X86 or X64 ?

[life24]

Hello,
I have one system with 4GB ram.
So i can install windows X86 or X64 .
What is difference when i install X64 when i have the below 4GB ram?
Thanks

 

[AtenRa]

x86 or 32bit can only use up to 3GB of ram.

 

[life24]

x86 or 32bit can only use up to 3GB of ram.

Thanks , just it? and no any difference?

 

[mikeymikec]

Windows x86/32-bit uses a bit less memory than the 64-bit version. Very very occasionally some people have to use the 32-bit version because they're using some obscure piece of hardware (e.g. diagnostic equipment) that doesn't have 64-bit OS support.

Otherwise, my rule of thumb here was that if the machine can only handle a max of 4GB RAM or less, then use the 32-bit version. Otherwise, use the 64-bit version.

 

[NTMBK]

Use the 64 bit version, some recent software requires it

 

[ShintaiDK]

Always 64bit. 32bit is going out of fashion fast.

 

[pcgeek11]

x86 or 32bit can only use up to 3GB of ram.

32 bit can address up to 4GB of ram. Usually you will only get to use a tad over 3GB due to some getting used to map system hardware.

 

[ShintaiDK]

A 32bit OS can actually address 64GB due to PAE (Enduser OSes are artificially limited to 4GB). Each 32bit application can however only use 3GB(Unless AWE is used). A 32bit application can use 4GB on a 64bit OS.

 

[pcgeek11]

OK.

 

[biostud]

Also there's some better security features in x64.

Address Space Layout Randomization

ASLR is a security feature that causes a program’s data locations to be randomly arranged in memory. Before ASLR, a program’s data locations in memory could be predictable, which made attacks on a program much easier. With ASLR, an attacker has to guess the correct location in memory when trying to exploit a vulnerability in a program. An incorrect guess may result in the program crashing, so the attacker won’t be able to try again.

This security feature is also used on 32-bit versions of Windows and other operating systems, but it’s much more powerful on 64-bit versions of Windows. A 64-bit system has a much larger address space than a 32-bit system, making ASLR that much more effective.

 

[cytg111]

.. Each 32bit application can however only use 3GB(Unless AWE is used)...

With a tweak right? Normal operations give you a 2GB address space with a 32bit exe on 32bit windows.

 

[ShintaiDK]

With a tweak right? Normal operations give you a 2GB address space with a 32bit exe on 32bit windows.

/3GB option on XP and down, IncreaseUserVA on Vista and up that changes the user mode from 2GB to 3GB and kernel space reduction from 2GB to 1GB.

The application also needs to be large address aware to use over 2GB. This applies no matter if it runs on 32bit or 64bit OS.

 

[Dufus]

PAE on a 32-bit system can allow more than 64GB of addressing. The 64GB limit comes from when processors only had a maximum of 36-bit physical addresses.

Maximum contiguous memory of a 32-bit program on 64-bit Windows is ~2GB.

More than 4GB of memory can be used with a 32-bit application on 64-bit Windows by using AWE (no idea why you would want to do that though).

Most likely all this information is irrelevant to the OP. @life24 unless you have some very special need to use 32-bit then this is the most relevant.

Always 64bit. 32bit is going out of fashion fast.

 

[bhtooefr]

There's also security implications to running 32-bit Windows (a lot of the enhanced security technologies are only available in 64-bit).

The reasons that running 32-bit Windows is desirable are:

• Need to run 16-bit software (NTVDM only runs on 32-bit Windows)
• Need to run 32-bit drivers (Microsoft changed the driver model some for 64-bit, and running a 32-bit driver in a 64-bit kernel, even if it was able to work, would have serious performance implications)
• Low disk space, 32-bit Windows needs significantly less space (because a 64-bit install comes with all the 32-bit libraries as well) - this is only really relevant on devices with ~32 GiB or less of storage.

If none of these are true, consider running 64-bit. (That said, in a system with less than 3-3.5 GiB (depending on the machine) RAM, I'd consider running 32-bit even if none of the above factors were true.)

 

[MongGrel]

X64, unless you like going backwards.

OP seems to have his/her X's mixed up a bit maybe.

 

[Denithor]

In this case, the bigger number (x86) isn't better.

LOL

 

[Krazy4Real]

X64 all the way. Only use x86 if you absolutely need to (compatibility with a piece of hardware or software). Gives you the ability to upgrade ram down the road if you need to.