Also, does more memory help tasks go faster? I only have 3gb... my board supports up to 24gb.

I don't "think" it, I see it every day since I use my quad (Q6600) alternatively under XP32 and Ubuntu 64.
For all projects for which I have collected WU stats I have found that they run faster in 64-bit mode. HCC and HCMD2 need about 30 % less runtime and IADS, HFCC and FAAH 20 % less. And 20 % less runtime per task means 25 % more WUs at the end of the day.

WCG applicatons are all compiled for 32-bit processors but that does not mean that they run in 32-bit mode. That's two different things. When a 64-bit processor can run in 64-bit mode, i.e. when the operating system is for 64-bit mode it is able to use all its optimization features and advanced functions. If it is running a 32-bit application it will have less opportunities to use them because advanced operations will not be used. But for common operations it will be able to run them in its most efficient way.

If you have an i7 do not forbid it to give its best. f you don't want to buy a 64-bit OS install a free Linux one in dual boot with your usual 32-bit Windows and see the difference. That runs fine and if you set up your disk partitions correctly you will even be able to use most of your data from either side.

Have fun. Jean.

exactly ... other than having enough, whatever configuration your memory is in does not matter much at all.

... 6 gb vs. 12 gb ... no difference
... 1066 MHz vs 2000 MHz bandwidth ... no difference
... 8-8-8-24 vs 6-6-6-18 ... the tighter timing would make a very slight improvement still overall does not amount to much.
Pure CPU speed is what matters ... I currently have my i7 at 3.895 GHz(19x205) and will be upping it a tad more to 4.053 GHz (21x193) as the weather cools.

When you say "WCG applicatons are all compiled for 32-bit processors but that does not mean that they run in 32-bit mode" I was thinking they did run in 32 bit because when you go in to the windows task manager it has the *32 beside the cpu process. After seeing pepik.r's statistics, I need to hurry up and switch my dual core laptop to 64 bit. Also, has anyone done a comparison between running xp 64, vista 64, and ubuntu 64? I have all of them available, but only xp 64 installed, and am wondering if the OS makes a noticable difference?

Ok, so I got a question... I get the part where 64 bit os uses existing 64 bit architecture, so i have vista home premium so I'm good, my BOINC version is 6.2.28 There is a newer version as of Sep 24th I believe. Is it worth upgrading to this version when the current version is stable (only 1 error that I recall and I was doing stuff at the time which might have caused it)? I'm not experimenting until I'm done my flu backlog but then I could upgrade it (a couple days)