ok so my pc specs are as follows.(mostly described in description underneath as know to all)
Intel pentium dual processor - e2180
so now i hate to admit it but my pc doesnt support hardware virtualization!
so my prob is that in reason to have hardware virtualization on my pc, what should i do?
like upgrade processor?
or upgrade motherboard?
sumthin like that
Hi there
You CAN still run 32 bit Guests even if your hardware doesn't support virtualisation -- download FREE VMWARE player rel 6.01
If you want to run 64 bit guests then I'd go totallly for a new PC - better processor, more RAM, faster BUS support (faster disks etc) and better graphics. (Or change Motherboard and processor together -- you should also update RAM). Note that you can also get SATA==>IDE connectors for old HDD's and converters for the power supplies (the old 4 pin to SATA power adaptors).
However put your OS on a fast decent HDD otherwise you will be wasting most of your money on your upgrade -- it's amazing how many people don't realize how much bad performance is generally due to SLOW HDD's rather than anything else on their systems.
the CPU must of course be 64 bit enabled -- but the CHIPSET in the computer (other functions such as BUS, RAM handle, addressing / I/O controllers etc etc) need to be capable of handling 64 bits as well -- the chipset must be capable of handling an instruction 64 bits wide as well as the CPU which needs to be able to decode and execute it.
The RAM addressing must also be able to store 64 bit RAM addresses too -- so the chipset DOES need to be 64 bit capable as well as the CPU.
If the CHIPSET can't handle a 64 bit address then you've had it. !!! IMO either a complete new computer or BOTH a MOBO and CPU upgrade is needed.
A good indicator is to see if the BIOS will allow you to fit more than 4GB in the memory slots --if your computer is old then the memory will be DDR (more expensive actually than modern RAM (and will only likely have two slots). AFAIK it's almost impossible to find single 4GB RAM DDR modules -- no problem with modern memory modules.
(The Max memory is not actually an infallible test -- I remember some old Netbooks -- Max memory you could fit was 2GB but they would run in 64 bit mode for what it was worth - but it's a good indicator).
