Recently built Gaming computer, in need of OS advice

Which OS for gaming?

  • Windows XP 64 Bit

    Votes: 3 15.8%

  • Windows Vista Ultimate 64 Bit

    Votes: 16 84.2%
  • Total voters
    19
D

danzaman

Weaksauce
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
Messages
126
Hi Guys,

I just recently ordered a custom PC online and have been hearing all kinds of mixed things about what operating system I should put on. I own Windows Vista Ultimate 64Bit and Windows XP 64 Bit. I personally like Windows XP much better, but I am trying to think for the future with DirectX 10 coming out. I am interested in gaming with this computer quite a bit and looking forward to the higher end games that are coming out in the next month or two.

So the question is, when I get it - should I install Windows XP 64 or Windows Vista Ultimate 64? I've also received some advice that I should dual boot, though I'm not too fond of the idea - I'd rather have everything in one place and not have to restart to access different things.

The only thing I've heard as a reason to stay away from Ultimate is the lack of drivers for peripherals like scanners, cameras, etc.

Here are my specs below:

specs.gif
 
XP 64 had similar driver problems to Vista. I'm not sure about today though. My impression is that Vista 64 is more current on driver support since it has a lot more backing.

Feature wise, Vista Ultimate will give you a lot more than XP64. Shadow copy and Previous versions alone make it better IMHO.
 
None of the above...Go with something like Vista Home Premium or Business. Ultimate is waste of money IMO.

I use Vista 64 Business and it works without any issues.
 
if you can find an oem vista ultimate x64 then it's well worth it...
 
With hardware like that Vista 64 for sure. You'll have no support/driver issues, and you'll have an OS that can completely take advantage of your specs.
 
I would have to recommend a Linux install. If you're not comfortable with a full Linux system, you can always dual-boot. Just leave a little free space for Linux partitions and it'll be pretty easy to set up.

You can check out Linux vs. Vista to get an idea of how they compare graphically.

Some good distributions to try:
Ubuntu
Fedora
SUSE
Gentoo
(all 100% free)

Here's a start on some gaming:
NeverWinterNights and expansions
Game List with titles like Quake I through Quake IV, Unreal Tournament (many versions), Serious Sam I and II, Doom 3, not an exhaustive list.
Cedega can emulate a number of games well, and a much larger number of games sufficiently. Titles like: Half-Life, Hitman, Oblivion, World of Warcraft, Half-Life II, Morrowind, CS Source, Counter Strike, etc.

Here's some development environments if you're into coding:
Kdevlop is nice, Eclipse is popular as well. You also have debuggers like DDD, profiling tools, etc.

If you're into modeling, I hear Blender is really nice for 3D (I've used it a little), and the Gimp can usually get the job done with images.

Linux may not be for you, but it has a lot to offer, and all of it is free and open source. Full 64-bit support, excellent stability, and quality performance really make it hard to beat.. If you're partitioning and installing an OS anyways, you may want to save a little space to give it a try.

If you need some help, there are a good few forums for community support:
LinuxQuestions is good, but their forums (specifically this one) can be good help. The forums for Gentoo are also said to be very nice as well.
 
techie81 said:
None of the above...Go with something like Vista Home Premium or Business. Ultimate is waste of money IMO.

I use Vista 64 Business and it works without any issues.
Click to expand...

Ditto.
Ultimate fits probably 0.5% of the population's needs... Just a total waste of moola.
 
This may seem like a dig at Linux, but that's not the case. I do find it funny that given two choices, neither of which is Linux, it's still suggested, but I digress....

If you want to play around with Linux, setting up a dual boot would be fine, or trying Linux inside of a VM would work as well. However, given the stated purpose of the system is gaming, there's no logic to installing Linux as the primary and only OS. I know the fanboys like to come out in full force, but it's simply a matter of facts. With a Linux only system, there will be plenty of new games that aren't available for the Linux side. If you want to be able to choose from ALL of the latest PC games, Windows is the only real option.

As for the versions of Vista, definitely consider other options besides Ultimate. I know quite a few people who shelled out for Ultimate, only to be disappointed, since the Ultimate Extras never really materialized to anything worthwhile. I'm using it through a TechNet subscription, and have been since January. However, if I was buying one version myself, I wouldn't have gotten Ultimate.
 
the only reason I put Vista Ultimate as a choice was it was the same price as the basic/premium ones for some reason. Also, it was the only 64 bit choice.

How does my configuration look as well? I did the best research I could in the time I had to buy it.

Also, anyone know when DirectX 10 actually comes out??
 
DeaconFrost said:
DirectX 10 is built in to Vista already.
Click to expand...

oh really? I feel like an idiot now...haha. I thought I heard it was coming out in november or something. So if I install Ultimate, it will be included you're saying? I think the DirectX 10 reason alone is what's swaying me towards Vista
 
go with vista premium, if you're a student get it at academic superstore you get a good discount.
 
just out of curiosity, are you guys saying get premium for the price or for performance? Just because whether I get Basic / Premium / Ultimate, they are all the same price
 
It was purely price-driven. If they are truly the same cost, there's no harm in getting Ultimate. You aren't going to see a performance difference one way or another comparing versions.
 
yeah, it's the same price for some reason - kinda confused me, but w/e

When setting up a dual boot, would one find it annoying having to restart every time you want to run a specific application? I think it's a great idea, but restarting every time i wanted to play a game would get annoying I think.
 
Ultimate is only features. Most of which the huge majority of folks don't need in one complete OS.

You get the same system in all versions, however. It all runs DX10.
Basic won't come with the flashy effects, but it does still run DX10.

Ultimate, over Home Premium, gives you a few more business-geared options... which chances are you won't use.
 
danzaman said:
yeah, it's the same price for some reason - kinda confused me, but w/e

When setting up a dual boot, would one find it annoying having to restart every time you want to run a specific application? I think it's a great idea, but restarting every time i wanted to play a game would get annoying I think.
Click to expand...

Yeah, rebooting is a pain if you switch back and forth a lot. If you can live in both Windows and Linux comfortably for the most part (web, music, etc) you can keep the switching down to a minimum. But yeah, it's not for everyone.
 
so it sounds like the worst case scenario is that some peripherals may not functional properly. But, as far as performance and thinking about DirectX 10 - sound like Vista is the way to go?
 
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