i heard that if i want to install windows vista, i must have a 64bit cpu... how do you tell if a cpu is 64bit or not?
2007-02-04 02:52:50 · 3 answers · asked by Brian S 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
but the problem is... i have already checked my cpu on the web, but they didn't mention it... they just menton the processor's speed... cache size..bus speed.. etc..couldn't see a word "bit" in the spec...
2007-02-04 03:24:13 · update #1
You do not need a 64 bit CPU to run Vista, it comes in 32 bit and 64 bit versions. The 32 bit and 64 bit each come on their own disks. You will get them both in the box if you buy Ultimate, for all other versions you will get the 32 bit disk and if you want the 64 bit disk you have to contact Microsoft and have them send you one. As the other guy mentioned, unless you are a very hardcore computer user, you probably don't want to deal with 64 bit just yet.
As for whether your CPU is 64bit, if it is a Core 2 Duo or a Pentium D it is 64 bit, if its a Pentium 4 there is a small chance it is 64 bit. If you have AMD, it should have 64 in the name if it is 64 bit. If you want to ask about your specific processor, send me an email or instant message.
2007-02-04 08:29:41 · answer #1 · answered by mysticman44 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to look it up on the internet. First find out what processor you have and then look for it to buy on the internet. Like if you have a pentium D 945 processor then you look it and you will see that is say 64bit. But before switching to vista remember that not all softeware that works on xp works on vista at the moment, your pc will run slower becuase it will use more resources and you have to have a windows vista compatiable gfx card (for nvidia every thing in the 7000 series eg. 7600gs is compatiable with vista)
2007-02-04 02:59:51 · answer #2 · answered by J man 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, Vista comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions. In order to install the 64-bit version you must have a 64-bit processor. However, if you buy the retail version of Vista, it will automatically detect it and ask you if you want to install the 32-bit version or 64-bit version. For now, stick with the 32-bit version, support for 64-bit drivers isn't quite there yet and 32-bit drivers WILL NOT work in a 64-bit environment. And if they aren't digitally signed by Microsoft, you won't be able to install the drivers at all.
That being said, if you still want to identify your processor, download CPUz, http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
2007-02-04 02:58:58 · answer #3 · answered by conradj213 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋