Xeons are a server marketed Pentium/C2D (respective generations) processor, not an Itanium.  They are EMT64, not IA64.  As such, your point with regards to my point that Itaniums are/were server marketed is irrelevant; your processor(s) are not Itaniums.

Your second post is somewhat more helpful than your first, and somewhat easier for a non-techie to understand.  However, it's worth noting that if you are on a 32-bit OS, you are still limited to 4GB, minus your video card, and whatever your primary application (presumably you have some purpose in mind by setting the flag for 3GB) is going to be consuming the vast majority of that 3GB, if not all of it (read: late game immense GCII games, etc), which doesn't leave much for anything else.  Taking into account the above subtraction for video card VRAM, it becomes obvious that 4GB is simply insufficient.

@CobraA1

Thank you for that information regarding Vista-not because I need it personally, but because I didn't want to go digging for it.

Kryo's point is valid as well, Solam.

Additionally, because it bears repeating:

Indeed.

There are almost as many flavors of Linux as there are of Vista.

(That was a joke, people.)

With the PAE, you have your full 4 GB... material like video card use the upper part of the 48 bits memory range... the physical limit of 4 Gb was only keep by windows XP... using Windows server 2000 allow already the use of more memory with PAE... And remember, the PAE is working from the Pentium pro... so people without processor EM64T can use more memory if they chooose the right OS... Windows XP and Vista are low end operating system, who don't use all the capabilities of your system... Server version, same used on a usual desktop computer, allow your to use more "power"... for the last Microsoft OS, windows server 2008... normal 32 bit version support 4gb... but the enterprise or datacenter edition ( 32 bit ) support 64 Gb !!!

Now, can someone explain me why server 2008 enterprise 32 bit support 64 gb ram and vista 32 bit support only 4 gb since both use the NT 6.0 SP1 kernel... very simple... all is about money... because vista is cheaper that server 2008, the NT 6.0 kernel have some function dissable... and it is not because a microsoft OS is called server that it run only on server...

Of course, for usual user, Linux is not a option... PAE kernel is not installed by default... only beta driver of Nvidia work good in PAE mode, mean that you need source of kernel for compile a module... wine register need to be edited manually...

Solution exist for windows with 32 bit processor...

- Pentium pro or newer but not EM64T , with 4 GB : XP 32 bit with PAE and 3G allow your to use your full 4 gb for system/application and 3 gb for application in place of 2 GB

- Pentium pro or newer but not EMT64T, with more of 4 GB : windows server 2000 advanced allow to use 8 gb, extended allow to use 32 gb, server 2003 enterprise allow to use 32 gb, with SP1... 64 gb, server 2008 enterprise allow to use 64 gb...

Now, is there somebody here with more that 64 gb Ram ( Devs of sins are excluded because it is possible that they have top of the top computer ) ? Windows 32 bit OS can use more that 4 gb when you choose the right version... people with a old P3 can go over the 4 gb limit if they have the right windows OS but they will never be able to use a EM64T software...

To be honest, the 64 bits memory address range is not yet ready for easy use... for devs, we have a new set of intruction for it... but instruction are not always the same for EM64T and AMD64... common instruction don't allow to win a lot of speed... only good solution is to make two source code... one for EM64T and one for AMD64... double work for same income... game are sell around 50$, this don't allow a lot of money for devellopment ( sins and stardock are maybe the only one exception, so much work for free upgrade version... work where they ear no money... but they earn my respect... )...

Sins can run from the very old computer to the top one... of course, for the old computer, you need to lower the quality, you cannot use huge map with several star... but sins have reach a huge number of user in very short time... making the new stardock game 64 bits can be good for us, people who have a confortable life and some money... money for buy modern system of pay server version of Microsoft OS... but what about the million of poor people who have buy sins because it run ( same in limited way ) on their old limited hardware... in my linux world, sins is the top one game in his genre... it can run on a old P3 from a guy who is from poor African country, using the free to ship ubuntu OS because the guy have no internet connection or/and no money...

And it is not very different in my country... the modern Belgium... for hobby, i set up old computer for people who know nothing about it... my material come from recycle place... old P4 at 1.2 Mgh, AMD at 1.8 from the generation of 8 year ago... and for these people, i am able to put a demo of sins... of course, after some time, they are limited in the game because of the resource hardware... but the few who like sins are ready to buy a more modern computer for enjoy the sins at his full power ( and it allow me to earn more money since i build and configure the new system )...

Like say before, stardock game are great, sins is great since it work on any hardware... memory can be a problem but it is not the main problem... multicore use is a main problem... processor have a lower work frequency but have a lot of core... sins is not able to use them in a perfect way ( same the 2.6 linux kernel don't rsolve all problem, around 30% of power are lose in waiting time )... of course, a multicore engine will be more difficult that a x-64 software... a multicore engine need to review all the code, a x-64 version need only a new compilation of the source code ( and some other minor change )...

Arrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh.....

From a devs point of view, this sentence make me crazy... EM64T and AMD64 are 32 bits with 64 bits memory access.... AI-64 ( Itanium ) is native 64 bit ( add ultrasparc and some other processor to the list )... the first 64 bits processor was created before i was born ( and i am more of 40 year old !!! ) but usual people are not ready for it... EMt64T and AMD64 are hydrid system... a 32 bit system where a little section work with 64 bits... like PAE is a 32 bits system with 48 part... a EM64T or AMD64 CANNOT excecute 64 bits code but can use 64 bit memory range...

At least, for Sole Soul... about my own Xeon processor... yes, they are not real 64 bit processor... they are 32 bits with Em64T expension.... like any modern P4... but there is some other difference... memory access is serial, quad interleace... with ECC 8 bits ( in my case )... memory raid possibility... etc.... P4 are low end Xeon where several function are dissabled... ok, i will not go further... but the Xeon is a full processor and the P4 is a processor where the "balls" was cut... they are similar but one have full power  and the last is a eunuch... the difference is similar to windows server 2008 and vista !!!!

At least, for Kryo... MS will never change something... sorry, correct me, MS have already change something... but like anything, you need to pay the price... from 2000, MS support 32 gb ram but only for professional operating system, where you pay a lot of money... usual people will always have eunuch system... where NORMAL function are cut... until you pay the big money...and it is not only about OS... BIOS are very important too... in my own bios, i have a function who allow almost 50% more fast result for 3D graphic... but with windows XP pro x-64 and Vista, the result is a blue screen... Unix and Linux are good with it but the manual configuration is a hell.... Yep; like you say, OS are the problem.... on one side, the easy windows but very limited... on the other side Unix/Linux who are the top but a pain in the A$$...

But for one thing, you are wrong.... MS and OEM cannot change it... Game is the mainstream... YOU can change it... In the case of sins, the 4x game, you are at the top in any operating system... you have more influence that you think... i am a open source guy... but for me, you are heroes... you are the perfect example that closed source is compatible with freedom... yep, real linux geek understand that FREE is not about "gratis" thing but about "freedom"... i have   top end hardware but i am happy for my "brother" who are able to run your software on low end system... i am happy that i can use sins without need to insert the original CD each 5 minutes ( if it was the case, a crack will exist from long time ago )... your first bad move was the impulse engine ( who don't work with linux )... i need to wait the european realease of the next few upgrade... sure that i will download "pirate" version since i don't like to wait but later, i will buy the boxed version ( these are with garanty )...

Kill me if you wish but my first version of sins was a pirate version... but once the european version was in store ( FNAC ), i have buy it.... because the game is great and because you are open minded... a little like NWN ( Never Winter Night )... i have buy the original and expension pack... but NWN2 was a no go... they fuçk us, it was not more compatible... for now, peoples of Starock, you are the best one for us... i know, Linux people are only 16% of the user now... but we are growing... and rach month, i convert some windows people... your Sins is a reference for us... You cannot imagine how much people like you game... and how much it is easy for us to run it on a linux 32 bits on old system ( font and sound problem resolved, a few tuning of wine register )...

It is not possible for the actual version, too much work for very little income... yep, the devs need to eat too... but if one day, sins 2.0 come out, please, try the open open GL way... it wil make it more easy for us... Return to Castle Wolfenstien have make it, quake have make it, unreal have make it.... you can make it because you are the best... not now... but tomorrow...

PS : Don't worry about my rant... i am happy with you now.... i simply fear the future... but for now, you concurrent on Linux is Vega Strike... and you are several light year before them... For me, only one is better that you ( but it is my own opinion )... Dannan from the 7DS project... it is a shame that he work for free ( gratis )... this guy is a genius ( with the help of his team )...

Nope, the IBM 7030 Strech, made in 1960... 64 bit data word, 64 bit memory, 64 bit main core storage register, 64 bit index core storage register... instruction set 32 bit or 64 bit... lauch price, 13.5 million $$$

IA32 and IA32e ( EM64T and AMD64 ) have 128 bit instruction and register at well... SSE have 8 128 bit register in the case of IA-32 and 16 128 bit register in the case of IA-32e... on both integer SIMD operation are performed by the 64 bits MMX... so, any processor with MMX can process 64 bit data, any processor with SSE can process 128 bit data... it is not specific to the IA32-e ( EM64T and AMD64 ) architecture...

AMD 64 use hypertransport for access the memory... the funny thing is that hypertransport is only 32 bit wide... perfect for 32 bit... but it become more bad in 64 bit mode... in place of send one 32 bit word, two 32 bit word are send and one 32 bit control packet... 3 cyclus for two time more data... no really a win situation...

In my case, Xeon processor and FB DD2 ram, i have 1 bit lane... in reality, 4 time one 1 bit between the memory controler and the memory dimm... yet, they are serial interface... it is slower ? No really... usual DDR2 will need to be clocked at 4000Mhz for reach my ram speed...

We have a lot of serial bus in our computer... USB, SATA, PCI express, memory in case of FB memory, etc.... and nothing stop you for send 1024 bit on a serial bus... in some future, all the bus will be serial.... intern, processor will be xx bits... why xx ... because a processor is not only a core, it have other section at well like memory controller ( next generation of intel will have controller on the processor ), FPU, MMX, SSE ( 3Dnow ), cache... each part have his own bit range... but the core is always 32 bit... the core is the engine of your processor, memory controler, cache, FPU, MMX, SSE are option... one day, IA-64 will be used by everybody... and at this time,  we can speak of a processor where the core is 64 bit...

It seem that people think that they have a 64 bit processor because the memory address range is 64 bit... Hmmm, in so case, i choose to say that i have a 128 bit processor since my SSE3 is 128 bit !!! At the begin, intel was right... usual processor was called IA-32... the with 64 bit memory address, IA-32e... real 64 bit processor IA-64... but AMD have choose AMD64... and people have think that they have a 64 processor... after, intel have change IA32-e in EM64T... marketing question but not the reality...

And what  to say about people who have a old pentium processor, let say a pentium pro... with 36 bit address range ( allow 64 gb ram )... are they 36 bit processor ?

Let say that a guy have a P4 32 bit ( without EMT64 ) and that he have 32 GB ram... like say before, PAE is a option... but the more important is that devs of software have a other way who don't request user to modify some boot.ini ... Microsoft OS have the "Address windowing extensions" ( AWE ) ... in place of put data in the 2gb allocated to application, memory upper the 4 gb can be used for this... by example, in the case of sins, all the texture can be cached in the memory upper the 4 gb... of course, AWE code work only with windows... PAE with a lot of operating system...Sins exe is only a few megabyte... the rest is mainly data who can use the AWE from microsoft...

A other way is the overlay method...  this allow to run a program who is bigger that the main memory... The methode assume dividing a program into self contained object code block called overlay... Overlay programming require that the dev is aware of the size of each part of the program... assembler allow this... C++ don't allow enough control on the code size... and since few dev know assembler, almost everybody use the C programming language... overlay method is only used on very little with almost no memory like embedded system...

Since it is my last post on these topic, some interesting link for these who have a 32 bit processor without EM64T/AMD64 and who have 4gb ram or more :

- 4 gb tuning

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb613473(VS.85).aspx

- PAE ( 4 gb or more )

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366796(VS.85).aspx

- AWE ( for devs )

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366527(VS.85).aspx

-

I think it's important to point out here that, even with /PAE /3G /AWE extensions to the boot.ini, a game won't magically have 3GB to work with (possible exception for memory leaks).

In other words, the application/game itself has to be written/modified to take advantage of the increased virtual memory space.

I just don't want people running around adding these switches and end up doing more harm than good.  So caveat emptor, check with your application developer to be sure whether your applications will make use of those switches. (supreme commander is the only one I know off the top of my head where they provided patch to support the 3g switch)

PLEASE correct me if I am wrong, but GalCiv does not (currently) support the 3g switch.

Would a 64-bit binary for GC2 2.0 be too much to ask for? 

GalCiv 2 can really, really push that 2 GB memory barrier, and I still haven't tried TA (with it's new, bigger galaxy size).

Speaking as a recent (less than a month ago) convert (to 64-bit, not to either GalCiv2 or to Stardock's products), there's less (far less) reason to fear 64-bit as a gamer than there was even a year ago.  Why?

1.  Hardware and driver devs (especially ATI/nVidia/Creative) have actually gotten a clue and realized just how deep 64-bit hardware reach actually goes.  (Unless you're pushing netbooks, there are very few non-64-bit processors sold in terms of general-computing use, and that is utterly regardless of what operating system you run, and that is irregardless of whether you're talking uber-high-end or even budget beater-boxes)

2.  Surprisingly, Vista has driven 64-bit mainstream *because* of that much-maligned (but utterly necessary) code-signing requirement for Premium-level drivers for 64-bit drivers, especially from those aforementioned major IHVs.  Demand for 64-bit driver support has only increased due to absolutely ridiculous pricing for system and graphics memory.  (Four gigabytes of DDR2 is usually between $60 and $70 for 800 MHz pairs, even at retail.)  Put the two together and the result is systems with 4 GB or more of system memory are becoming the standard, not the high end.

3.  This benefits Stardock because their products (and especially their games) are very RAM-thrifty.  (Unlike most other game developers, no Stardock game requires more than 2 GB of system memory, even at max-difficulty mode and with all the eye-candy turned on.  While some games (especially Sins of a Solar Empire) are thristier on system memory and resources than others, even the relative resource pigs among Stardock's titles are far thriftier than their counterparts from other developers, even under truly worst-case scenarios.)

GC II is a relative (compared to Sins of a Solar Empire) resource pig; however, even GC II is quite playable on a minimally-configured 64-bit system.  Naturally, as you upgrade such a system, it benefits far more than other games because of that same thriftyness.  Further, you can play the 32-bit version on a 64-bit OS with no changes (I do just that with GC II, as the 64-bit version is not currently available retail).  However, when the 64-bit Ultimate Edition is available, and after sufficient hardware upgrades are purchased, things will get snappier, and therefore better, for little additional outlays (none of which could even remotely be called *expensive*).