# Vista 64 Upgrade. Advantage? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 1, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-64-upgrade-advantage/498406 "2009-06-01T20:40:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-64-upgrade-advantage/498406/1 "2009-06-01T20:40:58Z")
Is there any advantage to my upgrading to Vista 64? I’m running Vista 32 now, and Like it. Is 64 compatible with my existing computer and programs? I’m working with a 1.80 gigahertz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core TK-55, with a 512 kilobyte primary memory cache in a Dell 1501 Laptop. 2 Gig memory. Works fine but I want MORE! ::Greedy Giggle:: :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-64-upgrade-advantage/498406/2 "2009-06-01T20:58:42Z")
For the average user you would see no advantages. Most consumer software is compiled as a 32-bit program. 32-bit programs are actually a bit less efficient on a 64-bit OS (although in most cases you’d probably never notice). The main thing the average user would get out of a 64-bit OS is the ability to install more than 4GB of RAM into your computer. Again though, for most people, 4GB is plenty. If you really have need of a lot more memory and/or you have some 64-bit software that can take advantage of the processor and OS then fine. Otherwise not much use. Doubtless someday it will all be 64-bit but not for awhile yet. Add in the issue of dodgy 64-bit driver support and I’d strongly recommend sticking with the 32-bit OS barring some specific need. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-64-upgrade-advantage/498406/3 "2009-06-01T21:08:02Z")
I wouldn’t switch to a 64 upgrade midstream on this computer due to the not insignificant chance of compatability issues as well as the lack of compelling reasons to do so cited by **What-a-Mole** , but certainly for the next computer. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-64-upgrade-advantage/498406/4 "2009-06-01T21:16:01Z")
And at this point, you might just want to wait for Windows 7, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-64-upgrade-advantage/498406/5 "2009-06-01T21:19:55Z")
Thanks, All. I’ll wait. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-64-upgrade-advantage/498406/6 "2009-06-02T02:39:16Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The main thing the average user would get out of a 64-bit OS is the ability to install more than 4GB of RAM into your computer. Again though, for most people, 4GB is plenty. Correction: more than 2-3GB. To have 4GB, you need 64-bit. Also, 64-bit programs are about 10% faster due to more registers, but that’s not much of a speedup and there’s not that many of them. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-64-upgrade-advantage/498406/7 "2009-06-02T03:04:31Z")
I put Vx64 on a computer I built myself and encountered some driver and compatibility issues but nothing insurmountable (I have 4G of memory). However, I wouldn’t recommend it if you already have Vista 32, it’s just not worth the effort unless for some reason you need gobs more memory, or you are a hobbyist that likes to dick around with your computer all the time. In hindsight I would have settled for Vista 32.