While I have a few servers and a always running test machine...this weekend I'm taking the plunge and loading my main machine at the office with RH4. Hardware is pretty much current and on the higher end. Do I go with a 64bit or 32bit install?

Since I'm a hardware junkie I'd like to get whatever I can out of the machine but I'm also posting in the newbie forum for a reason.
Where will I have less trouble?

While I'm looking forward to making this switch, I still have work to do. At this point I pretty much use my test machine for practicing things happening on production web servers but it's generaly very basic tasks. That or nix via VMware on my M$ install.

Basic Hardware for nix use:
MB: Asus A8N-SLI
Video: nVidia 6800s
CPU: Athalon 64 2x 4000+
RAM: Plenty
SATA RAID: 3ware9550-4
HD: Striped 72GB x2
HD: Mirror 200GB x2

I moved my M$ install to 2 JBOD drives running of the onboard nVidia controllers
For the gaming habit I suppose I'll need to keep dual booting (love to be wrong here!) but I'm going to commit to this as far I can without it effecting my work.

Anyone see a train wreck headed towards me? Thanks in advance!

I'm running 64 bit Mandriva on this desktop with not too many issues. I am running 32bit firfox though and have a 32bit java to go with that... Runs all my 32bit games like doom3 and RTCW wtc. Also 32bit cedega 5 with windows games, and 32bit crossover with windows apps... 32bit Openoffice still, but most of the stuff is getting to 64bit now... 64 bit lame works very well

Thanks for the fast reply amosf! While I believe it can be made to work, am I biting off more by going 64bit vs 32?

Don't get me wrong, I understand I could compile everything for my install but I don't want to if I don't have to.

Any 64 bit distro will do , i would suggest Debian, That conf u hav given is good enough any 64 bit distro

I haven't found it to be a big issue with mandriva. Not sure about fc4... But I have found plenty of prepackaged 64bit stuff... I haven't compiled anything yet except the kernel... YMMV with FC4. 32bit is not much difference in speed, so going 32bit is fine, but I've been wanting to take a look at 64bit for a while now and I'm happy.

I'm "need" to roll with red hat since it's what I have running in production but thanks for the 64bit input sohny.

I'll actually be using RHWS4 and not FC. Would this make a difference in you comments? I've seen lots of packages for 64bit myself and that's why I'm considering giving it a try but this is going to be a bit of a transition for me without adding "bleeding edge" to the whole thing. Thanks!

With the workload that you describe, I doubt that 32-bit vs 64-bit will make any measurable difference.

It's not about much of a work load really. It's more about learning I suppose. I just didn't want to bite of more then I should.

That was my reason as well... Eventually it will all be 64bit so I wanted to get a feel for it... And there will be 32bit issues for a while in the future, so might as well get used to that as well...

I don't think you will be biting off too much... And we need more and more people using 64 bit to really get the ball rolling and try to comtinue to mature the platform.

Well then I'll just let you know how it goes. Thank you thus far.