No, it isn't wasted. Individual 32 bit applications can't use the extra RAM (most don't need to), but the OS can. You can use 64 bit SQL Server and it will use the RAM. You can use 64 bit Office.

What would a 64 bit version of VS buy you? If you have a need for that much RAM to hold a project, you have other problems with the project.

Plus, 64 bit apps sometimes run slower than their 32 bit equivalent.

>OK, just to understand - if I have a 32 bit OS anything over 3gb is wasted , correct?
>
>But if I have a 64 bit OS what you have said above applies ( with Craig's post implying that VS the same in 32 or 64 )
>
>As to SQL server, am I correct that it is optimized for 64 bit if you run 64bit on Win7 64 (or does that only matter in mult-processer scenarios etc?)