32-bit performance comparison x86 and 64-bit x64 versions Windows, as well as how necessary 4 GB random access memory.
A small theoretical part on 32- and 64-bit calculations
Various editions Windows already compared on this site in the material:. Here we will talk about the comparison of 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows.
This means that the processor operating system 32-bit. A 64-bit computer is a computer with a 64-bit processor and operating system. However, depending on the context, architecture sometimes means only hardware or software.
If you're looking to buy a computer, don't trust the slogans and look at the processor and operating system details to see if the 64-bit combination is fully sold or not. 32-bit processor and 32-bit 64-bit operating system and 32-bit 64-bit operating system and 64-bit operating system. The latter is a potentially more powerful combination. . Be careful at this point, because it's easy to get confused: the processor and the operating system are two different things!
It is quite natural that before comparing 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows, you must first deal with the question of what it is, what these 32 or 64 bits are, what they really mean.
Let's start with the processor. Many, probably, out of the corner of their ears heard that there are 32-bit processors, and there are 64-bit ones. Let's figure out for a start what is hidden behind these bits.
To reiterate, the processor is the physical component of your computer, the operating system is the software that makes it very easy for you to interact with the hardware and run the programs you need on your computer.
Process compatibility table, operating system, program and drivers for 32 bit and 64 bit
In red combinations that do not allow the computer to work. Basically, two versions of operating systems exist precisely to optimize the operating system for the type of processor used in the computer. The programs that you install on your computer are the third component of your computer and must be compatible with the processor and operating system.
I think there is no need to remind once again that processors are extremely complex devices. They are built from a huge number of different blocks. These are cache memory of various levels, these are blocks for fetching and decoding instructions, these are blocks for predicting transitions, these are several types of computing blocks. Some modern processors include a memory controller, a PCI-Express bus controller, and even a graphics core. In the context of this article, we are interested in blocks of computing blocks. Let's talk about them now.
Why are there 32-bit and 64-bit programs? Programs are not always available in both versions. Sometimes there are only 32-bit versions, sometimes they only exist in 64-bit. However, this trend is directed towards 64-bit programs.
What version of software installation?
Don't you know whether to install the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version of the program? You must install the 32-bit version of the program. A 64-bit program will not run on a 64-bit 32-bit system. It is definitely preferable to install the 64-bit version of the program. . What if your operating system is 64-bit and does not have a 64-bit version of the program?
There can be several types of such blocks in the processor. Some are dealing with calculations with integers, others are dealing with operations with real numbers or floating point numbers. There are also blocks for so-called complex instructions. Consider, for example, blocks that deal with integer calculations or simply ALU. In the course of work, these blocks need to store intermediate values somewhere. Such temporary storage are the so-called registers. They differ from conventional and cache memory primarily in minimal delays and incredibly high speed work. It is in these registers that the main difference between the so-called 32-bit And 64-bit processors. Let me explain this point in more detail.
Don't worry: the 32-bit version will run smoothly in most cases. Most 32-bit programs run on 64-bit operating systems without doing anything special. Sometimes 32-bit programs running on a 64-bit system don't work, especially if they are antivirus, system utilities or programs that use built-in drivers.
There are solutions to run these programs on 64-bit systems, but it's always best to avoid problems and get the best performance for choosing the 64-bit version of the program, if present. Like programs, a driver does not always exist in a 32-bit version and a 64-bit version.
The so-called 32-bit processors contain 8 general-purpose registers with a volume of 32 bit. In the so-called 64-bit processors, there are twice as many such general-purpose registers and, most importantly, their volume is 64-bits. This is the main difference between 32-bit and 64-bit processors. By the way, I will say that almost all modern processors are 64-bit.
For example, you cannot install a printer with a 32-bit driver. Don't miss the next lessons! Another way to get to the same window: Click, type System in the Search field, click System. Many also frequently report system information, including operating system version.
The 32-bit versions of programs are actually suitable for 32-bit operating systems, and the 64-bit versions of programs allow you to take advantage of 64-bit operating systems. Compatibility conditions with drivers and operating system are even narrower than between operating systems and operating systems. On 32-bit operating systems, you only need to use 32-bit drivers, on 64-bit operating systems, only 64-bit drivers. Although it is not supported, it can be run.
Consider what these registers give in practice. Generally speaking, a 64-bit processor in a normal 64-bit mode can work with 64-bit numbers without various tricks like splitting one complex operation into two. It also allows you to combine two simple operations on 32-bit numbers into one complex one. Not all operations can be combined like this, but still it's better than nothing.
Are you ready to install?
Solutions are developed internally, such as add-ons or document-level customizations. If none of these situations apply to your organization, it's likely that the 32-bit version is the best choice. If these restrictions have too many negative effects, you should opt for the 32-bit version. Developers can solve this problem in several ways and provide a 64-bit solution.
I definitely need the 64 bit version
Office solutions are developed in-house, such as add-ons or document-level customizations. For 64-bit installations, the program execution safety feature is always available, and 32-bit installations must be configured using the appropriate settings. The vendor will have to create a 64-bit version of these controls. . These items are usually available in 32-bit because many add-ons do not have 64-bit versions.Important note: performance gain can be obtained only when running within a 64-bit instruction set x86-64. It should also be noted that in addition to the block of integer calculations ALU, the processor also contains a floating point unit, or as it is also called FPU. It contains larger 80-bit registers and uses its own set of instructions x87. Also in the processor there are other blocks and other registers. These include, for example, SSE registers. They are 128 bits long.
Generally, the number of bits in a computer indicates the amount of data it can process, the processing speed, and the maximum memory capacity. To optimize computer performance, the number of operating system bits installed on the computer should match the number of bits on the computer itself.
Displaying the System Window on the Control Panel
If the method doesn't work, try another one.
Display the System Properties window in Control Panel
See the documentation that came with your computer, or contact your hardware manufacturer. Scroll quickly from the right edge of the screen and click Search. . In the right pane, check the system type.If you carefully read the previous paragraphs, you might have noticed that a certain 64-bit mode of operation was mentioned there. An attentive reader might have a question: are there other modes? Yes, a 64-bit processor also supports the so-called compatibility mode. In this mode, the extra 8 registers are simply disabled and the 64-bit processor behaves exactly like a 32-bit one. This is necessary primarily for the compatibility of the system software and programs that do not know how to work with a 64-bit processor. That's why it's called compatibility mode.
Let me explain this in five minutes. When a 64-bit program or operating system means it is designed to run on 64-bit machines. For several years now, these versions have become more and more common because they have more advantages than the 32-bit classic version. Let's see what the benefits are.
What are the benefits of 64-bit?
A 32-bit operating system cannot use more than 3 gigabytes of memory for a number of restrictions that are not present when using a 64-bit operating system. In fact, the latter can handle a much larger amount of data than the system. In addition to having multiple windows and applications open at the same time, more memory is required to run heavy applications such as video editors, games, and games. Also, browsers that are becoming more powerful will benefit from this increased memory availability.
It is quite natural that for the processor to work in normal 64-bit mode, a 64-bit operating system with appropriate drivers is needed. If there is a 32-bit operating system, then the processor runs in compatibility mode and behaves like a regular 32-bit processor.
Important note: some readers may have a perfectly logical question about how 32-bit programs will work in a 64-bit system. This problem was solved in a quite logical way: the system has two sets of system libraries for 32-bit and 64-bit applications. That's all.
Another important advantage of 64 bits is security. Using a lot of memory, 64-bit operating systems can use techniques that make it harder for viruses to attack. And then most of the existing viruses were created to attack 32-bit systems, so they do not work on 64-bit systems.
What about 64-bit flaws?
While most applications run smoothly on a 64-bit system, some of them are incompatible. If you try to make an attempt, the following error message will appear. Another common problem is drivers or controllers, programs that allow the operating system to communicate with peripherals such as printers or graphics cards.
Another much more pressing problem is related to the capacity of the registers. It consists in limiting the address space for memory. Roughly speaking, the processor can only address 4 GB of address space. It would seem that just in a laptop there is 4GB of RAM, the system should see all 4GB. In practice, not everything is so simple. The fact is that in addition to RAM, there is also video card memory, there are buffers various devices, well, the BIOS can allocate another part of the memory for the same video core. As a result, the memory available to the user is reduced from 4GB to 2.5-3.5 GB. Here we are not talking about a particular operating system, this is a fundamental limitation. Probably, many of you, my dear readers, have already come across it. Let's consider this problem in more detail.
Finally, a 64-bit secondary effect is that one program uses more memory in the 64-bit version than in the 64-bit version. To run 64-bit programs, you will need a 64-bit operating system, which requires a computer with a 64-bit processor. Majority modern processors can work with 64 bits, but of course fast and universal way test it - run a 64-bit check and see the result.
If there are no errors, nothing is printed on the screen. To check for correctness, use. We will be able to install packages that only exist in the 32-bit version. If we need to install applications from unofficial repositories that only support 64-bit packages, we will get a missing architecture error.
Everything is really simple here. The fact is that registers store not only data, but also so-called address pointers. In the case of a 32-bit processor, the size of this register itself is limited to 32 bits. This is where the limitation of 4 GB or 2 to the 32nd power of bytes comes from.
Summarizing the above, I want to note once again that any 32-bit operating system, in principle, cannot work with all 4 GB of RAM due to the fact that many system devices require part of the address space for their work, and it is limited to 4 GB. So the system selects it at the expense of RAM. Unused RAM can be used as a temporary disk using the utility RAM disk.
This is due to the huge costs that every software house has to face in order to recompile applications on the architecture. But something is finally starting to move! And the 64-bit launch has finally begun! We repeat the selection for keyboard layout and date and currency format.
Confirm with "Next" and click "Install". To avoid losing files on your hard drive, click Refresh. In the window that appears on the screen, enter the username that we will use to access the computer; Instead, the computer name is automatically compiled and we can leave it as is. In addition to these there are many development tools, we only introduce the most used ones and we will talk about others like them.
Important note: here it is worth noting that for 32-bit operating systems there is a mechanism that allows you to use more than 4GB of address space. It's called PAE or Physical Address Extension in this case, the system can address up to 64 GB of memory. This technology originally developed for server systems. For normal operation, it requires the appropriate corrected drivers. Since there are few such working drivers, it is disabled by default even on server OSes. On regular editions of Windows, it was also disabled by default. This is done for the same reasons. Now there are so-called "craftsmen" who turn it on, the system really sees all the available RAM, but now errors begin to appear in the most unexpected places. Diagnosing this kind of error is very difficult. So my advice to you. If you need to use more than 3-4 GB of RAM, then install a 64-bit operating system.
Set environment variables
You will be automatically redirected to the download page and you will have to accept the license terms before you can download it. The installation procedure is completely automatic and you only need to accept the default installation. It is better to save this address in your favorites for future reference. The default compiler is not in the path, so to "try" you will have to look for it in the installation directory, e.g.
If you can use it without worrying about including the entire path, we can include it in the system environment variables. Let's see how to do it in the most common cases. To verify that the installation was successful, you can try running virtual machine, for example, by opening a command interpreter and trying to run a command.
As you can see, the 64-bit mode of operation has the following pros and cons:
- + A 64-bit system can work with the entire amount of RAM;
- + some operations on a 64-bit processor are performed much faster;
- - 64-bit pointers require more memory. This increases the amount of RAM used by applications.
As you can see, not everything is so simple. Let us now consider how this manifests itself in practice.
The result should be similar to the figure below. No backward compatibility Backward compatibility is one of the biggest fears for all people, but there is a mechanism that protects us in this regard. It's a subsystem that obviously doesn't use the power of 64 bits, but can run 32 bit applications smoothly. In practice it would be like buying a bigger car and worrying that maybe we won't get the same amount of people that went into what we had before.
Unfortunately, this is not the case for drivers, in fact, on 64-bit systems you cannot use drivers for 32-bit systems. 64-bit drivers have digital signature, so they are much more reliable, resulting in greater stability of the entire system. However, with drivers, we don't have retro compatibility as mentioned above, so always do some preliminary checks before updating 64-bit drivers.
Comparison of performance of 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows
First you need to say a few words about the testing methodology.
Measurements were taken on a laptop Asus N61Vn with quad-core processor Intel Core 2 Quad Q9000, used as a video card nVidia GeForce GT 240M with 1 GB dedicated memory. It is important to note that the laptop has been installed 4 GB RAM DDR3-1066. The comparison was made using 32- and 64-bit versions Windows Vista SP2 With latest updates. The driver versions were the same to level out performance differences between different versions. For the reasons described above, 32-bit Windows was available around 3GB RAM, on the 64-bit edition of Windows - about 4 GB.
Important note: This test was also carried out on Windows XP And Windows 7 on a weaker laptop Acer Timeline 3810T with single core processor Intel Core 2 Duo SU3500 And 4GB random access memory. The nature of the results for these cases did not change and remained approximately the same.
The performance comparison can be divided into two main parts:
- Performance study of common 32-bit programs on 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows;
- Measuring the speed of 32-bit and 64-bit versions of programs on the corresponding edition of Windows.
Study of the performance of applied 32-bit programs.
The purpose of this testing is to determine what kind of performance gain can be expected when moving from a 32-bit to a 64-bit edition of Windows. The relevance of this study stems from the fact that this moment many games and programs do not have specially optimized 64-bit versions. It is also necessary to recall here that a 32-bit system works with 3 GB of memory, and a 64-bit one with 4 GB.
- 3DMark03 3.6;
- 3DMark05 1.3;
- 3DMark06 1.1;
- PCMark05 1.2.
Such a set of applications is due to the fact that they can quite accurately reflect the real situation with the performance of most programs and games. You can, of course, take a lot of different applied applications, but then the research methodology would become much more complicated. Also, the measurement error would increase due to the worse repeatability of a particular test and the limited accuracy of measuring instruments.
1. 3DMark03 performance comparison results
Application default settings. Screen resolution 1024x768:
2. 3DMark05 performance comparison results
The settings are set by default. Screen resolution 1024x768:
3. 3DMark06 performance comparison results
Settings as always by default. The screen resolution is 1280x720:
3. PCMark05 performance comparison results
This test includes several separate tests. Here are the results individually.
Overall result in PCMark05
Processor performance in PCMark05 test suite
Memory performance in PCMark05
The extra gigabyte of RAM on a 64-bit system does the trick.
Graphics performance in PCMark05 benchmark
Results of Comparing the Performance of Conventional Applications
The results of the study are quite expected. Due to the use of the compatibility mode, the 64-bit system showed slightly lower performance when working with regular 32-bit programs.
This performance comparison also showed that there is no real benefit from 4 gigabytes of RAM in that set of applications. It is important to note here that in fact, in heavy applications like graphic editors, computer-aided design (CAD) and others, the amount of RAM plays a key role. There from additional gigabytes of RAM real benefit really is.
Comparison of performance of 32-bit and 64-bit versions of programs
The purpose of this part of the study is to measure the performance gain when using optimized 64-bit programs on a 64-bit operating system.
The following applications were used to compare performance:
- Archiver 7-Zip 4.65;
- PCMark Vantage test package.
1. Testing with 7-Zip
This archiver has already been mentioned in the article. In this material, it will act as a test application. The reason for this choice is that it is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, is able to work with multi-core processors, it is quite CPU intensive, and it also contains built-in performance testing tools. During testing, the size of the dictionary was 32 MB.
Let's go straight to the results:
It is easy to see that the 64-bit optimized version of the archiver on a 64-bit system proved to be much better than a similar 32-bit version on a 32-bit system. This is a completely expected result. Optimizations make themselves felt.
2. Testing with the PCMark Vantage Test Suite
Test package PC Mark Vantage also available in 32-bit and 64-bit editions. This test package includes several tests. Let's consider them separately.
Overall result in the PCMark Vantage test suite
RAM performance in PCMark Vantage
Video and TV playback speed in PCMark Vantage
Gaming Performance
Music playback performance in PCMark Vantage
Communication performance comparison in PCMark Vantage
Comparison of performance in office applications
Hard drive performance comparison
As in the case of 7-Zip, in general the 64-bit version of the test package PC Mark Vantage shows more high performance than the 32 bit version on a 32 bit system. Here, the main contribution was made by optimizations for 64-bit processors, as well as a slightly larger amount of available memory: four gigabytes for 64-bit Windows versus three for the 32-bit edition of Windows.
Let's sum up the research
Results of comparing the performance of 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows
- Biggest performance boost in 64-bit editions Windows XP, Windows Vista And Windows 7 is possible only if you use optimized 64-bit versions of programs and games. When working with common applications without optimization for 64-bit, there is no performance gain;
- Many applications and games do not show a significant increase in performance when the amount of available RAM is increased beyond 3 GB. The exception is complex applications for working with images, video, design systems, and others. Over time, the number of such applications will increase. For such applications, the use of a 64-bit system is more than justified.
- Some applications on a 64-bit system are unstable for various reasons. Fortunately, there are fewer and fewer such applications.
All questions on the advisability of installing 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows please state in this forum thread:.
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Sincerely, the author of the material - Tonievich Andrey. Publication of this material on other resources is permitted only with reference to the source and indicating the author
Guide on how to find and remove all viruses and others malware from a laptop or computer.
Description of how to install and run the full version Windows XP from under Windows Vista or Windows 7 using the program Oracle Virtual Box . In this Windows case XP installs in a virtual machine and runs as a standalone application on Windows Vista, Windows 7, or any other operating system, including various Linux distributions. In this way, compatibility problems of various programs and drivers with Windows Vista, Windows 7, or other operating systems can be resolved.
In this article, we will learn what 32 and 64-bit systems and programs are, and what x86, x64, x32 means. We will also decide which system to install on your computer or laptop.
What it is?
The division into 32 and 64 bits is primarily related to the type of processors in your computer or laptop. Previously (many years ago) all processors in computers were 32-bit. And even earlier they were 8 bit. Those. the more “bitness” of your processor, the faster and better it solves everything system tasks and perform operations faster. Thus 64 bit processors are faster than 32 bit ones.
Most modern computers have 64-bit processors. In 5 years, 128-bit processors will also appear. After all, science and technology do not stand still.
OS
In addition to the fact that Windows operating systems are different types(XP, 7, etc.), they are also divided into x86 and x64 versions. Accordingly, if you have a 64-bit processor, then the system must be installed x64.
By the way, x86 means 32-bit system. Why is it called x86 and not x32? Almost no one knows this. Previously, 32-bit systems were written x32. And then they began to be called x86, although this did not change the essence - it is still the same 32-bit system. In my opinion, such a renaming is nothing more than a cunning marketing ploy to pass off the old as something new.
If you install a 32-bit OS on a computer with a 64-bit architecture, the computer will still work normally. And vice versa, if you install x64 on a 32-bit computer, then everything will also work fine.
What are the differences?
One of the main differences between x86 and x64 systems is the use of your computer's RAM. The RAM usage limit for 32-bit systems is 3 GB. Therefore, if your computer or laptop has more than 3 GB of RAM, the system will not use the rest. Those. On a computer with 8GB of RAM, 5GB simply won't be used. Of course have special utilities to help fix it, but still...
So this is the main rule: If your computer has more than 3 GB of RAM, then install x64 OS (64-bit) on it.
Another difference is that computer programs are also divided into 32 and 64-bit. If you want maximum performance, then install the appropriate programs on your computer. This is especially true of modern graphic editors.
What is better: x86 or x64?
After reading the above, you probably have the impression that 64-bit systems are much better and faster, and therefore it is better to install x64 on all computers and laptops. But no!
The main disadvantage is that 64-bit programs use much more RAM for their work. And therefore, if you have little RAM, then installing x64 will be stupid. In addition, you need to consider that the OS itself also uses part of the RAM.
For example:
You have a computer or laptop with 2 GB of RAM and a 32 bit processor. You install Windows 7 x64 on it. Many schoolchildren like to install 64-bit Windows 7 on all computers in a row (youthful maximalism). And now let's count: 768 MB is used by Windows 7, plus 64-bit programs, which also use more RAM. Thus, it turns out that you reduce the power of your hardware to a minimum. Therefore, it is better to install 32-bit Windows XP on such a computer or laptop.
By the way, some 64-bit applications are unstable. But such programs are becoming less and less.
Conclusion
If you have a powerful modern computer with a 64-bit processor and more than 3 GB of RAM, then feel free to install Windows 7 x64. On weak computers, you can install XP. By the way, there are 64-bit Windows versions XP, which is very handy if you have a laptop with 2-3 GB of RAM and a 64-bit processor.
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Article comments:
Thank you! Everything is simple and clear)
What kind of lamer wrote this article? The tops picked up and imagined himself a guru !!! "Why is it called x86 and not x32? Almost no one knows this" Initially, processors by Intel had 86 teams. Therefore, x86 applies only to Intel processors and their clones based on 86 instructions. This number has nothing to do with bit depth, since x64 processors also contain these commands. Everything else is bullshit and lies. Windows x32 works fine with more than 4g RAM and even more than 8g and with 16g too. Take to example windows server x32. The restriction was set small-soft to expand the market.
The article is very informative, thanks.
Thanks to the author! Lost, I've been advanced up the user ladder by another third of the step!! :)))
Thank you for your work!!! Very informative and useful article!!!+++
Thank you very much everything is clear! Very useful article!
It is clear that everything is not clear!
But if I download a program, and they write to me that it is only for 64-bit systems. What does this mean and what to do?
which Windows to install x86 or x64 you need to look at the iron processor and motherboard and, accordingly, the operating system. everything should support only one architecture. or x86 or x64 because they are NOT COMPATIBLE with each other ...
I used to have Windows7 32bit, I installed another win8 when I installed it, I chose 64bit and it works fine)
X86 as such does not exist, there is x32, there is x64, there is i860 - the number of the first compatible processor. In general, the denomination (X) in electronics denotes the contacts on the connectors, respectively x32 - 32 input contacts, 64 - 64 contacts. But we live in Russia, be curious what concept the famous IMHO has become. Get used to it!
clarification to the line of text "And vice versa, if you install x64 on a 32-bit computer, then everything will also work fine." - or the computer will refuse to start at the first reboot stage when installing Windows
Thank you Artem everything is specifically stated and clear
Thank you for the article.
Good review. In general, there are a number of specifics with support for 32-bit applications on 64-bit ones. For example, wow64, although it allows you to run 32-bit, does not allow code injection. It is for this reason that most programs modifying windows explorer, do not start.
Good day to everyone :) And to the author personally :) Thanks for the article, it helped me :)
Tell me on a 64 bit processor with 3GB of RAM all the same, which OS is better to hang 86 or 64
In fact, you can install a 64-bit system on a 32-bit processor, because. 64bit OS can run in 32 mode
HOW can I install a 64 bit system on a computer with a 32 bit processor??? HOW? It just won't install!
I forgot to say, the name is formed from two numbers that ended the names Intel processors early models - 8086, 80186, 80286 (i286), 80386 (i386), 80486 (i486). Better buy AMD, they support both equally and for half the price they give out what Intel can hardly show you for the same money
The article is nonsense, you cannot install x64 programs or OS on x32 percent, these numbers represent the lengths of processor commands, most modern programs are 32-bit applications, a 64-bit processor has to recode commands, because of this, if you run 32- bit application on a 64-bit process, you can use only 2 gigabytes of opera and the program will work one and a half times slower. The Crisis game takes advantage of x64 processors, but Crisis is omno. Article rubbish powdering brains
Stanislav, I admit I exaggerated a little, but I described everything correctly. 32-bit operating systems see only 4 gigs of RAM. At the same time, a part is reserved by iron drivers. and therefore uses a 32-bit system only about 3.25GB. If you start the OS in "safe mode", then the system will start to see all 4 gigs, but this is only because the system boots bypassing the loading of drivers. Therefore, if you install a 32-bit system on a computer with 8 gigs of RAM, it will turn out that the OS will see only 4 gigs maximum. So, in order to use all 8GB, you need to install a 64-bit OS. So everything is correctly written in the article - I write articles only about what I am well versed in. Take a bite, aggressive visitor of our site :)
On a computer with 8GB of RAM, 5GB simply won't be used. Brad, a person has no idea what he is talking about and misleads people.
in me the computer was 64bit ale after that, after rearranging windows vin becoming 32? why?!
