Which one is the better hardware: 64 or 32 bits?

In computer architecture, 64-bit integers, memory addresses, or other data units are those that are at most 64 bits (8 octets) wide. 64-bit is also a term given to a generation of computers in which 64-bit processors were the norm. Leaving the tech jargon behind, the only way these two modes are going to affect your computing experience is how they address random access memory or RAM on your computer. The 64-bit version of Windows handles large amounts of random access memory (RAM) more effectively than a 32-bit system. This is the primary difference between the two versions. How does it make a difference for end user? Well, successfully addressing a large amount of RAM critically helps in running programs that needs a lot of memory in certain scenarios, like Adobe Photoshop. In those cases, a 64 bit operating system can feed the application with necessary amount of memory while older 32 bit version won't be able to do that.

Now before making the transition, I would like to suggest you Windows 7 instead of your choice of Windows Vista. Windows 7 is a newer operating system with lot of improvements over Vista. It also comes with both 32 and 64 bit flavours, so it won't be a daunting task.

The only thing you need to check before upgrading is if all of your hardware have 64 bit drivers available. The easiest way to do that is to download Microsoft Upgrade Advisor. It will scan your PC and at the end will present the results if your hardware are eligible for an upgrade to 32 or 64 bit of Windows 7.