32-bit & 64-bit Operating System Explained

You can think of your computer as a series of pipes that can either be 32 or 64 bits wide. The smaller 32-bit size will have more potential for bottlenecks to occur resulting in your system slowing down because one process has to wait for another to finish before it can begin.  On the other hand if you have the bigger 64-bit wide pipe there will be fewer bottlenecking.

In short the terms 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) refer to the way a computer's processor or CPU, handles information.  The 64-bit version handles large amounts of RAM more effectively than a 32-bit system.

So which is better?  Consider the following:

1. A 64-bit system is better in the long run because of the amount of information it can handle without slowing down, but you also need to be running 64-bit programs and have a 64-bit processor or else all the trouble of setting up the 64-bit operating system would be in vain.

2. On a 32-bit operating system, you are restricted to a maximum of 4 GB of RAM while on a 64-bit operating system there really is no near-future limit (17.2 BILLION GB of RAM).

If you are running 3D modeling or AutoCAD software, you can benefit tremendously from 64-bit OS but it is important to note that you need to be running ALL x64 programs, hardware drivers and anything else you are setting up on your system to realize its full potential.

3. A 64-bit OS will require more hard drive space for installation.  The 64-bit version of your favorite programs may also be significantly bigger than their 32-bit counterpart.

NB: On a x64 machine, you will have two Program File directories — one for 32-bit and one for 64-bit programs

How to tell which version you are running:

Click HERE

FUN FACTS:

Windows 64-bit Home editions are limited to 16 GB of RAM for licensing purposes while the Professional and Ultimate versions can use up to 192 GB of RAM.