A Closer Look at 32-Bit vs. 64-Bit Windows

The release of Windows 7, the latest Microsoft operating system, is an opportunity for engineers and scientists to harness new technologies to solve technical problems. Like the predecessor, Windows Vista, users can select between a version for 32-bit processors and a version for 64-bit processors. Whether porting a system to a new version of Windows, or starting new development on the OS, it is important to understand which version best suits your needs.

1. What Are the Differences between 64-Bit and 32-Bit Processors?
2. Evaluating an Engineering System on Windows 7
3. Performance and Virtualization
4. Potential Benefits of 64-bit
5. Potential Drawbacks to Windows x64 Edition
6. Summary
7. More Information on Windows 7

What Are the Differences between 64-Bit and 32-Bit Processors?

To understand why 64-bit operating systems are a logical step in the evolution of the PC, consider this background information. More often than not, the maximum size of the physical memory on a computer is less than the amount needed for all running programs. This is especially true when multiple processes or applications execute simultaneously. The solution for this is that programs store some of their data on the hard drive and copy it back and forth to physical memory as needed.

This solution is often referred to as “virtual memory,” in which the computer simulates having large amounts of contiguous physical memory. A paging table is responsible for moving segments of virtual memory into physical memory as necessary. If the amount of memory demanded by all running processes exceeds the available physical memory (RAM), the paging table stores low-priority processes on the hard drive in the page file, which is much slower than RAM. When the user needs these processes, the page table re-maps them into physical memory, where the user can access them at high speeds (see Figure 1). The total number of addresses available in the virtual memory – the total amount of data the computer can keep in its working area for applications – is determined by the width of the registers on the computer processor.

Figure 1. The paging table moves segments of virtual memory into physical memory as needed to provide more memory to running processes.

Until recently, almost all consumer PCs used 32-bit processors. The bit size of a processor refers to the size of the address space it can reference. A 32-bit processor can reference 2^32 bytes, or 4 GB of memory. These 32-bit processors were standard at a time when 4 GB was thought to be more than enough memory space for software applications on Windows. When a process, such as running a program, is created on an x86 Windows computer with a 32-bit processor, the operating system allocates its 4 GB of virtual memory, irrespective of the actual physical memory installed on a system. Half of that allocated memory is user-accessible memory, while the other half is for kernel processes such as drivers. Modern computing systems increasingly confront the 4 GB ceiling thanks to memory-intensive applications and the need to store multiple processes in memory simultaneously.

In 2003, AMD released the first widely accepted 64-bit processor aimed at consumers, the Athlon 64, and coined AMD64 as the name for the new instruction set. Microsoft refers to the instruction set as x64, which parallels the widely accepted x86 nomenclature used for the instructions that run on most 32-bit processors. 

Processors capable of referencing larger address spaces provide the opportunity to use more physical memory than ever before, potentially reducing the overhead spent moving processes in and out of physical memory. The 64-bit processors are theoretically capable of referencing 2^64 locations in memory, or 16 exabytes, which is more than 4 billion times the number of memory locations  32-bit processors can reference. However, all 64-bit versions of Microsoft operating systems currently impose a 16 TB limit on address space and allow no more than 128 GB of physical memory due to the impracticality of having 16 TB of RAM. Processes created on 64-bit versions of Windows are allotted 8 TB in virtual memory for user processes and 8 TB for kernel processes to create a virtual memory of 16 TB.

To summarize, the ability of Windows Vista and Windows 7 x64 Editions to add address more memory space than previous versions of Windows helps minimize the time spent swapping processes in and out of memory by storing more of them in RAM.

Evaluating an Engineering System on Windows 7

Windows 7 represents the first viable upgrade from Windows XP for PC users in many ways, especially considering that Vista was largely overlooked due to various problems with compatibility and performance.  For engineering and scientific applications, the combination of Windows 7 (64-bit) and the latest version of LabVIEW and NI Device Drivers make it possible to tap into the potential of 64-bit hardware thanks to native support.

Not every application stands to benefit from the x64 architecture, and it will take time for 64-bit editions of Windows to gain widespread adoption, but the following types of applications are most likely to see performance benefits on Windows 7 x64 Edition, provided that both 64-bit application software and drivers are available:

• Applications that require mathematical precision and floating-point performance
• Applications that involve large, high-performance databases
• Vision acquisition and analysis applications with large amounts of data moving directly into memory at rapid rates

For more information on the availability of NI products with native support for 64-bit operating systems, please visit Announcing 64-bit Support for LabVIEW.

Performance and Virtualization

64-bit versions of operating systems such as Windows Vista and Windows 7 are not automatically faster than their 32-bit counterparts. In some cases, they may even perform slower because of the larger pointers as well unrelated OS overhead. Overall, an application’s performance depends on what it is used for and how it is implemented. Emulated applications running within the Windows on Windows (WOW) 64 layer (discussed in more detail later in this article) will not be able to address any more memory than they could on a 32-bit system.

Most 32-bit software will still function because of a Microsoft emulation layer. This emulation layer, known as Windows on Windows 64 or WoW64, enables 32-bit programs to run as though on a 32-bit version of Windows by translating instructions passing in and out of 32-bit applications into 64-bit instructions. Emulated programs act as though they are running on an x86 computer and operate within the 2 GB of virtual memory that a 32-bit version of Windows allocates to every process. However, despite Wow64, 32-bit programs on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 cannot take advantage of the larger 64-bit address spaces or wider 64-bit registers on 64-bit processors.

Potential Benefits of 64-bit

The transition to the 64-bit architecture is overwhelmingly driven by the limitations of the x86 architecture in terms of addressing memory. Applications running on a 64-bit edition of Windows should theoretically experience improved performance because of the larger quantity of available memory, even if the application is running within the WoW64 layer. Much like the advantage offered by increasing physical memory in a 32-bit system, the larger memory space on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 allows more processes to actively reside in the system RAM simultaneously.  It allows allows users to add additional RAM beyond the previous 4 GB limit, up to the amount supported by the mainboard.

This change potentially eliminates or reduces time spent loading and switching between processes, a condition that can lead to “thrashing” when all the processor’s efforts are spent merely loading and switching between threads. To reap the benefits of a 64-bit operating system such as Windows Vista x64 Edition, you should invest in a large amount of RAM (4 GB or more) and a compatible motherboard.

For 64-bit version of Windows, Microsoft also requires a digital signature on all drivers. By requiring new, signed drivers, Microsoft aims to reduce failures and improve stability by shining a spotlight on vendor responsibility for bugs. With 32-bit version of Windows, administrators can install unsigned drivers, but Microsoft continues to discourage their use. All non-legacy National Instruments drivers are digitally signed and available for both the 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows.

Potential Drawbacks to Windows x64 Edition

Windows XP was available only as a 32-bit operating system for 32-bit processors until 2005, when Microsoft released a 64-bit edition. This version of Windows XP did not see widespread adoption due to a lack of available software and hardware drivers. Vendors were hesitant to invest in a platform that seemed more novel than practical for consumers at the time, which led to compatibility issues with common devices such as sound and graphics cards.  Developers interested in using 64-bit operating systems found the migration path to Vista much smoother due to the WOW emulation layer, which allowed older applications to run.  However, most did not see performance increases due to a lack of applications with native support for 64-bit processors.

Given the increasing number of 64-bit processors, Windows 7 x64 Edition is unlikely to suffer the same lack of support.  A potential drawback stems from the possibility that some hardware vendors may not release Windows Vista/7 x64 Edition-compatible versions of drivers quickly.  

Summary

Windows 7 x64 Edition represents the first mainstream 64-bit operating system from Microsoft in terms of general availability and support from third-party add-on vendors. Because of this, moving from a 32-bit operating system such as Windows XP to a 64-bit operating system such as Windows 7 x64 Edition merits serious consideration in many cases.

However, the feasibility of successfully making the jump to Windows 7 x64 Edition depends largely on your application and its requirements. For some, Windows 7 x64 Edition offers much needed performance improvement, while for others, it could needlessly complicate applications designed to operate on x86 platforms or even have a negative effect on performance.

More Information on Windows 7

Visit ni.com/windows7

Learn more about 64-bit support for NI Products and NI LabVIEW

LabVIEW, National Instruments, ni, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

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It all Depends
This is slightly the wrong sort of argument. It really depends on what you are using a computer for and what programs you are using. For the vast majority of users (business and Home) there will be no difference noticed in normal use. Using a word processor, email, spreadsheets, databases, browsers and most photo apps I doubt if anyone will notice a discernible speed increase or performance increase. Possibly using 64 bit graphics, animation an such like will show a performance increase but even then most users will not notice.it.
- Nov 12, 2011

Always a debate.
After reading all the comments and posts I have to laugh. Having worked with computers from the time of Apple II running an 8-bit processor at 1Mhz to Quad Core Phenom II at 3.4 GHz using a true 64-bit OS, I have seen where most people make mistakes in their judgements and comments. As in the original article a 64-bit OS does not automatically mean that it will run faster, as it has to read twice as much data from the hard drive. The real advantage from a 64-bit OS is when you have plenty of physical memory, there is no "swapping" happening, in other words the virtual memory which resides on hard disk doesn't get used, and the software you are using is compiled and specifically written for a 64-bit architecture. Simply re-compiling software in with a 64-bit compiler does not automatically render it faster. If the compiler takes advantage of the 64-bit instruction set and 64-bit memory transfers then that's when you see the real difference. Using Linux for the past 10+ years has taught me plenty as well as being a software programmer who has assembly code knowledge from the old 8-bit processors to the newer 64-bit ones. A good example is running software like Audacity. Running a 32-bit OS with a 32-bit Audacity software built, the 32-bit setup has taken one minute plus to remove noise from a 30 minute section of music, while under a 64-bit OS and a 64-bit Audacity on the same machine, the exact same piece of 30 minute section of music removing the same noise yields a completion time of just over 20 seconds. And that is a HUGE difference. Running 32-bit apps on a 64-bit OS will yield poor performance, but once you are running nothing but 64-bit all the way, then yes it will run faster, but will require more physical memory to accomplish the task. This is where I see most of the errors in judgements, as most people will run the exact same 32-bit software on both a 32-bit OS and a 64-bit OS. This will result in the 32-bit OS running the software faster as there is no conversion being done by the 64-bit OS. In the Windows world this is called WOW, or Windows On Windows. 32-bit Windows XP had WOW for 16-bit Software, but the 16-bit Software ran poorly. The same goes for the newer 64-bit versions of XP, Vista, and 7, as soon as you run 32-bit software, it will perform poorly on a 64-bit OS. If the software was soley 64-bit, then a performance gain WILL be noticed.
- m_potapoff@shaw.ca - Oct 23, 2011


WRONG WRONG WRONG! All of you are Wrong! LOL... I just wanted to say that, because it seems that is what it is all about here. My name is Troll and I eat worms! LOL! Well, a computer does only one thing at a time. Less moving parts, less heat, and less boolean checks is always faster. So, which is faster? You are ALL RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT. Because it depends and it always will. Try and be a little more focused and if you are a PHD or a Master in your profession, we would love some insight. Now sleep well.
- Mana Junk,. emanajunk@hotmail.com - Sep 24, 2011


Interesting you shout "WRONG" the way you do. For "wrong is exactly what YOU are". Not to mention your approach to commenting is all wrong. You quote "64 bit applications will always outperform 32"...you have misguided yourself. Apparently, you have no knowledge of applications or how they use hardware. You clearly need to learn such concepts as 'Largeaddressaware' and 32 bit vs 64 bit addressing. You probably even think you can use all 4GB or more of RAM using a 32 bit application on a 64 bit OS. Not so. This article is exactly right about what it says. I currently run both 32 bit XP and 64 bit XP on 2 PC's side by side. I can tell you endlessly by experience and show you your statements are oblivious to any facts about this subject (in fact, you are oblivious). I run apps that are 32 and 64 bit. No 32 bit app will load more than 2GB of software (I use intensive Audio Studio Programming and Video editing apps). However, a 64 bit app on a 64 bit OS loads 100's of GB of apps/software into RAM. Additionally, some of my 32 bit apps on 32 bit XP that are the same programs run quicker in the 32 bit environment, as long as I am keeping the workload down in RAM. No blanket statement can be made about 32 bit vs 64 bit apps in a 32 bit or 64 bit environment (such as your ridiculous claim that all 64 bit apps outperform 32). It always depends on the specific application, how it was programmed, and the level of the work load and your task at hand. As this writer clearly and accurately stated, it all depends on the applications you are using.
- Aug 24, 2011

Aha...I see
To the dude who posted his scathing review of half baked information on May 27th 2011 - your argument might read better if you were smart enough to spell everything correctly. You look and sound like a shrieking lamer.
- Jul 03, 2011


The last poster is such a child. If your killing someone, two knives is better and faster, if you are taking out a splinter you want one tweezer, just like geforce kills games, over quadro cards killing editing.
- ,. - Jun 26, 2011

64 bit does NOT refer to the address space
64 bit processors are called 64 bit because that is the size of the instructions they accept, a series of bits telling it what to do. While it is true that 32 most all 32 bit processors have a 32 bit address space, 64 bit processors actually have only 56 (This still means you can have approximately 64 million gigabytes of memory, or 64 petabytes, which is plenty enough.) Another example is the z80 processor architecture, an 8bit one that has 8 bit instructions but a 16bit, or 64kb address space.
- fb39ca4,. - Jun 24, 2011

Wrong!
I am sick and tired of misinformation being spread around the internet by self- appointed 'experts' in the field, who have a scarry half-truth knoledge of whats really going on!... in this article.....First of all, 64 bit operating systems will ALWAYS out perform a 32 bit system... There is a DOUBLING of data flow....Therefore a halving of speed.......Duh!..... Double the resource flow, divide the time....=faster....Why some people refuse to believe this is beyond me...the facts are out there....Mathamatically intensive programs used to require a math co-processor upgrade to perform well....Not true today...ANY of todays processors will be far more than needed for any 'math' needs Mhz are needed....not math capibilities.....So stop it!....If you don't know what you're talking about, keep your mouth shut....Get another hobby, you are obviously not very good at computers. So stop spreading your weak half-baked knoledge around. Does it make you feel good to pretend that you know something?
- May 27, 2011

not yet
For kicks and giggles, to see if things worked as well as it said, I put in a cracked win 7, 64 bit, system, 8 gigs ram, adoble photoshop, adobe lightroom and some HDR software and it seemed my machine ran slower. So I timed rendering some photos and in some cases 64 bit was slower and never any faster. Does it mean I need even more ram? Everything being equal, HD was same brand, size, etc, ram of course, CPU unchanged, could it be that 64 bit is not quite prime time? I reverted back to 32 bit and will stick with it for the time being
- Apr 04, 2011

32 bit is good
In India most of the users use 32 bit OS. And the software's which are develop are specially for 32 bit OS. 64 bit os will be the future because it needs more RAM.
- Kels,. kelspop87@yahoo.com - Feb 22, 2011

32bit Win Vista v.s.32bit Win 7
Not sure if you guys can help me. I've read the comments, and they are quite helpful. I'm wondering if it is worth me downloading Win 7 in place of my Vista. I have 32bit os (Tosh A205). My concerns is that Win 7 may be larger even in the 32 bit version. Am I better off with the Vista, until I decide to get a new laptop? I don't like Vista, but am getting used to it. I'm also concerned about getting the drivers if I do upgrade. I miss XP! I've read online that people have downgraded to XP with my laptop, but not all were successful. Thanks for your assistance.
- Galen,. gwgrote@aol.com - Feb 22, 2011

32bit XP runs better than 64bit Windows 7
I REGRET upgrading four machines from Windows XP x32 to Windows 7 x64 (AMD X2 3600 with 2.5 gb of RAM each & 7800 gtx video cards). ' The problem is under XP I could open 80+ browser windows before the machines started bogging down... Windows 7 x64 has a much higher overhead. I'm lucky if I can open 30 or so before the machine grinds to a halt. Ive tried all the browsers, even x64 ones, and x64 Flash Square, and its the same. Windows 7 is fine if you have a couple dozen or two things open, but when you really start to press it to the limit it just can't handle it. When the page file gets up to around 2gb it grinds to a halt fast, and that's easy to do simply by opening Google Earth.
- Feb 03, 2011

TOOOOO LATE
I just read the subject & its discussions, its included all about 32&64bits info's.BUT I think that we r 2 late to discuss 64bit's,I ran on Vista x64 for 2 years & now running 7 x64 and faced no issue.for those people who had compatbility issues use Virtual 32bit OS to solve it. ...WAKE UP BUDS, WE MUST THINK OF 128BIT NOW NOT THE OLD 64BIT. :-)
- Fady Kazzazi,. faddyfareed@gmail.com - Jan 25, 2011

Good Review; Keep Looking Up!
I appreciate a good look at Windows 7 64 bit. It is obvious now that 64 bit is gaining momentum and makes sense for National Instruments, Adobe, Microsoft, the military etc... to get into the advantages due to the bigger bandwidth, increased rules and security processes, and significant improvement in parallel tasking. I believe Microsoft is brave to go for 64 bits and I appreciate the trend developing. I, for one, will pitch in and help.
- Jan 25, 2011


I would use a 64-bit Windows but there isn't much software written for it. Try switching over to a 64-bit and you will soon switch back to a 32-bit. Been there done that. It would be great if tomorrow everything was in 64-bit, but as long as there is still a market in the 32-bit world, it will be a very long time before things change. FWIW, If you want a faster OS, try Linux. It will be at least 3x faster and has come a long way for first timers to make the switch. Try Suse 11.2 or other Linux distros, which will allow you to set up a dual boot with windows.
- Dec 30, 2010

Missing an important point
No question power users want 64 bit computing. What I find disturbing is all the laptops being pushed out by Office Depot, Staples, and others are 64 bit Windows 7, And there is no warning about compatibility. The big problem is the smaller hardware developlers that spent a wad developing for Vista are finding their drivers don't work on W7 64. For the average joe, who mostly surfs the internet, pays bills does email and maintains a photo or music library, 32 bit was more than adequate. Why do we keep making things harder for the average consumer in the name of progress? Another problem is DOS. Now, before you all laugh, there are still legacy apps in use in corporations all over the country. Sometimes the vendors are either out of business or have been absorbed and the new companies cannot be bothered with updating the legacy apps. These applications continue to work well (many much better than any Windows app) and we are supposed to scrap them so the power users can be happy? What is wrong with ;you people!!!
- Sep 01, 2010

Upgraded to Windows 7 Pro (64-bit)
My Sony Vaio laptop came w/ Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit) and I had no problems upgrading to Windows 7 Pro (64-bit). I had to re-install any programs that I had on my computer, but it was definitely worth it. It's the only logical step into the right direction. Technology is alwayz going to move forward, and those who don't keep up will only get left behind.
- Jul 21, 2010

You can't get a huge chunk, no
You can't allocate all 4GB at once because there are still system DLLs just before the 2GB mark. They have to remain there for performance reasons. However, you can allocate up to about 3.8GB in 50MB chunks. Technically you can also access 4GB (or more) - 32-bit Windows just doesn't let you unless you hack the kernel, since it's not licensed for more than 4GB. (Note that the server editions could and can still access up to 128GB in 32-bit.)
- Jul 15, 2010

XP64 doesnt allow past 2 gig per 32 bit app
Try it it craps out after 2 Gigs. No 4 Gigs there with large memory switch and 32 bit app. Like they tested it. Too many problems and dont expect 4 Gigs per app. It does not work! Gonna try 64 bit app compile. Hope that works. MS should stop telling peops they get 4 Gigs per 32 bit app. Woks the same as a 32 bit OS with 32 bit apps. Lies.
- cjn,self. cnicol@mediasensorcorp.com - May 16, 2010

Large amounts of RAM impractical?
The article says MS limits usable ram "due to the impracticality of having 16 TB of RAM." Why is this impractical? I have image processing applications that can use very large RAM. What are the impracticalities I would run into at >100GB installed?
- Steven Potter,Georgia Institute of Technology. steve.potter@bme.gatech.edu - May 16, 2010

here it is 2010 and we still have this 64bit BS
I say this speaking from experience. My platform for the last 3 years has been: Thinkpad T61 * 4 Gb Ram * Dual core 2.4 ghz My core apps: * Firefox * Photoshop * Dreamweaver * VMWare * Visual Studio .NET 2008 * Komodo IDE * Winamp * Symantec Antivirus/Endpoint Client I went from: 32 bit vista ---> Windows Xp ---> 64 bit vista ----> to ----> 64 bit Windows 7 to FINALLY Settling on Windows 7 32 bit. My lessons learned while working on 64bit (as of 2009): The overhead for the 32bit emulation layer, while it is seamless, is still is a kluge.. Ive had random freezes, sluggishness, forced restarts... but hey ...i got to access all 4 GB of my ram! Why I went back to 32bit on vista * My only drawback is losing approx 500 mb ram (guess what.. i can deal) * General *snappiness* of my pc is phenominal. I feel much more productive * Until there is a BIG.. and i mean HUGE advantage to running 64bit anything (and not just, "supporting" it) 64bit computing is irrelevant. (but wait) * Unless you have some need which requires greater than 4 gb's of ram, dont even worry about 64bit computing 32bit is FINE. I think for the next 10 years (unless we have some dramatic new technology or shift that rquires 64bit computing) we will be at this general stage of computer use. *I am apalled that even now, Flash (as ubiquitous as it is to computing today) has no serious 64 bit support. I rest my case. Viva 32bit computing for the average computer user!
- techcowboy,. ewok@fentooza.net - Jan 28, 2010

Missing one crucial point
I think this article misses one crucial concept: A 64-bit Operating System allows for 64-bit memory *addressing*. In the context of Virtual Address spaces, every running application thinks it has the entire 64-bit address space to itself and does not need to know about what addresses other applications are using. It is up to the CPU's hardware to *re-map* Virtual Address spaces to Physical Address spaces, whether they are in physical RAM or on the hard disk's page file. Furthermore it is possible for applications to declare whether the addressed memory is "pageable" or "non- pageable". Performance improvements in 64-bit operating systems and applications are only realized when there is more than 4 GB of physical RAM. Any less and there is *NO* significant benefit since running memory intensive 64-bit applications will simply result in more memory swapping to the page file resulting in the dreaded disk thrashing. It is only within the last few years that PC's capable of installing more than 4 GB of physical RAM became available. When a 64-bit operating system is loaded, the 64-bit processor instructions are available which are capable of accessing the current 128-bit memory bus at double-bandwidth compared to 32-bit memory access so in theory RAM access is faster but other system bandwidth bottlenecks remain, particularly in disk and network data access. Anthony Maw, B.Sc., MCSE, Vancouver, Canada www.anthonymaw.ocm
- Anthony Maw,Anthony Maw. anthony@maw.bc.ca - Dec 30, 2009


Braw!!! It's really worthy,,,It's the perfect article out of many which I googled to read on these,,,bits systems,...
- - Dec 20, 2009

really good document for clarification
Actually i have doubt.. 1) I already have a 64 bit vista os but the problem that i am facing is that i am not able to install all the softwares required because most of them are 32 bit compatible.So what should i do? 2)I tried installing 32 bit vista os in my system but a problem has arised that i am not able to change any thing in the registry.What should i do?
- Dec 16, 2009

Very informative
Thanks for this wonderful article which summarizes everything about 32 bit vs 64 bit. It saved me time from reading multiple articles.
- Ashwanth,Avaya. - Nov 17, 2009

64-bit is coming
I agree with all who say, "lets just move forward with 64 bit systems". Just think, soon we will be exploring 128 bit systems and all wireless technologies. This is called progress people. I say make 64-bit the norm!
- klon37@yahoo.com - Nov 08, 2009

This was very informative! helped me make a decision. thank you!!
This was very informative! It helped me make a decision. thank you!!
- aquatone1805@gmail.com - Feb 13, 2009

Move forward
Would you like to go back to DOS? Lets just move forward and stop discussing it. Its time to move to 64-bit
- Jan 08, 2009

Regardless of addressable space...
One must take the utmost care when doing any development on a Vista machine. There are plenty of common tasks that have been obfuscated and some necessary functions that cannot be done. At my company, we have been testing and we can't remove an activeX web control so we can install an updated version. All the researching we have done leads back to Microsoft saying, "Sorry, you can't do that in Vista" XP lets you do it just fine. If you want to make the best possible use of your personal x64 machine without all the frustration on Microsoft's oversights and assumptions, I would look into x64 capable versions of linux.
- Jan 08, 2009

Props for Vista-64
I've recently installed a new Intel quad core with Vista 64 and am very impressed both with the stability and performance. Everything on this machines run smoother than any previous version of Windows (and I've used every version since 1.0 back in 1987 on a Zenith 8086!) My key applications (Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom) are out in 64-bit versions and the performance is breathtaking. 64-bit computing has arrived!
- Nov 10, 2008

32-bit is becoming history
Took a little while, but as of today, 64-bit seems to be the main focus of PC builders as well as the preferred choice of desktop buyers. New HP’s are mostly 64-bit as well a NewEgg’s Top Sellers (as of this writing). http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3- 10076795-64.html?tag=mncol http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product List.aspx? Submit=ENE&N=2032280010% 204802&name=Top%20Sellers
- Ericson Mar,The Cooper Union. mar@cooper.edu - Nov 02, 2008

brilliant
clarified loads of stuff about 32vs64bit in one article.
- Oct 06, 2008

Now I'm found
Thank you for the article. It written in such a way that I feel like I have a good understanding of 32-bit and. 64-bit processors. That was something that boggled me; but no more!
- Enlightened,N/A. running_the_dream@yahoo.com - Sep 20, 2008

Intel G33 chipset
Gateway makes a model with Vista X64 that uses the Intel G33 chipset. Will that be able to use the 4GB of memory installed?
- Sep 16, 2008


A very well-written and informative article - thanks!
- Sep 11, 2008

A good synopsis that supplied every thing I needed to know.
Thank you for the article, Set at the right technical level for my requirements and gave me all the info I required In one go (a rare thing these days). Ta, Mick.
- mick_obrien685@hotmail.com - Aug 05, 2008

All Core 2 Duos and Quads support 64 but
64 bit processors have been out for a while now, most pentium 4 processors support 64 bit (my 3 year old 630 did). All the core 2 duos and quads support it.
- Jul 19, 2008

Memory Limits
Quoted from Microsoft's website: For Windows Vista to use all 4 GB of memory on a computer that has 4 GB of memory installed, the computer must meet the following requirements: The chipset must support at least 8 GB of address space. Chipsets that have this capability include the following: • Intel 975X • Intel P965 • Intel 955X on Socket 775 • Chipsets that support AMD processors that use socket F, socket 940, socket 939, or socket AM2. These chipsets include any AMD socket and CPU combination in which the memory controller resides in the CPU. • The CPU must support the x64 instruction set. The AMD64 CPU and the Intel EM64T CPU support this instruction set. • The BIOS must support the memory remapping feature. The memory remapping feature allows for the segment of system memory that was previously overwritten by the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) configuration space to be remapped above the 4 GB address line. This feature must be enabled in the BIOS configuration utility on the computer. View your computer product documentation for instructions that explain how to enable this feature. Many consumer-oriented computers may not support the memory remapping feature. No standard terminology is used in documentation or in BIOS configuration utilities for this feature. Therefore, you may have to read the descriptions of the various BIOS configuration settings that are available to determine whether any of the settings enable the memory remapping feature. • An x64 (64-bit) version of Windows Vista must be used.
- Jul 15, 2008

Can 32 bit applications use 64 bit custom written drivers?
I would like to know whether on 64 bit Vista: 32 bit applications can use 64 bit custom drivers. Or will the application need to be 64 bit to use the 64 bit driver. I could notfind much about this issue on the internet.
- Jul 01, 2008


A very good document. Now I understand!
- Carl,. - Jun 23, 2008

Which Processors support Vista x64?
Which processor families support Vista x64? My AMD 64 x2 loaded the 32 bit version and the install wizard never mentioned a 64 bit option. I have ordered an Intel Q6600 and don't know if I can or should make the x64 jump on that system.
- May 18, 2008

Excellent
I like the article.
- Apr 29, 2008


So, if you are using a 32-bit operating system on an x64 processor, you are not fully utilizing it. 64-bit long mode has several advantages: it allows the processor to break the 4gb memory barrier and also 64-bit long mode enables twice the number of general purpose registers than in 32-bit mode… which explains why it is faster than a 32- bit processor/mode. 64 bit is the future! BTW: the 64-bit version of Windows Vista operating system is for about 10.9 percent faster than 32-bit Vista, according to the GeekBench benchmark for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows platforms.
- Dec 16, 2007

Good clear explanation of 32 Bit vs 64 Bit fundamentals
Traditionally larger width cpu's means more powerful instructions and more addressable memory. 64 Bit Vista from my viewpoint is really about eliminating memory thrashing. 32 Bit only gets you roughly 3325MB of usable memory out of 4 GB which quickly puts you into paging when running multiple or large apps.
- Jerry Mills,Ideal Computer Services. jerrym@icsgroup.com - Dec 14, 2007

Very helpful article
Great article. Really clarified what components / software need to be compatible to upgrade to x64. Interested that 32 bit can reference 4 GB of RAM. My brand new 32 bit system can only reference 3 GB (1 GB is completely unused). Any suggestions?
- Dec 12, 2007


Damn that was a full breakdown and I'm still confused. Ok already I'll stick with 32- bit Vista. I only wish I understood all that info.
- Nov 26, 2007


this article is poor written. x64bit version is faster than x32, because it uses 64-bit instructions and 64-bit registers.
- Oct 15, 2007

Best Vista 64 bit Article
So far this is the best and most professional/complete article I have read on the internet comparing Vista 32 bit and 64 bit providing valuable information regarding pros/cons for each. Thanks for the info.
- Amar,. - Aug 22, 2007

Vista 32 OS with a 64-bit CPU onboard
There are a bunch of off the shelf machines now with 64-bit CPUs , but all I have seen run , mostly, with 32-bit Vista (speaking of the newest stuff), is the 64-bit processor buying you anything?
- May 18, 2007

good article
good article for anybody who has doubts regarding the Vista 64 bit os ...provides adequate info ...but would be great if also includes how the mem addressing works in 64 bit o/s in detail
- Mar 21, 2007

Only memory addressability
The article gives MS VISTA perspective from memory addressability only; it would have been better to widen the scope to include Data Bus size, System Bus speed, memory speed too. One can argue that this all pertains to system architecture but then system architecture along with VISTA decide the overall speed of the PC system.
- Vinay Gupta,MTE Meter Test Equipment AG. viney1@vsnl.com - Feb 01, 2007


Dear Sir, The 64 bit processor and 32 bit processor refers to data bus width. This article refers that as address bus width. Is my opinion right? A.G.Kumar
- A.G.Kumar,R.Stahl private limited. kumar@rstahl.net - Jan 30, 2007

very helpful survey of Vista

- barnaade@luther.edu - Jan 30, 2007