Going from 32bit to 64

[sav]

My laptop is 64 bit, but came with a 32 bit installation of Vista - the retailer said it was for compatability reasons - but apparently the 64 bit version of Vista is on the computer, waiting to be installed if I so want.

Would doing so - without changing anything else - provide any sort of performance leap, particularly in Civ 5?

 

[timtofly]

All computers hardware wise have been more or less 64 bit for 6 years. When you change from 32 to 64 you have to change to different drivers. Being a laptop, you are constrained to what the Vendor has found will work and won't work. There must be a component in your laptop that has been tested and will not work efficiently with 64 bit drivers. That is the risk you have to take. It is one way. You cannot go back, unless you have restore CD and then you will lose all of your data.

 

[Trivas]

I would not recommend it. Looking into the future, more and more software will be coming out for 64 bit. As Timtofly mentioned, you would also probably have driver issues. Even though some older stuff doesn't work with 64 bit, it is faster and more efficient, plus all the computers these days are 64 bit.

 

[sav]

AH ok. I think both recovery discs are installed, will look into it. All the important data is on the desktop anyway.

 

[Furiey]

How much memory do you have? Unless you have more than 4GB it's not going to be worth it.

 

[sav]

How much memory do you have? Unless you have more than 4GB it's not going to be worth it.

I have 4GB, but since Civ5 runs through steam, I can't work out how to activate the 3GB switch. And I've also heard Civ5 isn't more than 32-bit aware - is that true?

 

[CivDude86]

Its large address aware which means it can use up to 4GBs under 64bit (or with the /3GB switch).

 

[sav]

Ok... how does one do the 3GB switch with Civ5?

 

[Furiey]

Civ 5 runs in 32 bit mode.

 

[CivDude86]

For Civ5 you don't have to do anything its already set.
To enable the 3GB switch on Vista with admin priv's on the command prompt type BCDEDIT.EXE /Set IncreaseUserVa 3072 (or any number). It probably won't do anything for the vanilla game since I haven't gotten to use more than 2GBs (maybe huge maps haven't played one yet).

 

[kelmen]

there's no substantial gain chging 32 -> 64 for civ 5, unless you have really lot of mem.
4g isn't that much big diff, not worth for the risk

and since civ 5 is so buggy, upgrading to 64 adding in more unstable with your laptop by oem level, you goona shot yourself sooner or later