" the best, however I am lead to believe it may slow my PC down, therefore which version will be fastest for my spec, which is:

AMD Athlon 64 3400+ ~2.4GHz
Phoenix - Award BIOS v6.00PG
2GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT 256MB

I am planning a possible upgrade to a cheap dual core processor and therefore a new motherboard in the next few months, would it be better to wait until this upgrade to install Windows 7? This is very much up in the air at the moment and will depend on a few factors so would prefer the initial questions to take priority.

Thanks in advanced for any help
cif

[FlyingShrapnel]

If you only have 2gb of ram and don't plan to upgrade to more than 4gb then 32bit will be fine. But if the price difference isn't big between 32 and 64 bit then you might as well get the 64 cos you can always use it on something else and I don't know much about performance wise but there are ways on the internet which let's you try windows 7 before you decide to buy

[maf1970]

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor - Download - Microsoft Windows
Use the tool to check your system for compatability.

[cif]

Hi, thanks for your replies but I'm after advice on what people think would be the fastest option, I'm fairly certain it can run windows 7, just wanted advice from users to says which version would perform best, if any, and at what bit rate i can run. Thanks

[sparky10]

maf1970`s right, download the link for the upgrade advisor to check for any issues, but in any event with the 2Gb of ram available on your system the 32 bit is the one for you unless you plan on adding more ram

[cif]

yeah well I think I can stick another 2gb in without much problems so hopefully that will do the trick for 64-bit, but i will probs do that when i get a new processor. should I avoid ultimate as it might have extra stuff running i dont need, so if that being the case which one should i go for, ill not be doing anything other than running for performance on everyday tasks plus the odd lower spec games.

Cheers guys

[sparky10]

Hi, if I were you I would go for the 'Home Premium', the ulitmate version just gives the option of having the choice of approx 36 other languages as memory serves me. Yes I would stick in the extra 2Gb of ram for running 64bit, no point in buying the 64 bit version otherwise Have added link below so that you can compare the three different versions.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...oducts/compare

[maryusdemetry]

I think your best chance is with 7 professional

[pistacja]

Don't bother upgrading your amd. Socket 939 processors are overpriced at the moment.(they were great at the time though) you can probably get a quad core intel, motherboard and ram if you sell what you have and add some extra cash.

2gb pc3200 is probably get you enough cash to get 4gb ddr2.
Sell the motherboard and the CPU and you'll probably be able to afford a cheap lga775 motherboard. All you need is £30-40 for a quad core processor or a core 2 duo

[simplicity96]

Use xp on that system. Win7 itself you could get running smooth enough but once you start adding other Apps it will slow right down. Also win7 32 bit has a lower minimum requirements than win7 64bit so for lower spec machines you would use 32 to give them a fighting chance.

I have however gone through the process of testing older and lower end machines to see what can be got away with in the 'real world' and found machines of similar spec to yours to struggle once extra software is added.

Hope this helps.

And xp can be made to fly if all the crap is taken out.

[DJSigma]

There's no reason to choose Ultimate nor Professional unless you need the extra features they offer. There's a list of features for each version on Wikipedia. Home Premium is fine for the vast majority of users. Go with 64 bit if you plan to upgrade your system to 4GB of RAM or more, even if you don't plan to do it right away, because it'll save you having to reinstall Windows whenever you get round to it.

I would definitely choose Windows 7 over XP on that machine given the specs, so I can't really agree with simplicity96.