From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Jan 22 23:24:19 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8D9051065672 for ; Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:24:19 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from nlandys@gmail.com) Received: from mail-qy0-f174.google.com (mail-qy0-f174.google.com [209.85.221.174]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4CB308FC14 for ; Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:24:19 +0000 (UTC) Received: by qyk4 with SMTP id 4so931402qyk.7 for ; Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:24:18 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:date:message-id:subject :from:to:content-type; bh=8Fw38KwybqAeF3KwPOlJjqF/jLbLmp5AX2x2O8luoyY=; b=KcnGTQlQCmzNOv+v5ujU9oTMaU8wLJYzh/77NvsIG6Ri3TIkg40FkTAu6vlXcKQhr4 TlCLoDYTonJcyLJ+9ZOY4uE/lvzORL84hQzLBxdJ2OoRfqGSLtiOy5vZkXyktTF+cnfb ThTnfaVou65H9/Dmb535iu2whUghbJtGSUMEA= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:date:message-id:subject:from:to:content-type; b=JfvMg3XX8+Qpd0o7XHGz/p2sJfZ6S5tGPnmpy3Y0Pk2x8B5zHBslVWpSBb5yBYCsS7 9vlkEU40Z//u6wMHF8bQx/Mmhj494JMHY6giPs2s2odwsQUNb8Mo1MMsp93CdetUbzT0 mUfzi/8jVZsEHZzm0unpp3NfunhzThcfZ/NA0= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.229.131.39 with SMTP id v39mr2239731qcs.66.1264202658724; Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:24:18 -0800 (PST) Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:24:18 -0800 Message-ID: <560f92641001221524n1290e70fi51d766e8e0f488bf@mail.gmail.com> From: Nerius Landys To: FreeBSD Mailing List Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Subject: FreeBSD 8.0 amd64 on Nehelem Xeon? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:24:19 -0000 I'm in the process of purchasing a small Nehelem-based server (Xeon L5506 CPU to be exact). I will be installing some flavor of FreeBSD 8.0 (either i386 32 bit or amd64 64 bit, to be exact). I have no immediate need for a 64 bit server, as none of the processes that I will be running in the forseeable future will require more than 3 gigs of memory. My primary use for the server (which will be in a data center) will be to run video games servers; the exact game I'll be running is based on the ioquake3 open source engine, which compiles and runs fine on FreeBSD, at least 32 bit (have not tried 64 bit FreeBSD yet, but will get around to that). My two concerns when making a decision between 32 bit and 64 bit are: 1. Performance. Will there be any difference in performance between a 64 bit OS and 32 bit on my Nehelem? 2. Availability of software. Will some software run only on 32 bit? Only on 64 bit? Please help me in making this decision.