Windows 7 32bit or 64bit?

[Relemar 10]

I have 4GB RAM. Q6600 and 9800gtx+ what do you think I should go for 7 32 bit or 7 64bit?

[randir14 10]

I have 64 bit windows 7 but I don't think it matters. The game is only a 32 bit application so it cant use more than 2 gigs of ram.

[JuggernautOfWar 1]

x64. If you got with x86 (32-bit) you will not be able to use your full 4 gigs in other applications.

[Maddmatt 1]

With that amount of RAM definitely 64-bit otherwise some of it goes to waste. I'm running Windows 7 64-bit myself.

For ArmA 2 it wont make much of a difference though.

[delevero 10]

just ad -winxp after arma2.exe in your start shortcut.

arma2.exe -winxp

then arma will use more Ram. ;-)

[fabrizio_t 58]

64bit works fine for me.

[JuggernautOfWar 1]

just ad -winxp after arma2.exe in your start shortcut.

arma2.exe -winxp

then arma will use more Ram. ;-)

Haha if only, if only that were true... What do you guys recommend for testing RAM usage by the way?

[kremator 1064]

64 bit is fine for me. Would be GREAT if Arma2 was released in a native 64bit mode.

[sparks50 0]

With only 3gb of RAM, would x64 still be make any difference in performance?

Edited September 13, 2009 by sparks50

[wooly-back-jack 10]

I am on win7 64 bit, why did Arma2 install itself in program files and not x86 program files if it is indeed a 32 bit app'? lol

Still works like so I don't mind!

[JuggernautOfWar 1]

I am on win7 64 bit, why did Arma2 install itself in program files and not x86 program files if it is indeed a 32 bit app'? lol

Still works like so I don't mind!

Because it's a 32-bit application it will install in the 32-bit program files.

[Pyronick 21]

Because it's a 32-bit application it will install in the 32-bit program files.

Usually the \Program Files (x86) folder refers to 32-bits applications.

Whereas \Program Files refers to 64-bits applications.

They should have called the 64-bits folder \Program Files (AMD64) like in Linux to make it less confusing.

[JuggernautOfWar 1]

Yeah that's what I was getting at...

[Maddmatt 1]

With only 3gb of RAM, would x64 still be make any difference in performance?

Doubt it, but still a good idea for future proofing I think.

[-RIP- Luhgnut 10]

With only 3gb of RAM, would x64 still be make any difference in performance?

With ARMA2? No.

I think on max settings, Last I looked A2 took up like 1.9 Gig fully running and initialized.

32Bit Applications can only address DIRECTLY 2Gig. It can page up to 3Gig or is it 3.5....something like that. 64Bit addresses all the RAM directly. Paging is using the remaining ram like a ram drive. IE. Temporary storage. Faster than a HD but can't really shove the application in there for direct access.

64 Bit apps is like crazy high how much memory it can access. But with 32 bit (A2) 2gig is most it can hit directly.

[Bulldogs 10]

Yep, 32 bit apps can only ever use 2gb (well, not exactly accurate but in this circumstance it is), but that's 2gn of available memory. Windows 7 will constantly use around 1gb if it's available for itself, plus the programs running in the background means that if you have 3gb then running under Vista or Win 7 64 bit or 32 bit will still only allow about 1.2-1.8gb of ram to Arma 2, under XP you're likely to get the full 2gb.

[enael 10]

you should take x64 unless you have an old printer or cam without x64 driver.

[H3NRY 10]

wait wait wait.. this "windows 7 will use 1gb it self is straight bull... i have been doing things all day and i still am barly using 1gb... thats with firefox with two tabs running, dropbox, utorrent, everest ultimate, hamachi, ventrillo and roboform al running plus other things like the ntune and other system driver services ( specific to my system) ... 7 only takes 550mb of ram on boot for me, and yes i do have a full install lol.

one exception to my facts that i have found is... i have not tried 32 bit :) it might actually use that much and i just dont know lol... ill never go back to 32 bit... seems smoother to me.

[Maddmatt 1]

wait wait wait.. this "windows 7 will use 1gb it self is straight bull...

Mine is using 1.18Gb right now.

How much RAM do you actually have? And did you turn the fancy visual effects off? I've go a few things running, Firefox, Skype, and minor stuff.

Win7 Pro 64-bit. I have 4Gb RAM.

[H3NRY 10]

Mine is using 1.18Gb right now.

How much RAM do you actually have? And did you turn the fancy visual effects off? I've go a few things running, Firefox, Skype, and minor stuff.

Win7 Pro 64-bit. I have 4Gb RAM.

i have 6GB and i have all of the "advanced -> performance" settings on, aero and all that fancy stuff on :)

[echo1 0]

wait wait wait.. this "windows 7 will use 1gb it self is straight bull... i have been doing things all day and i still am barly using 1gb... thats with firefox with two tabs running, dropbox, utorrent, everest ultimate, hamachi, ventrillo and roboform al running plus other things like the ntune and other system driver services ( specific to my system) ... 7 only takes 550mb of ram on boot for me, and yes i do have a full install lol.

one exception to my facts that i have found is... i have not tried 32 bit :) it might actually use that much and i just dont know lol... ill never go back to 32 bit... seems smoother to me.

It seems to scale relative to how much RAM you have. On my 4GB-equipped laptop or desktop, it uses about 900MB when first started. However, on a friend's PC which only has 1GB, it uses about 300-400MB.

[Leopardi 0]

It reserves the RAM for faster usage instead of leaving it unused like in XP.

[tonedog12 2]

from what ive read, memory isnt the only things that 64 bit systems take advantage of.

processors that are 64 bit enabled (ie all modern ones) process information more effectively so in theory applications should run better in a 64 bit environment.

[wooly-back-jack 10]

oh and btw the thread is pointless really because when you buy Win7 you will get both 64 and 32 bit anyway :p

[H3NRY 10]

oh and btw the thread is pointless really because when you buy Win7 you will get both 64 and 32 bit anyway :p

to get both you will have to install both( separately) tho...