Install Windows XP now or wait for Vista Upgrade.

[Spartancal]

Just completed building my new computer. The specs are as follows:

Cooler Master 832 Case
Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo
Intel D975XBX2 Motherboard (Bad Axe2)
4 X 1GB of Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC2-8000 DDR2 memory
1 X 150 GB WD Raptor X SATA Hard drive
2 X 320 GB Seagate 7200.10 16 MB cache SATA Hard drive
EVGA Geforce 8800 GTS 320 MB superclocked video card
Corsair HX620 620 Watt Power supply
Lite-On LH-20A1S 20X SATA DVD Writer
Samsung SH-S183L 18X SATA DVD Writer
5 Silenx Ixtrema 120mm fans + Cooler Master cross flow fan

Should I install Windows XP Pro today or wait for Microsoft to send me the Vista Updgrade (just got the email - it will be another 4-6 weeks).

Can I do a fresh install of Vista with the Upgrade disc? Wouldn't that be cleaner than installing XP and then upgrading to Vista?

I dying to see what my new system can do, but my current system is working fine and can hold me over until the Vista disc gets here.

One more question - On my current computer, I have the original Windows XP Pro disc. However, it does not have SP2. If I ever have to reinstall Windows XP on my current computer will I have to install XP from my disc and then download and install SP2? Is there an easier way without paying for another license for Windows XP. Is there an Windows XP Pro to Windows XP Pro SP2 upgrade disc?

 

[hywdx80]

Take 2 two of your rams sticks out and sell them.
Install XP.
Create a nlite winxp sp2 disk for future formating.
Enjoy playing your games with fast fps.
Get your windows vista cd in the mail and then throw it in the recycling bin.

 

[B. W.]

I have to agree with rfisher983; why did you go with 4GB of ram? At most, Vista and XP would only see ~3GB, unless you're using the 64-bit versions.

The upgrade version of Vista can do a clean install, but it will create a Windows.bak folder on the C: drive with files from your old installation. Even then, you have to insert the disc and start the installation within XP in order for it to activate.

Edit: I just took a second look at your video card. AFAIK, nVidia's drivers still can't use SLI, so your card will run at roughly half its speed. SLI may be enabled by the time you get Vista, but nVidia has stated that they plan on waiting until their newer cards are released.

 

[Catweazle]

Goodness it's frustrating to see so much questionable advice handed out!

Take 2 two of your rams sticks out and sell them.

No, don't do that. A 32-bit install will not make the entire 4Gb available for Windows/application operation, but it's still more than 2Gb if your memory requirements are high, and it's quite likely that you'll move to a 64-bit installation during the useful lifespan of that system. You could happily do so right now, as a matter of fact, because Vista x64 driver support is very good, and most 32-bit applications will run without any performance degradation.

Install XP.

That I'd agree with. Enjoy your system right now. No reason to wait, as the Vista Upgrade can be conducted clean, either to replace XP or as a dual-boot.

Create a nlite winxp sp2 disk for future formating.

Definitely make yourself an XP SP2 integrated install disk, either with nLite or by following a different slipstream technique.

Enjoy playing your games with fast fps.

You'll enjoy that under Vosta also. Although initial release drivers were rather poor, and current/Beta drivers are still not at 'mature' stage, they are constantly improving with each release. Many people are already reporting that they get negligible performance impact from using Vista.

Get your windows vista cd in the mail and then throw it in the recycling bin.

That'd be a rather nonsensical thing to do, given that Vista is likely to be the desktop OS of choice for the majority of people by end of year or sooner.

The upgrade version of Vista can do a clean install, but it will create a Windows.bak folder on the C: drive with files from your old installation. Even then, you have to insert the disc and start the installation within XP in order for it to activate.

The Upgrade version offers you two choices. An 'Upgrade' install is an over the top in-place upgrade, which leaves programs and data in place. A 'Custom' install lets you nominate a drive or partition, and if there is a Windows installation there all traces of it will be rolled into a WINDOWS.OLD folder. The install of Vista will be a 'clean' one. You can recover anything you've overlooked from the WINDOWS.OLD folder, and then delete the thing when you've finished with it.

Of you want to bypass the XP install and you only have a Vista Upgrade you can use this workaround or even better this one.

I just took a second look at your video card. AFAIK, nVidia's drivers still can't use SLI, so your card will run at roughly half its speed. SLI may be enabled by the time you get Vista, but nVidia has stated that they plan on waiting until their newer cards are released.

SLI DOES work, and the rig outlined only has a single card anyway.

 

[Scream And Fly]

Simple answer: If gaming is important to you, run XP.

 

[bbz_Ghost]

5 little words...

"You know you want to..."

So get crackin'. There's a benefit to getting that machine up and running right freakin' now as well: if you wait 4-6 weeks for Vista to arrive, then put it all together and find out some hardware is defective (heaven forbid), you're probably well past most retailer's 30 day cutoff point for returns and you'd end wasting even more time doing RMA stuff for defective hardware. So here's 5 more little words that can relate to what I just said:

"Waiting is such sweet sorrow..."

 

[B. W.]

SLI DOES work, and the rig outlined only has a single card anyway.

I wasn't aware that SLI was working under Vista, but thought that the 8800 series (or the 8800 GTX, anyway) was essentially two cards sandwiched together. I was mistaken.