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Understanding Computers Part 1: 32 vs 64 Bit

VestigiaTerre

Senior Member
Senior's
Hi all,

So I've decided to do a little fun guide (Hopefully you'll learn something too!) on the different subjects of computers and computing in general, this is purely for fun and educational.

So with that aside, let's get on with the show!

What is 32 or 64 bit and why is it important to know this?

32/64Bit refers to the "Architecture" that the computers are built on. (That is the little lines you can see on the motherboard dancing all over the place called "lanes", it also refers to the width i.e. 32Bits wide) In theory, the wider the lanes the more data can be pumped through ergo, faster performance.

A Brief History:

Back in the early days of computing, all computers were built on the 32Bit Architecture. At the time computers were still in their infancy, components weren't that powerful and software wasn't demanding (By todays standards at least!).
32Bit computers can only support up to 4GB (Gigabytes) of RAM, any higher and you will not be able to use the extra memory.

Software at the time was always built on the 32Bit Architecture, known as x86.

As time went on, components became more powerful and software became more demanding. 32Bit has its days numbered, there was a need for a new more powerful architecture that could handle the rising demands of the components and software.

Along came 64Bit, this new architecture was a huge improvement in computing. Allowing computers to become faster, more powerful machines.
The lanes were now 64Bit wide as opposed to 32Bit, which allowed more data to be pumped through the channels without slowing down.
64Bit computers can now support much larger RAM sizes.
Software is now built on the 64Bit architecture, known as x64.

Facts:

- Nearly every computer in the world is 64Bit standard
- You can install 32Bit software on 64Bit computers, but you CANNOT do the reverse!
- In 64Bit computers, the minimum recommended amount of RAM is 8GB (You can go lower, but you will suffer)
- Windows 7, 8 and 10 come in two flavours, 32Bit and 64Bit. Though by default Windows 10 is 64Bit regardless of your setup. An option for 32Bit is available but not always needed.
- 64Bit has been around since 70's, however it wasn't until 2003 that it became mainstream in computing. (Thanks AMD!)
- 64Bit can (In theory!) support an unlimited amount of RAM. (No one has tried this, because there's no system capable of going higher than 512GB!)

Why do I need to know this?:

It is vital to know this for two reasons:

The first, is relating to hardware. When you buy a new computer or laptop you can almost guarantee it's going to be 64Bit. However if the hardware is Sub-par (i.e. 4GB of RAM as opposed to 8GB), you will encounter performance problems.
If need be, you can reinstall a 32Bit copy of Windows or you can install more memory (If your computer allows it)

The second is software. If you buy a new piece of software that is 32Bit and you install it on a 64Bit computer, you will not have any problems.
However if you buy 64Bit software and your computer is 32Bit you will encounter huge problems not least being you can't install it (DENIED!)

(This is a saying I keep in mind: 32 on 64, never 64 on 32)

That's all for this piece, tomorrow I'll write up another segment regarding the various components inside your computer.




 
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