After reading this article, you will hopefully know which operating system version to use on your computer and why. So, lets go to see the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
Difference Between 32-bit and 64-bit Operating Systems
To understand all of this better, you need to know something more about 32-bit and a 64-bit applications and architecture they are supposed to run on.32-bit Processors
The 32-bit processors were the main processor units in all computers until the early 90’s. Intel Pentium and early processors from AMD were built using a 32-bit architecture.
The operating system and applications on it was a 32-bit based and that means that they can work with data units that are 32 bits wide – which can address up to 4 GB of available memory.
64-bit Processors
The 32-bit processors where not available for the global use until early 2000’s when Microsoft has released a 64-bit version of their Windows XP. All modern computer processors support 64-bit addressing.
The 64-bit operating system and applications runs on this processor, which means that they can work with data units that are 64 bits wide – which can access to over four billion times as much physical memory than a 32-bit processor!
Operating System Limitations
However, operating systems have their memory limitations. When it comes to 32-bit operating systems, they can handle up to 4 GB of RAM memory while 64-bit version of Windows 8, for example, can handle up to 512 GB of available memory.
That is probably the most important difference between 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems – they can address much more memory from your computer and make everything run noticeably faster.
32-bit and 64-bit Software
A 32-bit applications works on both architectures, while a 64-bit software works only on a 64-bit operating system. This is because a 64-bit processor has a backward compatibility to 32-bit software and in most cases they should work properly.
A 64-bit software is created to support 64-bit processors and they might handle much more memory than a 32-bit applications. A 64-bit operating system performs best with 64-bit software.
The most noticeable change is when you use resource demanding software, such as 3D modeling, video editing or video games created natively for 64-bit operating systems. Other software might perform better if you have more RAM as well.
Because of all this, a 64-bit software is usually more stable and faster when we compare it with a 32-bit equivalent.
64-bit Driver Issues
A hardware device manufacturers today usually have a full support for a 64-bit operating systems. However, some older devices, such as old printers, scanners and similar stuff might not have a 64-bit drivers and they would not operate properly on a 64-bit systems.
I would recommend you to check out if your video card, printer and additional computer accessory have a 64-bit driver support before switching from 32-bit operating system to 64-bit version.
Should I Use 32-bit or 64-bit System?
All modern processors are based on a 64-bit architecture and RAM prices are cheaper than before. Because of that, more and more users use 64-bit operating systems on their computers.
I believe that, in the future there will be fewer and fewer 32-bit applications as software developers are concentrating more on a new 64-bit architecture.
So, the answer is this:
If your processor is built on a 64-bit architecture, then you should use a 64-bit operating system instead of the older 32-bit. Even if you have less than 4 GB of RAM – which you can eventually upgrade and use effectively without reinstallation of your system.
I hope that now you know the main difference between 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems and I help you choose the right one for your computer.