What is the difference between 32bit and 64bit windows, im not talking about hardware, i just want to know about the software.. i just bought a amd athlon 64fx cpu and it said something about 64 bit windows xp pro.
Does 64 run faster or allow me to do more, and if so.. what?
If i get 32, will it restrict me from doing stuff i could do with 64.. and if so.. what?
may 64 be required for my cpu to work?
and again, please nothing about the cpu or hadware, i have already purchaced that and read all about it in other posts.. i need to know about Windows XP only, thank you.
2007-11-02 08:01:45 · 10 answers · asked by No Name 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
Yh sure. 32-bit and 64-bit simply refers to the number of dots-per-inch (DPI)- the more dots per inch, the better the resolution of the image you are viewing and thereofre the higher the quality of colours, pictures etc. 64-bit is therefore better as far as the sharpness and quality of the desktop- but a downside would be it takes up more memory, as more details of the data is having to be stored. But since it's already installed on your computer, i wouldn't bother changing it.
Hope this helps!
2007-11-02 08:07:23 · answer #1 · answered by ►Aurora Borealis 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A 32 bit system essentially has an addressable range of memory that allows for 4 GB of memory (2 to the 32 power) on the system. A 64 bit system has an addressable memory range that supports 17,179,869,184 GB or memory (2 to the 64 power). 64 bit systems do not run faster by the simple fact that they are 64 bit. They will often run faster just because of other improvements in the hardware, but it has nothing to do with the 32/64 bit architecture. A 32 bit OS will actually outperform a 64 bit for typical usage. Where 64 bit becomes important is when you are working with large databases, files, etc... where you need to exceed the memory limits of a 32 bit OS. I believe on MS Win32 based systems that the memory is really limited to about just under 4 GB of memory (3.6 GB comes to mind, but not 100% sure on the number) and a single process can have as much as 2 GB of memory. As applications become more advanced, the 2GB limit will certainly become more of a problem.
2007-11-02 08:13:36 · answer #2 · answered by Jim Maryland 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The CPU you bought was designed to work with 64bit operating systems (windows 64bit) however it can also work on the regular 32bit windows.
As for the difference between 32bit and 64bit; let me give you an example, forgetting all the technical terms; think about water running through a 2"pipe as against running it through a 4"pipe. The 2"pipe represents the 32bit system and the 4"pipe represents 64bit .
You see you can get much more out of the 64bit system however 64bit systems are still in their teething stages and you might be faced with driver problems and incompatibility issues.
2007-11-02 08:21:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Think of 32 bit as a 4 lane highway, pretty fast. Now think of 64 bit as an 8 lane highway, now you can theroeticly move twice the number of cars. The software is designed to utilize the 8 lane highway, if you use the 32 bit software on 64bit hadware its only going to use 4 of your 8 lanes. Hope this simplifies things for you.
2007-11-02 08:08:22 · answer #4 · answered by Kimpak_myrddin 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Windows 64bit operating system will allow you to utilize the 64bit hardware environment, Instead of processing 32bit at the time, it will be 64bits at the time. Hence the operating speed will be faster. The 64bit may not allow you to do more directly, but will allow your PC to run faster. By the way, the operating systems (32bit and 64bit) are not interchangeable. If you load Windows 32bit, there will not be upgrade to Windows 64bit, these are two operating systems in parallel.
2007-11-02 08:09:51 · answer #5 · answered by Scott P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The major difference between 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows is memory support. With more memory, you can run more programs at the same time, and run more memory-intensive programs like multimedia, gaming, and database programs. And your computer's performance will be faster overall.
Currently, 32-bit editions of Windows are capable of supporting up to 4 gigabytes (GB) of system memory, with up to 2 GB of dedicated memory per process. Windows Professional XP Edition x64 currently supports up to 128 GB of RAM, with the potential to support up to 16 terabytes of virtual memory as hardware capabilities and memory sizes improve.
Another difference between 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows is the increased number of registers available on 64-bit processors. This enables faster performance for applications that perform intensive floating-point calculations.
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition provides faster performance, increased reliability, and greater flexibility to today's most demanding users. With Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, you can take advantage of the new 64-bit technology to improve your PC or workstation performance.
2007-11-02 08:12:21 · answer #6 · answered by fund_in_me 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
most graph games require 64bit... if you dont play game you can chose 32, it can speedup the windows since it required less details
2007-11-02 08:06:52 · answer #7 · answered by greency 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
32 bit is bigger and less detailed, the 64 bit is smaller print and better detail.
2007-11-02 08:04:02 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Double the pleasure, double the fun.
2007-11-02 08:11:15 · answer #9 · answered by Nikolas S 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
32 bits...?
2007-11-02 08:04:55 · answer #10 · answered by Y!A addict NURSE SWEETIEGOAT 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋