To 64 bit or not?

[Shannow]

I'm currently readying myself for the annual flatten/reinstall and wondering if going 64 bit would be worthwhile, as I was planning on buying a few extra bits for my box come payday next month, though having never done such things before, I am unsure of the specifics, as in, am i liable to see a performance hit, or will it remain more or ess the same? Other than drivers, are other programs going to run as normal or will i have to hunt down new versions? Is it even worth bothering?

[doogie]

I chucked on XP x64 last time I built a box, and it's generally fine apart from a couple of wee niggly things.... drivers can be a problem, as can certain bits of software... eg I have to use a certain bit of vpn software for certain things and I have to run it on an x32 box, so I have to remote desktop to it and jump through hoops..... apart from that it's pretty much the same.

[Sgt Craig]

Aye, i reckon for the home user 64bit is still a bit of an enthusiasts hobby, you may see slight benifits with some 64bit specific apps (i'm sure stuff like photoshop has had 64bit versions for a while), although i still hear there are some little niggles running some 32bit apps, as well as the aformentioned driver probs. which would put me off for the time being, but it could be good for a guddle and i suppose its preparing early as wide spread use of 64bit hardware/software isn't too far away.