I need more ram, but i don't want to lose my compatibility! please HELP

[SIM-O]

Hi. i currently have 3gb of ram which is good for games like bioshock, crysis unreal 3 etc. However, the other day i subdivided my character model in zbrush for a little extra detail until it was 8.804 million vertex on screen. When i went to reposition vertecies, i got a message telling me that i had run out of memory. As you may know, every time i subdivide the amount is timed by 4. It was my intention to go up yet another subdivision but...well..you get the picture :P i just can't get the kind of detail I'm after with the 3gb in all it's entirety.

So i asked a few people (my dad and friends) what i should do to upgrade to 4gb ram. one said i needed a 64 bit processor but didn't mention the OS, and one said i need a 64 bit OS and said the processor could remain at 32 bit.
I'm not sure which of those answers i should rely on, but i hate the idea of having to give up my windows xp with all it's wonderful compatibility and spend a few year learning a new OS when i probably won't be able to use half the programs i do now.

I heard that there's a windows xp 64 bit version, but i also heard that Microsoft no longer support it and there are no updates for it. that scares me because of security problems.

i actually have a fully functional version of vista home edition which came with my computer, but i would never feed my nice computer dog shit.

i need a solution that ties in 2 considerations.

1. I'm barely just middle class (but it's probably mostly just the way that my parents aren't that good with money) so it can't cost me the earth

2. i need to retain my workflow and uses every program I'm using now at the same or better speed (aside from have more memory so that i can't load bigger things)


my dad mentioned something about file...swapping? can that help?
sorry to sound like a n00b, I'm a software guy, not hardware :P
He didn't seem to know much about it himself, and he left before i got much out of him :/

[iamtravis316]

you will probably need to get a 64 bit os. like windows xp 64bit or vista 64bit. because a 32bit os limits the amount of ram you use, even if you have more. i think it only lets u use 2 (or 3) gb of ram. but a 64bit you can use as much as u want. and u can usually run just about any program on either os right now i have 4 gigs of ram with vista 64bit and in mudbox i generally go up to 13 mill polys. idk

i hope this helps,

[amek]

go with 64bit OS...you can use as much as RAM that your Mainboard can handle

[SIM-O]

my main worry about the 64 bit version of windows xp, is the things some people have told me about Microsoft no longer supporting it and providing updates available to it. I'm not sure if it is indeed true, but if it weren't I'd latch onto 64 bit windows xp like it's a life preserver :P

[SDA]

With 64x OS you can put (theoretically) 1000Gb (1Tb) of ram. That is what I have heard...
I believe that is true but cant afford to buy that much lol

Cheers

[SIM-O]

yeh, i know that 64 bit OS's can support lots of ram, you guys havn't made it a secrete. but i really need a solution for someone like me with many different dos, 16 bit, 32 bit programs that add to my project solutions and work flow. i know I'll have trouble trying to run them on a different OS or 64 bit OS. that's the problem i face. for instance, I'm try to make some things based off a 1999 game called System Shock 2. i want to be able to have the game there so i can play it, test it and generally run it to find info and first hand knowledge and evidence. Unfortunately it is a pain to run even on my current 32 bit windows xp. It took me months to run, and it doesn't work fully, either. surely there is something i can do to upgrade ram and keep compatibility.

[Need_Help]

Well, then you can just install both 32-bit and 64-bit and dual boot them. You can use all the RAM in 64-bit, but at the same time, you can run those softwares that aren't compatible with 64-bit.

Thanks.

[iamtravis316]

Originally Posted by SIM-O

my main worry about the 64 bit version of windows xp, is the things some people have told me about Microsoft no longer supporting it and providing updates available to it. I'm not sure if it is indeed true, but if it weren't I'd latch onto 64 bit windows xp like it's a life preserver :P

i think (im not positive) but i think that windows is stoping the updates to xp anyways because of vista and the close release of windows 7 idk though

[SDA]

Originally Posted by Need_Help

Well, then you can just install both 32-bit and 64-bit and dual boot them. You can use all the RAM in 64-bit, but at the same time, you can run those softwares that aren't compatible with 64-bit.

Thanks.

I have to disagree here wit you because 2 systems take too much space on hard disk and they might crash (one or the other no mater if it is 2 Windows or Win - Linux), and 32x programs works on 64x OS also but not other way around. I have tried that and failed. Most of software is compatible with 64x system (around 95%, I have tried)...
Trust me on this one...

Cheers

[Need_Help]

An OS will take less than 10GB (which is less than newer games such as GTA IV). For Windows XP, it's less than 3GB. So, HDD space is not really an issue if you care for compatibility.

Because I know 64 bit softwares can't run on 32 bit OS, that's why he can choose to install both 32 bit and 64 bit OS. You should be aware that he needs to run some 16 bit softwares and these might not work in 64 bit, so dual boot is the solution. In that way, he can run both applications without having to worry that one might not work as he is installing it in different partitions and both OS are running from different directories, so there is no way for them to 'clash' together.

Thanks.

[SIM-O]

Is there a way i can share drives between OS's? or even registries, so i can use an installed program on both OS?

[Need_Help]

Unfortunately, I think there is no way to do that. You may install it in a directory other than the OS's default directory, but you also need to 'install' the registry as well. Maybe you can try this way (not sure whether it works) :
1) Install it in another directory other than the OS's directory
2) Boot into the other OS and use the 'Repair' install for the directory, so the files will stay there but the registry might be 'installed' as well.

However, if you do this, I think more compatibility issue will appear. So, why don't you just use 1 as main (64 bit) and the 32 bit OS for incompatible softwares only, and boot to it when you want to use them.

Thanks.

[SIM-O]

man.. that could be a real pain in the ass. I'm constantly swapping between pro and pre 16-32 bit programs, will i have to restart my computer every time? mabye i can run my 32 bit os through a window?

[Need_Help]

If you were install 2 OS, yes, you have to restart everytime you want to open the softwares that you have installed in your 32 bit OS.

However, what you want is just to use more RAM for 3D modelling, right? Since you said that you have to constantly swapping between 16 and 32 bit programs, so why don't you just install both of them in the 32 bit OS and only install the 3D modelling program in 64 bit? Just suit yourself as you are controlling what and where to install, not the OS controlling you.

[SDA]

There is another option, but idk if you are capable of affording such luxury. If you are using 16-32bit programs that are not relevant to 3D install 32bit XP or vista on a another computer, or if you have a laptop. The 64bit system can go on your computer along with the 3D applications. :)

I have 4 cores on my computer and dual core on a laptop, and I have 64bit on a computer and 32bit on a laptop. I keep programs separated as much as I can.

Cheeps