You’ve probably seen 32-bit and 64-bit options available whenever you
download an app, or install a game. Your
PC might even have a sticker that says it has a 64-bit processor. But does
it really matter? Most new PCs have a 64-bit processor, so what
do you really need to know about 32-bit vs. 64-bit CPUs?
Well, for starters, if you’re a Windows user, you’ve probably noticed
that you have two Program Files folders — one labeled simply “Program Files” and the other labeled
“Program Files (x86).” Understanding the difference between
these two folders and why you have them in the first place is pretty important,
especially if you’ve ever installed the wrong program in the wrong folder. It’s
the kind of thing you’ll never notice until you accidentally do it and your apps
start misbehaving.
The same,
but different
First off, the reason you have those two folders is because there are
currently two fundamentally different architectures used to manufacture
computer processors, and as a result, there are two fundamentally different
ways to write programs and apps for them. Applications all use shared
resources on a Windows system; these are called DLL files, or Dynamic Link
Libraries. They’re basically just pooled libraries of common
resources that many different apps will use. Windows puts them all in a single
place to make things easier for software developers.
Those DLL files are written and structured in fundamentally different
ways because they’re meant to be used by 64-bit applications or 32-bit
applications. If, for instance, a 32-bit application reaches out for a DLL and
finds a 64-bit version, it’s just going to stop working. Imagine going to a
library to find a specific textbook, and then realizing that everything is in a
foreign language. You’d likely leave and assume you went to the wrong place.
The same basic principle applies here.
Wouldn’t it be easier if you simply used 64-bit software on 64-bit
systems, and ignore 32-bit software entirely? Well, not really. The problem is
the 32-bit (x86) architecture has been around for a very long time, and there
are still a host of applications that utilize 32-bit architecture. Modern
64-bit systems can run 32-bit and 64-bit software because of a very simple
and easy solution: two separate Program Files directories. When 32-bit
applications are sequestered to the appropriate x86 folder, Windows knows to
serve up the right DLL, aka the 32-bit version. Everything in the regular
Program Files directory, on the other hand, can access the other stuff, the
good stuff.
So why does it even matter, why do we have these two different
architectures at all?
What are
bits?
The number of bits in a processor refers to the size of the data types
that it handles and the size of its registry. Simply put, a 64-bit processor is
more capable than a 32-bit processor because it can handle more data at once. A
64-bit processor is capable of storing more computational values, including
memory addresses, which means it’s able to access over four billion times as
much physical memory than a 32-bit processor. That’s just as big as it sounds.
64-bit processors are to 32-bit processors what the automobile is to the
horse-drawn buggy.
The key difference: 32-bit processors are perfectly capable of handling
a limited amount of RAM (in Windows, 4GB or less), and 64-bit processors are
capable of utilizing much more. Of course, in order to achieve this, your
operating system also needs to be designed to take advantage of the greater
access to memory. This Microsoft page runs down memory limitations for
multiple versions of Windows.
A horse-drawn cart will get you to work just as easily as a car will, barring
any equine issues, but a car is a lot more capable – it can get you to work, or
across the country and it can do it a lot faster than a horse can.
How many
bits?
As a general rule, if you have under 4GB of RAM in your computer, you
don’t need a 64-bit CPU, but if you have 4GB
or more, you do. While many users may find that a 32-bit processor
provides them with enough performance and memory access, applications that tend
to use large amounts of memory may show vast improvements with the upgraded
processor. Image and video-editing software, 3D rendering utilities,
and video games will make better use of a 64-bit architecture and operating
system, especially if the machine has 8GB or even 16GB of RAM that can be
divided among the applications that need it.
Through hardware emulation, it’s possible to run 32-bit software and
operating systems on a machine with a 64-bit processor. The opposite isn’t true
however, in that 32-bit processors cannot run software designed with 64-bit
architecture in mind. This means if you want to take full advantage of your new
processor you also need a new operating system, otherwise you won’t experience
any marked benefits over the 32-bit version of your hardware.
Operating
System Differences
With an increase in the availability of 64-bit processors and larger
capacities of RAM, Microsoft and Apple both have upgraded
versions of their operating systems that are designed to take
full advantage of the new technology.
In the case of Microsoft Windows, the basic versions of the operating
systems put software limitations on the amount of RAM that can be used by
applications, but even in the ultimate and professional version of the
operating system, 4GB is the maximum usable memory the 32-bit version can
handle. While the latest
versions of a 64-bit operating system can increase the
capabilities of a processor drastically, the real jump in power comes from
software designed with this architecture in mind.
Software
and Drivers
Applications with high performance demands already take advantage of the
increase in available memory, with companies releasing 64-bit versions of their
programs. This is especially useful in programs that can store a lot of
information for immediate access, like image-editing software that opens
multiple large files at the same time.
Video games are also uniquely equipped to take advantage of 64-bit
processing and the increased memory that comes with it. Being able to handle
more computations at once means more spaceships on screen without lagging and
smoother performance from your graphics card, which doesn’t have to share
memory with other processes anymore.
Most software is backwards compatible, allowing you to run applications
that are 32-bit in a 64-bit environment without any extra work or issues. Virus
protection software (these are our
favorites) and drivers tend to be the exception to this rule, with
hardware mostly requiring the proper version be installed in order to function
correctly.
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