I'm trying to get a greater idea of what processor would/should work with x64 in terms of hardware compatibility.

I recently purchased a Dell 9100 dual core 2.8. I installed Windows 2003 x64 on it and (so far) it has worked like a charm. Is that a 64 bit compatible chip that's taking advantage of the new OS or is it just behaving in the same fashion as the standard 32 bit OS would and I'm seeing what I want to see, etc.

Also, in my other workstation, I have a P4 Intel Extreme 3.2. Would this processor be a suitable candidate for x64?

Any clarification is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Yes, it's a 64bit chip (you were able to install an x64 version of Windows, which should be a dead giveaway ), and it is working in 64bit mode. Other than the advanced memory access capabilities and the larger register areas, there's not a whole lot of difference an end-user will notice between a 64bit chip and a 32bit chip (well, at least not yet).


If it's a 64bit chip (I do believe it is), then yes, Windows XP Professional x64 would be a fine candidate for running on that system. Just be aware that there are some 32bit applications that will not run properly on a 64bit system, most notably 32bit antivirus programs.

Thanks for the info.
I wasn't sure how non-compatible hardware would react. Would it bomb or install but not behave any differently, etc.

I

An x64 version of Windows would not install on a 32bit processor. Windows setup would begin, and then fail right away.