What Operating System Should I Buy

[Guest]

Hey all!

I'm building a high budget computer with an ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition motherboard, Intel i7-4960X CPU, Dominator® Platinum with Corsair Link Connector — 1.65V 16GB (4 x 4GB) memory, 2x EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti video cards, 1x SAMSUNG 840 EVO 1TB SSD, and an LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer. I was wondering what Windows OS I should buy. Please tell me pros and cons of Windows 7, Windows 7 Pro, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows 8 Ultimate, Windows 8.1, Windows 8.1 Pro, and Windows 8.1 Ultimate and why they would be good for me. Please also tell me if I should get it 32 bit or 64 bit. I've heard bad things about Windows 8, but I'm wondering if 8.1 is better or not.



Thanks in advance,

leonardude

 

[USAFRet]

A lot depends on what you use it for. But mainly, it's personal preference as to Win 7 or Win 8.
And the 'bad things' you've heard about 8 are almost entirely due to the radical user interface change. There is little if any performance difference.

Windows 7: There are only two you need to think about. Win 7 Home Premium, or Win 7 Pro. You do not need Ultimate, unless you're in a corporate environment.

Tried and true. Very stable.

Windows 8: There is no Windows 8 Ultimate. Windows 8, and Window 8 Pro.
New kid on the block, with the Metro tiled interface. Some people like it, some people hate the interface. I've been using it since before it was released, and like it. With a dual screen setup, one side opens in the tiled interface, the other monitor opens in Desktop mode. One click on the desktop side, and the tiles go away until you need them.

The Pro gives a few extra features like Remote desktop connection and ability to join a domain.

There are a few tweaks with 8 over 7 that I like. Much improved Task Manager, etc.

Windows 8.1: Again, there is no 'Ultimate' version.
This is the update for Win 8. But if you get Win 8, you can update to 8.1 for free from the Store. A significant change is that you can cause it to boot to the Desktop interface by default.

Again, the main difference between 7 & 8 is the user interface. Metro or not. Find a friend with 8 installed, or go to a store and play with it for a while. Some people like it, some people simply don't like the change.
Functionally, Windows 8 runs fine.

And in all cases, get the 64bit version.