The computer I am building needs to be as fast as possible. Is Windows XP Pro worth the extra money?

Answer 1

nope.

for 95% of computer users, they wouldn't even notice the differences between xp home and xp professional so it's rarely worth the extra cash to get pro - you don't get any better performance from having xp pro either, just more 'features'.

Answer 2

No, if you ring Microsoft, you will find out that they are ending customer support next year for all the XP packages and are advising you get the next new package. And after 18months they will do the same again after getting you to buy 2 or 3 extra upgrade packages.
Maybe you should be trying to find a company who will give you a reliable package which will last years with full customer support for the whole time and minimal prices for upgrades.
I wish i could build computers!

Answer 3

How about Windows 2003??

Many options (which are useless to most XP users) are installed by default in XP, making your system run slower.

These have to be manually selected in 2003, meaning only the vital bits are installed.

Answer 4

XP Pro is designed for businesses and networks. It also has some features Home will not have

XP Home is designed for ease with home user

Unless you plan for a network, use Home.

Answer 5

Definately NO!


Its much slower than XP Home Edtion even!

Ano ive had many problems with speed from the XP PRO i switched and now ive jus switched back!

IS A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME!!

Answer 6

XP Pro is targeted at businesses so it has better networking and security functions. This wont speed your pc up but will give different functions

Answer 7

It won't speed it up if that is what you are asking. You need it when

-You want to join an Active Directory Domain
-You want it to accept incomming Remote Desktop Connections
-You want to use Offline Files

Most home users don't do any of those except maybe the second. If you don't know what they are you probably aren't going to use it.

Answer 8

XP Pro will not make your computer faster.

Answer 9

Nope - not even slightly. In fact as it is SLIGHTLY more 'resource hungry' it may actually SLOW your system down!

And get 2Gb of fast RAM, and switch OFF the 'virtual memory' in windows and enjoy the ultimate in speed.
Windows, and all of the programs will run principaly in RAM (real memory)...MUCH, MUCH faster than accessing the HDD (virtual memory).

In fact, it's blisteringly quick!

Answer 10

How about Win XP Pro x64? Check this out...

Comparing 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows

The major difference between 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows is memory support. With more memory, you can run more programs at the same time, and run more memory-intensive programs like multimedia, gaming, and database programs. And your computer's performance will be faster overall.

Currently, 32-bit editions of Windows are capable of supporting up to 4 gigabytes (GB) of system memory, with up to 2 GB of dedicated memory per process. Windows Professional XP Edition x64 currently supports up to 128 GB of RAM, with the potential to support up to 16 terabytes of virtual memory as hardware capabilities and memory sizes improve.

Another difference between 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows is the increased number of registers available on 64-bit processors. This enables faster performance for applications that perform intensive floating-point calculations.

Windows XP Professional x64 Edition provides faster performance, increased reliability, and greater flexibility to today's most demanding users. With Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, you can take advantage of the new 64-bit technology to improve your PC or workstation performance.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/facts/top10.mspx

Oh yeah, there is a FREE trial download...http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/facts/trial.mspx

You did say as fast as possible...?