I am looking at upgrading my main computer to Intel Core 2 Quad core Q8300 early next year. The Q8300 is listed as x64 architecture. My current CPU is an old 32 bit Pentium 4. Windows 7 is now pre-ordering but I only find 32 bit versions from places like Costco. Will a 32 bit operating systems run on the 64bit x64 architecture? I know the Q8300 will handle virtualization for Win 7 Pro?s XP support. Anything else I really need to be aware of? Yes I am aware 64bit operating system is much faster than 32 bit but a lot of home software packages will not support 64bit either. With Win 7 coming out I suspect this question would be of interest to many people who will be upgrading their computers when Win 7 come out.
