PC Drivers & Software

[rimmeruk]

Hello,

I've just upgraded and replaced my Nvidia GT730 with a Radeon RX 580. So I spend an hour removing my old card and installing the RX 580 to only find when I insert the DVD drivers for Windows 7/10 64-Bit only. What is going on here then I though, my NVidia card supported 32-Bit drivers ? I've been running Windows 7 32-bit for 10 years and it's stable and bug free with all my collection of games and apps from the past 10 years. Have I now got to ditch my trusty Win7 OS and install Win7 64-bit along with all my software and games just to use the upgraded RX 550 ??

If so, then I think it is a joke if I'm expected to do this considering 32-bit OS is just as good as any 64-bit OS.

Where are all the drivers for 32-bit users and why make it so dificult to download them or include them on the DVD that comes with the card ?

Sorry about the ranting but I'm furious at the moment after wasting time and hard earned cash upgrading the video card.

I don't usually upgrade hardware and if I do it's usually every 2 or 3 years. Never ever had an issue with 32/64 bit software.

[black_zion]

AMD dropped 32 bit OS support in 2018, same as nVidia. Microsoft terminated all Windows 7 support earlier this year, so you must use Windows 10 x64.

[leyvin]

If so, then I think it is a joke if I'm expected to do this considering 32-bit OS is just as good as any 64-bit OS.

Not really.

At a basic level... a 32-bit Architecture is only capable of accessing a Maximum of 4.3 GigaBytes of Addressable Space.

Beyond that you have to use Virtual Address Spaces.

Let's say you're running 8GB System Memory and 8GB Graphics Memory... well that's a problem because you're OS actually is only capable of Addressing half of that Memory.

Of course via Virtualisation the Addressable Space can be increased., but this only really works when you don't have anything that crosses said 4.3GB Threshold... it's as a note why UHD Resolutions in Games are simply not possible without running into "You've run out of Video Memory" messages on a 32-bit OS.

Now the CPU, GPU, etc. can not only see but directly address all of said Memory; but because the OS can't, this means your Software can't either. Not without Virtualisation, which just means you have 4.3GB Chunks available that can be used by Different Applications; not the same Application.

It's quite common today for *most* games to use between 4 - 12GB of System Memory.

So that's a "Basic" aspect of the difference at play, but there's more than that.

There isn't really much of a need to actually use 64bit Data Types often, and most x64 Processors are designed when running in x64 Mode to use Packed Register Formatting. 

That is to say instead of 1x 64bit Register., you have  2x 32bit Registers... and if the same operation is being performed; then it'll just run said Operation, more or less getting free performance from such a simple "Optimisation"; but in x86 Mode... well it'll just treat them as single 32bit Registers. 

There are lots of little things like that which with the OS being designed FOR 64bit result in better stability, performance and optimisation. 

That 32bit Drivers have now been deprecated., shouldn't be a surprised as 32bit Windows has essentially been Deprecated since 2017.

Now do you have to upgrade to Windows 10? Well no... Windows 7 does have a 64bit Version, and Microsoft have packaged both 32 and 64bit Versions of Windows in the same Upgrade / Retail Package since Windows Vista. 

So you should have the Disc available to perform an "Upgrade" installation.

[rimmeruk]

leyvin, thanks for the in-depth reply to 32bit/64bit relationship and I understand the transition to 64bit being the favourable move for software developers and microsoft (less code management for two platforms). BUT, I don't have any requirement for more than 2GB let alone 4GB or 8GB. I don't run an enterprise server with a 10 terabyte database.

Just reading through all the Win 10 forums and gaming forums, there is certainly nothing stable about 64bit architecture and it's certainly got alot more issues with compatability when it comes to drivers. This is enough for me to not switch from Win 7 32-bit OS. Windows 10 runs in a virtual environment anyway, so what's your issue with virtualization of memory addressing over 4GB ?

I've got 2 machines and my Win 7 32bit is much stronger and more reliable than the Win 10 64bit system. Also I won't be upgrading the OS just for the sake of a mediocre gfx card or any other for that fact. I can't risk screwing up a stable OS and all the drivers for the devices attached to my Win 7 machine just to move to 64bit. I've used Windows 32-bit OS for over 20 tears joke. Windows is now full of so much bloat I can understand why 8GB of memory is needed to run it. Anyway, I'm not here for a rant, I've decided to return the card back to the shop and change it for a geforce 1050 as it's still supporting 32Bit OS. Still, I'm quite disappointed by AMD and other driver manufacturers for forcing 64bit and Windows 10 on their customers and not supporting the very many who supported them over all these years! There still many happy Windows 7 32bit users out there now not having to suffer the dreaded automatic updates anymore