Member Avatar for ecklcakes

I am soon going to build a computer.

My components:
Intel Core i7 2600K 3.40GHz (overclocking @ 4.60GHz) Sandybridge CPU
Asus P8P67 DELUXE Intel P67 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard
RAM: Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel
Corsair A50 CPU Cooler
OcUK GeForce GTX 570 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
Western Digital WD20EARS 2TB Hard Drive SATAII 64MB Cache - OEM Caviar Green
Coolermaster Silent Pro Gold 700W Modular PSU
LG BH10LS30 10x BD-RE with DVD±RW & LightScribe SATA Blu-Ray Drive
NZXT Lexa S Case

My question is what version of Windows 7 should I get with these components.

64 bit or 32 bit? (bear in mind more RAM can be added if desperately needed)

And Professional or Ultimate? (generally if both versions run just as well)


Thanks!

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— the Sandy Bridge i7/P67/GTX‑570 combo is best paired with a 64‑bit Windows 7 build; was pointing in the right direction about addressable RAM. 64‑bit Windows lets the OS and 64‑bit apps access far more memory than a 32‑bit install, which is effectively limited to around 4 GB of usable RAM. (support.microsoft.com)

Choice between Professional and Ultimate depends on specific needs. 64‑bit Professional supplies all the common desktop and small‑business features (domain join, Remote Desktop host, XP Mode, etc.), while Ultimate adds full-volume BitLocker and retail multilingual UI support—useful only if full-disk encryption or many display languages are required. For a high‑end gaming/workstation build that doesn’t need BitLocker or MUI packs, Professional is usually the most cost‑effective pick. (learn.microsoft.com)

Practical notes that matter at install time: switching from a 32‑bit to a 64‑bit Windows requires a clean install (reformat and reinstall). All drivers must match the chosen architecture (64‑bit drivers for chipset, storage, network and GPU). Grab the latest 64‑bit Intel chipset/SATA and NVIDIA drivers before booting the installer, set SATA to AHCI if intended, and update the motherboard BIOS if available to avoid installer/driver headaches. (support.microsoft.com)

Important historical context for anyone reading this years later: Windows 7 reached end of support (no free security updates) on January 14, 2020. For internet‑connected systems in 2026, modern supported OS choices (Windows 10/11 or a maintained Linux distribution) are strongly recommended for security; if Windows 7 must be used, isolate the machine and apply compensating controls. (learn.microsoft.com)

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Member Avatar for caperjack

all version will run that setup .but ,if you want to run more than 3.5meg ram you need to run a 64 bit .version pro or ultimate would be my choice ,i have ultimate but i go it free from Microsoft for hosting a win7 release party back in sept 09,wish i had something like your upcoming setup to run it on .
check this like on differences in win7 version and then decide .
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare/default.aspx

Member Avatar for ecklcakes

all version will run that setup .but ,if you want to run more than 3.5meg ram you need to run a 64 bit .version pro or ultimate would be my choice ,i have ultimate but i go it free from Microsoft for hosting a win7 release party back in sept 09,wish i had something like your upcoming setup to run it on .
check this like on differences in win7 version and then decide .
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare/default.aspx

Thanks a lot!

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