64bit is coming... maybe sooner than we guessed.

[Lithan]

http://www.megagames.com/news/html/pc/ut2003supportforathlon64.shtml

[c627627]

I have a q.
Do you need 64 bit Windows installed to play a 64 bit game with Athlon 64?

[Cúchulainn]

That makes holding off moving to 64-bit awfully hard since ut2003 is the game I play primarily and the only reason I have a win32 machine :( ;)

[7h3r4py]

The main advantage offered by the architecture is the ability to process more than 4 Gb of memory

Who even has 4GB of memory now? The ability to have more is worthless. Not to mention the memory would cost more than the rest of the PC if you did.

Utilizing that potential will take some time though and such applications and games are not expected for another 1.5 to 2 years.

Two years is a long way off in tech time, no need to get too excited just yet.

For the time being Epic Games have promised a patch for the 32-bit version of Unreal Tournament 2003 that will allow the game to take full advantage of the processor's 64-bit capabilities.
It is all 100 percent 64-bit code, promises Sweeney

How is it real 64-bit code? I do not think it can be if it is just a patch.

Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to 64-bit gaming and I am glad AMD is leading the way, but it seems too soon just yet.

[Lithan]

Originally posted by 7h3r4py


Who even has 4GB of memory now? The ability to have more is worthless. Not to mention the memory would cost more than the rest of the PC if you did. Good point. My guess is that is the most important Long term impact of 64bit (We went from 128megs being overkill to 1024megs being recommended by many people in a few short years,) but the statement was worded poorly.



Two years is a long way off in tech time, no need to get too excited just yet. True. Umm 64 bit apps on dvd's... I can't wait.



How is it real 64-bit code? I do not think it can be if it is just a patch.
My guess is it's a full install file that just requires you to have the origional installed to install... probably just checks for the 32bit version than writes itself over it as a way of verifying you own it.

Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to 64-bit gaming and I am glad AMD is leading the way, but it seems too soon just yet.

Yeah... I'm trying to keep myself sane enough that my next system will be 64bit... I'll likely be waiting around two years too... but amd if you are reading this... If you decide to make 90nm 2500+ chips around a year from now, that'd be real swell.

[c627627]

Originally posted by c627627
I have a q.
Do you need 64 bit Windows installed to play a 64 bit game with Athlon 64?

...because Win 64 is not due till 2004.

[gamefoo21]

huh there is windows xp and the 64-bit editions of it out and there is win 2k3 and its 64bit versions. all of which support dx9 and the like.

[c627627]

Correct me if I'm wrong. 64 bit Windows XP beta is due out later this year to beta testers with final release not planned until sometime in 2004.

Microsoft Windows 2003 Server is 64 bit you're saying?
What is Win 2003 anyway, can it be used on desktops for everyday stuff?

[Yuriman]

I have win2003, microsoft gives out eval copies of it. Just look around on their site. It plays games and stuff just like xp, but it looks like win2000. I actualy see a ~200p 3dmark01 increase on win2k3, but perhaps its just that my machine was in a good mood.

[c627627]

Did you mean this
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2003/mar03/03-28WinXP64BitPR.asp

Are there different versions (32 bit & 64 bit) of Windows 2003 server?

[Sonoorn]

From what ive heard, microsoft will be releasing a new service pack for windows xp that will convert it to 64 bits. Though xp will be to 64 bits what win95 was to 32 bits, until microsoft releases a new retail version of xp that truly is a 64 bit os. The initial success of the athlon64 will probably determine the release date of the retail solution from microsoft

[ajrettke]

Here are some Windows 2003 versions:
Standard (Server)
Web
Enterprise
Enterprise 64

All are 32 bit except the obvious. I don't think I'd want 2003 on my home machine...everytime you shutdown or restart you have type stuff for a reason (atleast a letter, can't be blank)....I never messed around to see if I could get around this because with a server they restarted like 3 times in thier life (hopefully :p)