32 bit vs. 64 bit

[Caiven]

QUESTION: Why would anyone choose 64 bit over 32 bit if the 32 bit uses up less resources and isn't as bulky? I don't get it. I want to download Vivaldi, but i don't understand why i should assume the heavier version is better. Anybody know?
cm

[mib2berlin]

@Caiven
Hi, it seams you are on a 64 Bit system and OS and you have more than 4 GB RAM.
If not it make no difference as 32 Bit applications can address 2 GB per process only and 32 Bit OS can only address 4 GB RAM.
Vivaldi is a multi process software, each process can address 2 GB.
If you have 8 GB, for example, it make no sense to use 32 Bit applications.
No idea if anybody make performance tests with Vivaldi but it would be interesting to see one.
For applications as Video, Image editing the performance boost is gigantic.
Btw. 1 GB hard disk memory cost 25 cent, it does not matter if the software needs 150 or 200 MB. Modern games need 50 GB or something.
As most Linux distributors kick 32 Bit Years ago I am on 64 Bit for over ten Years now.
I need often more than 8 GB so I use 16 GB.

Cheers, mib

[Ayespy]

@Caiven 64-bit on a 64-bit system will make better use of available resources, so that it can actually run faster. 32-bit is lighter on resources, but can also experience bottlenecks or memory-swapping (which slows things) because of that.

A really good way to experience this is to install both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of really resource-hungry software like, say, an image-processing program. Run both versions, one after the other and turn on your system monitor. 32-bit will use less resources, and run visibly slower. 64-bit will use more resources and run up to twice as fast. I put both versions of Corel Paintshop on this rig for some reason, but use only the 64-bit one because the 32-bit one is painfully slow.

[Caiven]

@mib2berlin I have 64 bit but only 4gb ram, but i understand what you're saying. TY for your reply.

[Ayespy]

@Caiven The MAX that 32-bit can access is about 4 GB. 64-bit won't hurt you, I think, and may produce a somewhat smoother experience.

[Ayespy]

@Caiven On the whole, RAM is comparatively cheap. If your system can handle more, you might look into doing yourself a favor by installing more.

[iAN CooG]

@Ayespy said in 32 bit vs. 64 bit:

The MAX that 32-bit can access is about 3.75 GB.

I knew it was 3.5, but anyway that's a Windows limitation (and I never understood why), but there are programs that CAN use the RAM not addressed by Windows, for example Primo Ramdisk, which is very handy, so I can have a 512mb RAMdisk for quick tests without sacrificing any of the normal RAM

[Ayespy]

@iAN-CooG A 32-bit processor uses addresses that are 32 bits long. There are only 4,294,967,296, or 4GB, possible 32-bit (32-digit binary number) addresses. This means a single process on a 32-bit system can only address 4GB of RAM. In practical terms, since part of physical RAM installed in a computer is reserved for the system, the most RAM exposed for use by a process is (depending on the parameters of system circuitry) 3.5 GB on pedestrian systems and 3.75 GB on better-designed systems.

There are workarounds to these limitations, but they don't really apply to most 32-bit PCs.

[Ayespy]

@iAN-CooG Mathematical trivia: 64-bit computing can access 16 exabytes. An exabyte is a billion billion bytes. So, if you could get a big enough circuit board, you could install a billion GB of RAM.

[TbGbe]

@Ayespy said in 32 bit vs. 64 bit:

On the whole, RAM is comparatively cheap.

you could install a billion GB of RAM.

Glad you said "comparatively cheap"

[markaldo]

The terms 32-bit and 64-bit refer to the way a computer's processor (also called a CPU), handles information. Processor calls data from Memory i.e. RAM by giving its address to MAR (Memory Address Register). Selector electronics then finds that address in the memory bank and retrieves the data and puts it in MDR (Memory Data Register) This data is recorded in one of the Registers in the Processor for further processing. Thats why size of Data Bus determines the size of Registers in Processor. Now, if my processor has 32 bit register, it can call data of 4 bytes size only, at a time. And if the data size exceeds 32 bits, then it would required two cycles of fetching to have the data in it. This slows down the speed of 32 bit Machine compared to 64 bit, which would complete the operation in ONE fetch cycle only. So, obviosly for the smaller data, it makes no difference if my processors are clocked at the same speed. Again, with 64 bit processor and 64 bit OS, my instructions will be of 64 bit size always... which unnecessarily uses up more memory space.