What is the difference between 64bit and 32bit? (other than size) is one faster? more powerful? Need a better comp?
What is the difference between 64bit and 32bit? (other than size) is one faster? more powerful? Need a better comp?
Regards, David.
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Unless I'm mistaken a 32bit OS can only handle 4Gigs of RAM (more like 3.8 or something like that). You need a 64bit OS if you have more than 4 Gigs or RAM.
I've heard though that 64bit OSes have lots of problems with 32bit software. You need special 64bit versions of stuff. I think!
Not strictly true, either of those points. Here's a nice site that explains the 3 gigabyte limit myth rather nicely, as usual is springs from the Windows world and Microsoft's half-truth marketing.
As to the problems with mixing software - 64 bit Windows generally has no problems with 32 bit software and the various Linux flavours can mostly be made to play along in the same way, providing both sets of libraries are available. A 32 bit machine cannot run 64 bit software, however.
64bits is slightly faster (unnoticeable in a common PC)
Thread moved to Recurring Discussions.
I stand corrected.
Leave it to M$ those........*mumble mumble* guys.
But..System Monitor in Ubuntu shows me as having only 2.7 Gigs of RAM. I have 4 gigs installed! It also shows only one CPU. I have a dual-core. Something is goofy here. Is that because I'm not using a PAE kernal? The PAE kernal in 11.10 wont boot for me. It locks up.
There can be various things stealing or hiding your installed memory - the BIOS can be remapping it for onboard graphics or IO, or perhaps something weird. If you have a 64 bit kernel installed on a 64 bit machine then you do not need PAE, if you have 32 bit then you may do.
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