New System Configuration for use with Vegas Pro 8

[SCDVD]

I just picked up an Intel Quadcore Q9450 CPU. I intend to configure a new system primarily for editing and encoding. What relative advantage is there to using Vista 64 versus 32? (I have heard that Sony is going to release a 64-bit optimized version of Pro 8.) I don't need compatibility with everything under the kitchen sink since this will be a dedicated application system. Is there any appreciable performance difference between 4GB and 8GB of memory when using Vegas Pro 8?

[Soopafresh]

64 Bit is really about taking advantage of more than 4GB of RAM. No reason to increase your RAM above 4 if you're sticking with 32 Bit.

[SCDVD]

Yes, I understand that. If fact 32-bit can access only a little over 3GB. I'm trying to get an idea of the performance difference in Vegas if I use 64-bit and correspondingly more memory.

[edDV]

Yes, I understand that. If fact 32-bit can access only a little over 3GB. I'm trying to get an idea of the performance difference in Vegas if I use 64-bit and correspondingly more memory.

Nobody has 64bit Vegas so how would we know?

Are you sure you will dedicate a computer to this one program? When I'm editing with Vegas, I often use dozens of utilities and other programs. For me it's all about workflow and the programs needed. Seldom does my 32 bit Vegas Pro 8 use more than 1.5GB RAM but there may be a mode that uses more.

[SCDVD]

I'm trying to plan ahead a bit as far as my new system goes. When Sony releases their 64-bit version of Vegas, I don't want to regret a year or two from now that I didn't buy a bit beyond the need of the moment. I expect to be doing more HD work and I want a system that can handle encoding faster than I can get now with my 3.2 Ghz Prescott.

[edDV]

I'm trying to plan ahead a bit as far as my new system goes. When Sony releases their 64-bit version of Vegas, I don't want to regret a year or two from now that I didn't buy a bit beyond the need of the moment. I expect to be doing more HD work and I want a system that can handle encoding faster than I can get now with my 3.2 Ghz Prescott.

If any comfort, Adobe and Avid are still on 32bit and see no reason to change. Go talk to the experts at the Mainconcept forum about 64 vs. 32 bit advantage. That is the MPeg2 encoder used in Vegas. You can download evaluation encoders there.

[JohnnyMalaria]

I recently switched from Vista 32 to Vista 64 even though I do not have 64-bit apps. My primary reason was to be able to develop 32- and 64-bit versions of the same software. I liked Vista 32 over XP and I really like Vista 64. It is more responsive. At the moment, I have 2GB RAM.

With more than 4GB, even without 64-bit apps, the 64-bit OS will provide some benefit, namely:

You can run multiple 32-bit apps with each getting the full amount of memory possible for a 32-bit process - i.e., far less thrashing between the paging file and RAM. If you multi-task, this is a great advantage.

When 32-bit apps make calls to the OS for hardware-related requests (disk I/O, graphics, audio etc), the request is executed as 64-bit (i.e., both 32-bit and 64-bit apps end up using 64-bit drivers). For hardware-intensive apps, this can offer a performance boost.

As far as Vegas goes, I would expect a decent boost over 32-bit. I doubt Sony would invest the time and resources to create the 64-bit version (which I am eagerly awaiting). Given it will have been at least a year since the release of the 32-bit version, I suspect quite a bit of 64-bit optimization will have taken place.

IMHO, the only reason not to switch to 64-bit Vista is if you have any hardware that doesn't have 64-bit drivers.

John.