New Computer: Vista64 or XP64?

[Mehen]

Gaming machine, specs:

Intel Q9450 2.66ghz 45nm Quad w/ Thermalright ULTRA 120 Extreme
2x2GB DDR2-1000
9600GT 512 (will be upgraded in a couple months)
ASUS Rampage Formula X48
Corsair HX620
500 + 250GB WD SATA

Not really interested in opinions on sticking with 32-bit or dual boot for now. This will just basically be the FIRST OS I install on it...

[Gurm]

Well for GAMING? You're damed if you do, and damned if you don't.

XP64 = drivers not as compatible
Vista64 = OS not as compatible

Either way you're screwed for gaming. I think, however, that you're MORE likely to find someone willing to "make it work" under Vista than under XP64, so...

[dZeus]

does the MS license permit you to install Vista x86 and x64 side by side on the same computer, and alternate between them depending on needs? (x86 for gaming, x64 for Photoshop and other 2+GB memory eating programs)

[Mehen]

Not sure about XP64, but I have a buddy on Vista64 who says every game he has tried so far has worked fine. My brother just told me that Vista64 will run games BETTER than XP 32bit... no idea where he got that from, and whether or not he is right. I kinda thought XP would run em better.
I suppose I would get dx10...

[Evildead666]

XP 32bit now, Windows 7 later, and Vista if I really really need it. (really really really need it).

If it had to be a one or the other, it would be Vista, cos i think people are forgetting about XP support a little, but XP-64bit a lot. Especially on the driver sides of things....

edit : If you can find the drivers for all of your hardware for each operating system, you are then left with program compatibility. Do all the programs you want to play/use work on both systems ? Even then, VIsta will continue to get support, via DX updates, that XP will not, 64bit or 32bit.

[Gurm]

Like it or not, for home use XP is dying. I think it sucks, as I am still a heavy XP user, but that's how it is. The Vista drivers have seen features the XP drivers never will for some time now, and that's only getting worse as time goes on.

[Elie]

I'm going Vista 64 on both my HP workstations, apperantly it's much better than XP 64bit, we'll see I guess.

Regards,
Elie

[box]

Been using Vista x64 since day one, haven't run into anything gaming related that wouldn't run.

[Claymonkey]

I voted for Vista but I have a few issues with it.

- Feel like I'm playing with a playskool playset
- Printing and Networking are STILL awful (does this get better if you turn off IPv6?)
- How they lock it down just annoys the cr*p out of me
- even with SP1 things run a lot slower. Specific example is how Excel can run up to twice as fast in XP.
- The licensing system is just...odd.

[Marshmallowman]

XP64 has been good for me, I do a lot of gaming and only one game an "oem" Xpand rally refused to run. However I do knowe that game can actually run on XP64 but the needed patch/update won't install on my version, so I think that is more to do with the incompetance of techland than xp64 itself.

[Jammrock]

If you are going 64-bit, Vista all the way. Vista SP1 is really very solid (well, much more than RTM) and the 64-bit version is more solid than the 32-bit version in my experience as well.

[Mehen]

My first post on my new machine... more stuff to come... benchmarks, overclocks etc.

Running Vista 64bit. Working great so far. Lots of tweaking done, and probably lots more to do.

[Helevitia]

Vista 64-bit is pretty stable now. Plus it is so much more fun than boring old XP IMHO.

Man, I really want a Q9450 since I have been doing more and more video editing lately.

[Mehen]

They just dropped $50 at ncix.com... well, they are on sale anyways... $345

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=29316&promoid=1034