x32 x64 x86 question

[Shinnywolf]

can someone explain the difference between x32 x64 and x86 windows 7 operating systems.
im still a relative noob so dont get too technical lol

i have 2 pcs, one using AMD bulldozer fx6300 and the other INTEL I5 3570K

i had win 7 x86 installed on both but have just been informed they both need the x64 version so i just wanted to clarify the difference between the 3 versions so i do not make this error again

 

[CRCSUX]

x86 is 32 bit
x64 is 64 bit

I would choose x64 is most situations.

 

[DaveVandorAmon]

32-bit Windows Client OS is limited to 4GB Physical Memory although the architecture supports addressing beyond that limitation.

Memory Limits for Windows Operating Systems

Obligatory Wikipedia Entry "3 GB Barrier"

If you plan to install more than 4GB of memory, using Windows client OS, ever, go with the 64-bit. Your current hardware will only be limited by as much money as you are willing to spend on RAM, as both boards likely support 32GB (4x8GB).

When used in conversation, x86 usually refers to instruction set architecture based on Intel CPUs (and other additions to the instruction set). x86-64 or AMD64, or x64 is the 64-bit instruction set to the 'architecture type', extending x86.

You don't have to use a 64-bit OS, but it would be kind of silly not to on 64-bit capable hardware.

You should be able to re-install the OS using the same serial for 32-bit, just match it to the 64-bit version you used. i.e., if you installed Windows 7 Pro 32-bit, you can install Windows 7 Pro 64-bit using the same key. You will just need the appropriate media for it.

Hope that helps!

 

[Shinnywolf]

sorry for sounding retarded here but just to clarify

x86 is for older systems only capable of 32bit?
x64 is for everything else?

i got sucked into the bigger is better and thought x86 would be superior to x64

 

[smakme7757]

sorry for sounding retarded here but just to clarify

x86 is for older systems only capable of 32bit?
x64 is for everything else?

i got sucked into the bigger is better and thought x86 would be superior to x64

Pretty much

Newer hardware will support both 64 and 32bit.
Older hardware will usually only support 32bit.

For any modern computer you will want to be using a 64bit operating system. Primarily because most modern computers come with more than 4GB of RAM.

x86 = 32bit
x64 is actually just x86 with the x86-64 extension which is known as x64.

Basically x86 is the architecture and x64 is an extension to this architecture to allow the CPU to address (Read/Write) more than 4GB of RAM.

However in day to day language we use:
x86 for 32bit
x64 for 64bit

So that's all you really need to remember

 

[lamedude]

MS with their infinite wisdom shortened x86-64 to x64 giving us this easily predicable problem.

 

[stinger608]

and in reality the X86 phrase came from IBM back in the late 1980's with the platform that included the Intel 8086 processor. For some reason the 86 seemed to stick and became a common know architecture in computer related products.

Intel also had the 8088 processor that came after the 8086 processor but nothing in computer related products were called x88 LOL

If you would like to read a little more about this awesome processor, Clemson University has a paper about it:

http://www.parl.clemson.edu/~wjones/371/gowdy/documents/materials/8086Overview_OLD.pdf

Of course the 8088 was actually a much more popular processor. And as noted in the paper, the 8086 was actually originally called the 4004.

 

[exdeath]

and in reality the X86 phrase came from IBM back in the late 1980's with the platform that included the Intel 8086 processor. For some reason the 86 seemed to stick and became a common know architecture in computer related products.

Intel also had the 8088 processor that came after the 8086 processor but nothing in computer related products were called x88 LOL

If you would like to read a little more about this awesome processor, Clemson University has a paper about it:

http://www.parl.clemson.edu/~wjones/371/gowdy/documents/materials/8086Overview_OLD.pdf

Of course the 8088 was actually a much more popular processor. And as noted in the paper, the 8086 was actually originally called the 4004.

The 4004 was the first microprocessor on a chip in 1971 and is nothing like the 8086. An i7 still boots up as an 8086 and runs 8086 natively. It cannot run 4004.

 

[Shinnywolf]

Pretty much

Newer hardware will support both 64 and 32bit.
Older hardware will usually only support 32bit.

For any modern computer you will want to be using a 64bit operating system. Primarily because most modern computers come with more than 4GB of RAM.

x86 = 32bit
x64 is actually just x86 with the x86-64 extension which is known as x64.

Basically x86 is the architecture and x64 is an extension to this architecture to allow the CPU to address (Read/Write) more than 4GB of RAM.

However in day to day language we use:
x86 for 32bit
x64 for 64bit

So that's all you really need to remember

thankyou :thumbsup:

 

[ViRGE]

MS with their infinite wisdom shortened x86-64 to x64 giving us this easily predicable problem.

I actually like it better. It's not technically correct, but it prevents the substring problem. No one will confuse x64 with x86.

 

[pmv]

Clearly x86 is better than x64, because its a bigger number As Bill Gates said when asked about windows 8 vs 7 - "higher is better" (which is why I'm upgrading to windows 2000!).

 

[Shinnywolf]

one last question on this topic

i have re-installed the operating system to win 7 x64 but my confusion now is that when i install programs they install to c/programs x86?
why is this if the operating system is now x64?
yes i have checked in control panel and the operating system is def x64

 

[paperwastage]

one last question on this topic

i have re-installed the operating system to win 7 x64 but my confusion now is that when i install programs they install to c/programs x86?
why is this if the operating system is now x64?
yes i have checked in control panel and the operating system is def x64

x64 systems can run both x86 programs and x64 programs
x86 systems can only run x86 programs

you have a C: \Program Files (x86) and C: \Program Files. (first path is for x86 programs, second path is for x64 programs)



Programs (like Microsoft Office, Chrome) can be compiled to x86 or x64. Usually, they get compiled to x86 which is more universal(can be used by both x64 and x86 systems). Some programs get compiled to both x64 and x86 versions separately(this way, the x64 version is more optimized for x64 systems, more performance)

 

[Shinnywolf]

thanks for clearing that up paperwastage

and a big thankyou to everyone else who contributed to this thread:thumbsup:

once again im impressed by the knowledge and quick responses of this forums users
every day i get a little more educated