I5 Ivy Bridge & 64-bit OS

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bobby2478

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Jul 24, 2012
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I'm looking at building a HTPC and am going with either an i5 3450 or an i5 3570K Ivy Bridge processor. Do I want to get 64-bit OS to run with these processors? I thought they handle 64-bit but wanted to confirm for sure.

Is there anything else hardware wise that needs to specifically support 64-bit OS other then the CPU? I'll also be going with a Z77 motherboard.

Thanks!
 
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The idea is not to get the Windows 32 or 64 bit for the cpu but rather for the amount of ram that you want to get so if you want more than 4 gb of ram you have to go wih 64bit OS. The cpu's today all support 64bit along with 32 bit.
As for drivers there is no problem with getting 64 bit drivers for any piece of hardware. There are a lot of computer making companies that are making and shipping stock computers with Windows Home 64 bit. It seems that they are replacing Windows 32 bit with the 64 bit version for stock computers and it's actually becoming hard to find a prebuilt computer with Windows 32 bit.
 
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Thanks for all the helpful info. So from what I've read, the main thing 64 bit does for you vs 32 bit is allow for the use of more the 4GB of ram. So if you plan on going with more then 4GB of ram (which I am), then you should get 64 bit as most hardware now days will support 64 bit. Is that right?

I also thought I read that in order to even be considered Windows 7 Certified, the hardware has to support 64 bit and 32 bit, as well as they have to have drivers for both also.

So it really seems to boil down not so much on hardware/drivers (if you're staying with mainstream popular stuff), but rather how much memory you plan on installing?
 
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Thanks. Following that same logic, then if I install 8GB of RAM(which is what I'm planning), with a 32bit OS I'd only see 3.2GB, whereas with 64bit I'd see the full 8GB?
 
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Yes the fact that there is so many people and companies going with 64 bit then that does prompt companies to supply 64 bit drivers for every thing. If your a company producing hardware or software today then you are going to make sure that there are 64 bit drivers for your product. I wouldn't be surprised to see Microsoft at some point go with only 64 bit OS and stop making 32 bit OS.
If you want to go with more than 4gb of ram then you do have to use 64 bit Windows and all hardware and sofware are makeing drivers for it.
Years ago when 64 bit was first being used it was very hard to get drivers for it , even though it was more stable and a better operating system then 32 bit there wasn't support for it. Windows XP changed all that and more and more people started using 64 bit to a point where there was so much pressure to supply 64 bit drivers that companies became aware of the demand and started supplying drivers.
I think most people use 64 bit today and I can't even think of using 32 bit anymore.
 
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With 64 bit whatever the amount of ram you install that the motherboard supports will show up. If the MB supports 32gb of ram and you put in 32gb then thats the amount you will see Windows recognise.
 
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Of course the thing with ram is how much will be used by gaming and by programs.
With gaming 8gb will be plenty and you will never need more than that .
If your doing any video rendering ar encoding , then you can use more because the program will use all you have for those types of things.
 
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I won't be doing much gaming or video rendering or encoding. It will basically be my PC for regular home use, as well as my media player for all my movies. I want support for SD, HD as well as 3D, and from what I've read, both the i3 and i5 will handle that.

I'm aware that while an i3 would probably be plenty, I figured while I'm at it and building from scratch, spending a little more on an i5 won't hurt anything. I like the fact it is a true 4-core processor, and Windows 8 (which I might upgrade to at some point) makes more effective use of multiple core processors, so this may be of benefit down the road.

So my thought is while it may be a little overkill for now, at least I'm setting myself up well for the future and should have no need to upgrade in a few years for something more powerful.

Does processing of HD or 3D video make any difference between i3 and i5? Or are they both equally good? If I wanted an Ivy Bridge i3 I'd just have to wait a bit for them to be released. As I understand it, Sandy Bridge can only support 1333MHZ RAM, while Ivy Bridge can support 1600MHZ, is that right? Part of the other reason I was thinking Ivy Bridge i5 over Sandy Bridge i3.
 
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RAM speed comparison - We're looking at a less than 2% difference from the fastest to the slowest.
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That's helpful, thanks. I should also clarify that I plan on buying both CPU and motherboard from Micro Center. They already have the cheapest prices around, and if I go with an i5 Ivy Bridge I also get $50 off.

So right off the bat the cost difference between an i3 and an i5 is slashed down by $50. So I could basically get an i3 2100 for $120 on Newegg, or I can get an i5 3570K from MicroCenter for $190-$50 = $140.

So only $20 difference
 
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That was my thought as well. Initially I was looking at just the 3450, but that doesn't qualify for the $50 discount. The 3570k is only $40 more then the 3450, and with the discount ends up being $10 cheaper. Plus I get the upgraded HD4000 graphics.

They're almost paying me to upgrade for free
 
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That might be helpful sometime down the road. For now I already have a long HDMI cable that runs from my media room (where my PC is) to my living room (where my TV is), so no need for wireless. But nice to know the processor supports it.
 
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