There are several basic concepts that differentiate operating systems with different bit depths:
1 64-bit Windows option formally looks like the previous version. However, users with multi-core processors may notice an increase in speed when working with new applications.
2 x32 – a system that allows you to work only with a maximum of four gigabytes RAM. But x64 makes it possible to use larger volumes, up to 192 GB. It turns out that people who have more RAM installed simply get access to additional resources, which speeds up work individual programs and the entire system as a whole.
3 It is imperative to remember that not all manufacturers have tried to create drivers for 64-bit systems. And this can become a serious problem while the computer is running. It is best to search and download on the equipment manufacturer’s website before reinstalling the OS. necessary files. Otherwise, many programs, and even the equipment itself, will not work correctly, constantly creating problems.
4 At the same time, most of the most popular applications developed for x32 fully perform their functionality on x64, including drivers.
5 With a small amount of memory, 64-bit versions of Windows usually work poorly, with some programs “slowing down”.
By and large, if your computer has four or less gigabytes of RAM installed, switch to new version doesn't make sense.
Change of bit depth. Can this be done quickly?( )
After many users become familiar with the obvious benefits of 64-bit operating system, they want to know how to change Windows to a more convenient one. This is done relatively simply - you need to reinstall the entire shell, selecting the appropriate version. In the same way, there is a return to the previous version of the OS.
In order to install a 64-bit version of the OS on a computer that is already running Windows x32, you need to boot the workstation using an installation disk or flash drive with a system of the desired bit depth.
If you don’t have an installation disk or flash drive, then you can download my free mini-course about
If the device cannot work with this type of shell, a boot manager error message will appear. In addition, a window will appear asking you to insert a disk with 32-bit software.
The data migration tool cannot move information between operating systems with different bit depths. Therefore, you first need to place all the files on a portable device.
Processor bit rate( )
We have already found out that the choice of operating system directly depends on two main parameters - the amount of RAM and the processor bit capacity. If the first one can be viewed on the “System” tab, then the second one is more difficult.
There are a lot of programs in Windows, the most convenient and popular of which is CPU-Z. It is completely free and intuitive - even a beginner can figure it out.
After installation, launch the application and on the “ CPU" looking for the field " Specification", where the necessary information will be indicated.
For many users of the Windows operating system, it is no secret that there are two versions of it based on the type of bit depth. These are 32 bit and 64. Everyone needs to know the bit depth of their operating system, because when searching and downloading drivers, programs and games, it is taken into account.
But there is some confusion with the designations of the bit capacity of the system, as well as drivers and programs. There are three designations for two bit sizes - x32, x64 and x86. For this reason, the question often arises: is the 32-bit version x64 or x86?
You will find the answer to this question in this article.
The second designation of the 32-bit version of the software
To further eliminate confusion regarding the bitness of software, which includes the operating system, drivers, programs and games, remember that there are two main versions of software bitness - 32 bits and 64 bits. The 64-bit version can only be designated as x64, but the 32-bit version can be designated as both x32 and x86.
Here is an example of the designation of a 64-bit version of a driver for a laptop on its official website:
But possible options 32 bit version designations:
Bit capacity designation on the driver website
Designation of bit depth in the program description
From all of the above we can conclude that the 32-bit version of the software is x86.
x64 denotes a 64-bit version of some software. Please take this into account when selecting the version of drivers and any other programs.
In order to view what bitness of your operating system you have, just click right click mouse over the “Computer” icon on the desktop and select “Properties”.
Greetings, dear friends. Today we’ll talk, as you understand from the title, about Windows bit depth.
Not many computer users have heard that Windows has a certain bit capacity - x32, x64 and x86, and even fewer users actually know what it is, where to get it/change it and why it is needed. There are even a number of myths associated with these bit depths.
While surfing the internet the other day I noticed interesting thing- there is very little intelligible information on this issue, which actually prompted me to write this article.
Introductory information about Windows bit depth
Let me start, perhaps, with the fact that Windows currently has two bit depths: 32-bit and 64-bit, i.e. distributions are divided into x32 and x64, respectively. As for x86, this is nothing more than a designation for the 32-bit version (i.e. if you see x86, then know that we are talking about x32). Why two names are absolutely not clear, but know that if you did not specifically install a 64-bit operating system, then your Windows is 32-bit.
However, just in case, you can see the bit depth in the system in the simplest way: find the “My Computer” shortcut, right-click on it and select Properties (the screenshot below is relevant for Windows 7, in the case of Windows XP the window will be slightly different, but the meaning is the same):
Let's figure out how the distributions and bit depth of Windows x32 differ from Windows x64 and whether it's worth switching to 64-bit at all.
Note: not only the system, but also programs (and drivers) have a bit capacity, that is, there are 32-bit and 64-bit, and therefore, following the text below, they can see and use either a limited amount of memory or all of it.
Is it worth exchanging awl for soap and vice versa?
The main and perhaps the only difference between x64 and x32 is that the x64 version can work with memory up to 32 GB and run both 64-bit and 32-bit applications simultaneously, while the traditional x32 can only address up to 4 GB of memory, run only 32-bit programs for which only 3 GB are available (simply put, even if the computer has 4 GB (or more) of memory, the 32-bit system will display and work with only 3, and the rest of the memory will simply be idle, because neither the system nor the programs will simply see it).
For the x64 version the situation is different: all 4 (or more) GB are available for 32-bit applications , and for 64-bit applications, in general, all the RAM that is physically installed in the computer. I repeat that a 64-bit system can run both applications, but not vice versa.
In general terms, this is it. The rest is a bunch of technical and not very detailed details that, in general, you don’t really need to know, and therefore I’ll simply give some results that will explain why it’s worth/not worth (it’s up to you to decide anyway) to switch to x64.
Which Windows bit depth should you choose and why?
Let's go. All the pros and cons of switching to Windows x64:
- 64-bit Windows version, formally looks and feels exactly the same as a regular 32-bit one, i.e. there are no special innovations or bonuses in it, however, people with multi-core processors can experience an increase in performance when using such a system and 64-bit applications in it (which, however, is not relevant for everyone and not always);
- x64 is capable of seeing and working with 4 GB or more RAM. But x32 sees only 3 GB, even if the RAM physically costs more. That is, people who have a large amount of memory in their computer will get better performance on a 64-bit system and fewer problems with insufficient RAM;
- Not for all computers and the hardware in them, manufacturers have released 64-bit versions of drivers, which can become a problem when switching to such a system. Check the availability of drivers on the website of the manufacturers of motherboards, video cards, etc., it is possible that you simply will not be able to migrate from a 32-bit system;
- Most x32 applications work fine on x64 systems, but not vice versa;
- Formally, the meaning of the transition mainly lies in the amount of memory on board the computer. If it is less than 4 GB, then there is almost no point in switching. If it’s more (or you want to put more), then it’s worth it. Naturally, for most systems, applications and games, the rule “The more memory, the better” is relevant. Why? Read in my article ""
- My opinion is definitely x64, because large number memory and, sometimes, improved performance for multi-cores, definitely rules.
Quite recently, a note was published on the site’s blog to help those who are planning to update their computer or buy/assemble a new one. Namely, it talked about how much RAM a computer needs, depending on the tasks it faces: How much RAM do you need?
Our next note on the plan was an article about support for various amounts of memory by the operating system - about the bit capacity of the operating system; that not all memory sizes are supported by all versions of Windows. Special thanks to all the readers who mentioned the topic of bit depth in the comments on the blog: after reading them, I realized that a short blog post on this topic is not enough. We need detailed material on this topic.
That is why it was decided to write an article (educational education, if you will) on this issue and post it here on ITexpertPortal.com - in the archive of free training materials and articles on important topics in computer literacy.
So, let's return to the main topic, the bit depth of operating systems and support for different amounts of memory. First let's answer the question:
What is bit depth anyway?
Scientific definition: In computer science, the bit capacity of an electronic (in particular, peripheral) device or bus is the number of bits (bits) simultaneously processed by this device or transmitted by this bus. The term applies to components computing, peripheral or measuring devices: computer data buses, processors, etc. The bit depth of a computer is the bit depth of its machine word.(source - Wikipedia).
I think everything is simple and clear. Bit capacity is the ability to simultaneously process a certain number of bits, to put it simply.
In fact, everything is not so simple, and no article is enough to cover this issue completely and “scientifically”. Therefore, we will not delve into the course of PC architecture, but will touch upon purely practical issues that we have to deal with and that are important to us, the users.
What does the amount of RAM have to do with it?
There are two versions of the Windows operating system (at least for now - only two). It doesn’t matter what exactly we take from modern and current systems: XP, Vista or 7.
All these systems exist in two versions - 32-bit and 64-bit. For example:
Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit (or x86 - equivalent designations)
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit ( or x64 - equivalent designations)
Windows Vista Ultimate x86 (x86 - this is the designation for the 32-bit version)
Windows Visa Ultimate x64 (respectively - 64-bit version)
Of course, there are architectural differences between 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows. You can talk about them for a long time, but there is no point, believe me. 🙂
The most important features and differences that directly affect the user and which he has to deal with:
1. Maximum amount of RAM.
2. Bit size of the operating system.
3. Processor capacity.
This is what we will talk about in more detail...
Maximum amount of RAM.
A 32-bit operating system can address (i.e., can use, "see") no more than 4 GB of RAM. This is the most important difference, and the most significant. If your computer has, say, 2 GB installed, then a 32-bit operating system works fine with that amount.
If you install 4 GB of memory and run a 32-bit OS, then it simply will not see such a volume. All she will be able to use is approximately 3.5 GB of the 4 GB. It cannot provide the remaining volume for running programs. Of course, if you install, say, 8 GB of memory into your computer, and at the same time remain on a 32-bit system, then it will also not see more than 3.5 GB of the total installed volume.
The 64-bit operating system can work with much larger amounts of memory - up to 192 GB (for Windows 7). Those. if you, say, wanted to install 8 GB of memory, then you definitely need to switch to a 64-bit OS, otherwise you simply will not be able to use such a large amount of available space.
We considered, so to speak, the “extremes”, up to 2 GB and 8 GB and more. What about the golden mean? What if you already have it installed or are planning to upgrade the memory to 4GB? In this case, is it necessary to switch to a 64-bit OS so that the computer can use not 3.3, but all 4 GB of memory?
Not everything is so simple... 64-bit versions of the OS use noticeably more memory. All variables are no longer 32-bit, but 64-bit. Typically, this increases the size of applications by 20-40%, which leads to a corresponding increase in the amount of memory consumed. File formats such as music or video are not affected.
Install 64-bit versionWindows, to make better use of 4 GB of memory does not make sense, even if the 32-bit version only recognizes up to 3.5 GB of memory. The problem lies in the fact that you will receive the missing memory, but immediately lose it because the 64-bit version requires more memory. So the transition to 64 bits is only relevant for larger memory sizes: 6, 8 GB or more.
So, if you decide to install a lot of memory, and here a 64-bit OS is definitely needed, then you may be interested in the question:
What features does 64-bit Windows Vista/7 have?
Visually - none. Those. Externally, it is a regular OS, no different from the 32-bit version. You can determine whether it belongs to a 64-bit architecture only by going to the “system properties” item in the control panel - the bit depth is indicated there.
Technically, there are slight differences. The first thing is that the 64-bit OS “sees” large amounts of memory and knows how to work with them. Secondly, it allows you to run 64-bit applications.
The 64-bit OS allows you to run regular 32-bit programs. In the usual way, no settings are required for this. Everything is as always. It’s just that a 64-bit system has a subsystem for executing 32-bit applications. Therefore, you can successfully install and work with both 32-bit and 64-bit applications.
Now there are few such x64 applications, although their number is constantly growing. This is especially true for resource-intensive programs - graphic and video editors, and so on. Those. all programs that primarily need large amounts of memory available for operation. For example, so that some video editor can use more than 4 GB of available memory.
For example, Adobe stated that modern applications of the Adobe CS5 series will only be 64-bit. This means that, say, Photoshop CS5, Dreamweaver CS5 etc. will only be able to run on a 64-bit system. They simply won't run on a 32-bit OS. Why?
Because 32-bit applications can run on a 64-bit OS, but not vice versa!
The next technical point is 64-bit OS require 64-bit drivers. As a rule, all modern (not older than two years) PC devices, laptops and peripherals have two versions of drivers on the included installation disk - 32 and 64-bit. Therefore, there will be no problems with modern devices - as usual, we insert the driver disk into the drive and start the installation, the installer itself will determine the version of Windows and launch the driver corresponding to the bit size.
If there is no disk or it does not have a 64-bit driver, you need to visit the official website of the developer specific device to download such a driver. The same applies to outdated equipment.
BE SURE to check the availability of 64-bit versions of ALL necessary drivers BEFORE you start installing the 64-bit version of Windows!
Processor capacity.
Where to get/how to identify 64-bit applications?
64-bit software can be determined without difficulty. On the packaging in system requirements, as a rule, it is indicated that this program 64-bit. This may also be indicated separately on the packaging.
If you purchase some software via the Internet, then its 64-bit architecture is also indicated.
Here's an example: my licensed boxed version of Windows Vista Ultimate. Includes two installation disk— 32 and 64-bit OS versions:
Do not pay attention to the “English language” in this case, the OS was simply purchased in the United States.
But this is in this case - Vista Ultimate (only Ultimate) was delivered this way, in two versions. As a rule, the same Windows, for example (or any other program) is sold OR 32-bit OR 64-bit, as indicated on the box, as I already mentioned.
These are the differences and features of 64-bit operating systems Windows systems, meaningful to the user ends.
Otherwise, everything is exactly the same as on the usual 32-bit Windows XP/Vista/7.
Surely these designations lead many people into a dead end, and today we will get out of it.
In fact x86, x64- just a designation of the operating system bit depth, measured in bits (32 and 64 bits, respectively). There are, by the way, 16 bits - but it’s quite difficult to find processors that understand only this bit depth. To do this we need to go back 10 years. In any case, “introduce” them to x86 or x64 systems will not work.
What is this all for?
All this allows you to determine the bit depth of the numbers that your PC processor will deal with. And for this reason, under x86 or x64 systems have their own versions of programs, drivers, and the like.
A higher bit depth (x64) allows, among other things, to significantly improve the accuracy of calculations. But the average user does not have such a need, and the only reason for which he should use a 64-bit system is if the RAM in the computer is over 4 gigabytes.
The fact is that 32-bit systems do not “see” more than 4 gigabytes of RAM.
So in the end: x86 or x64?
If you have 4 GB of RAM or less, a 32-bit (x86) system will be enough for you. Otherwise use x64.