X86 Vs X64 Software
- To simplify, the 64-bit Windows operating systems create the ‘Program Files (x86)’ to maintain Backwards Compatibility (64-bit OS can still run 32-bit applications smoothly). Note: The ‘x86’ originated from the Intel 80 86. It was used to help identify the Intel platform process computers that are 32-bit. Program Files vs Program Files.
- Compare widows 7 ultimate spi retail x86 vs x64? What is the difference between windows7 64 bit and 64 x? What is windows 7 ultimate x86 and x64? What is windows x64 and x86? Windows x86 vs x64? Windows 7 professional x86 or x64 which is big? Is there widows 7 x86? Where the difference in Windows 7 32bit and 64bit is there is difference?
X86 is 32 bit and x64 is of coarse 64 bit. The reason we went to 64 bit is because of memory limitations of 32 bit. Most programming is still 32 bit but works fine on 64 bit computers.
In the computer world, 32-bit and 64-bit refer to the type of central processing unit, operating system, driver, software program, etc. that utilizes that particular architecture.
You've probably seen the option to download a piece of software as a 32-bit version or a 64-bit version. The difference does in fact matter because the two were programmed for separate systems.
What Do They Mean?
- 32-bit hardware and software is often referred to as x86 or x86-32.
- 64-bit hardware and software is often referred to as x64 or x86-64.
- 32-bit systems utilize data in 32-bit pieces while 64-bit systems utilize data in 64-bit pieces. In general, the more data that can be processed at once, the faster the system can operate.
There are several other advantages to a 64-bit system as well, most practically the ability to use significantly greater amounts of physical memory (more than the 4 GB allowed by a 32-bit machine).
See what Microsoft has to say about the memory limits for different versions of Windows.
A 64-bit processor can handle 64 bits of data at once, which allows it to compute information faster regardless of the processor's clock speed. This allows for greater memory usage because with 32-bit processors, only 232 addresses of RAM can be accessed (all 32-digit binary numbers).
This restricts the processor to using a much lower amount of memory than 64-bit processors, which can read double the digits. In fact, with every additional digit, the maximum number of addresses that can be accessed doubles, too, allowing for much more memory than a 32-bit processor.
With 64-bit processors having a larger bit size and therefore the ability to calculate bigger numbers, the computer also ends up dealing with everything at a much more precise level than a 32-bit computer. Pixels on your screen, for example, can be colored and placed more accurately than pixels on a 32-bit computer.
64-bit and 32-bit Operating Systems
Most new processors today are based on the 64-bit architecture and support 64-bit operating systems. These processors are also fully compatible with 32-bit operating systems.
Most editions of Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista are available in 64-bit format. Of the editions of Windows XP, only Professional is available in 64-bit.
All editions of Windows, from XP up to 10, are available in 32-bit.
Every Mac operating system since v10.8 (Mountain Lion) has been 64-bit.
Like Windows, Linux can be 32-bit or 64-bit. You can see which you're running with the lscpu command.
Not Sure If the Copy of Windows on Your PC Is 32-bit or 64-bit?
The quickest and easiest way to see if you're running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows is to check what it says in Control Panel.
Another simple method to finding out which OS architecture you're running in Windows is to check the Program Files folder. There's more information on that below.
To see the hardware architecture, you can open Command Prompt and enter the command:
You might get a response like AMD64 to indicate that you have a x64 based system, or x86 for 32-bit.
Another command that works is:
That command should result in much more text, but then end with a response like one of these:
The best way to use one of these commands is to copy them here on this page and then right-click in the black space in Command Prompt, and paste the command.
These commands only tell you the hardware architecture, not the kind of Windows version you're running. It's likely that they're the same since x86 systems can only install a 32-bit version of Windows, but it's not necessarily true since a 32-bit version of Windows can be installed on x64 systems, too.
Why It Matters
Knowing the difference is important so you can be sure to install the right kinds of software and device drivers. For example, when given the option between downloading a 32-bit or 64-bit version, a native 64-bit software program is the better choice. However, it won't run at all if you're on a 32-bit version of Windows.
One of the only real, notable differences for you, the end user, is that it's possible that after downloading a large program, you'll find that you've wasted that time since it won't run on your specific computer. This is true if you've downloaded a 64-bit program that you expect to use on a 32-bit OS.
However, some 32-bit programs can run just fine on a 64-bit system. In other words, 32-bit programs are compatible with 64-bit operating systems. That rule, however, isn't always true, and that's especially the case with some device drivers since hardware devices require the exact version to be installed in order for it to interface with the software (i.e., 64-bit drivers are needed for a 64-bit OS, and 32-bit drivers for a 32-bit OS).
Another time when 32-bit and 64-bit differences come into play is when troubleshooting a software issue or looking through a program's installation directory.
It's important to realize that 64-bit versions of Windows have two different install folders since they also contain a 32-bit directory. However, a 32-bit version of Windows only has one install folder. To make this a tad more confusing, the 64-bit version's Program Files folder is the same name as the 32-bit Program Files folder on a 32-bit version of Windows.
One example for why this is the case is so that a 32-bit program doesn't try to use a 64-bit DLL, which won't work. Instead, when a 32-bit program is installed in the 32-bit Program Files folder, and then you run said program, Windows knows that it needs to pull up some 32-bit specific files instead of those used for 64-bit programs.
What Is X64 Vs X86
If you're confused, look here:
On a 64-bit version of Windows are two folders:
- 32-bit location: C:Program Files (x86)
- 64-bit location: C:Program Files
On a 32-bit version of Windows is one folder:
- 32-bit location: C:Program Files
As you can tell, it's a little confusing to plainly say that the 64-bit Program Files folder is C:Program Files since that's not true for a 32-bit OS.
Beyond how-tos and instructionals that require you to know the difference between 64-bit and 32-bit, another reason understanding these terms is important is if you're not sure if you should get a 64-bit computer and/or 64-bit programs.
For example, maybe you want a video editing program to have access to larger amounts of RAM than what it could use on a 32-bit system. Or, if you know that a piece of hardware you use doesn't have a 64-bit driver option, then you know you can't use it with a 64-bit computer. The same is true for old 16-bit applications that might not work on a 64-bit computer; knowing this can help you decide if you should make the switch to a 64-bit computer or stick to 32-bit.
Please explain the difference between x86
, x32
and x64
? Its a bit confusing when it comes to x86
and x32
because most of the time 32-bit programs run on x86..
3 Answers
x86 refers to the Intel processor architecture that was used in PCs. Model numbers were 8088 (8 bit bus version of 8086 and used in the first IBM PC), 8086, 286, 386, 486. After which they switched to names instead of numbers to stop AMD from copying the processor names. Pentium etc, never a Hexium :).
x64 is the architecture name for the extensions to the x86 instruction set that enable 64-bit code. Invented by AMD and later copied by Intel when they couldn't get their own 64-bit arch to be competitive, Itanium didn't fare well. Other names for it are x86_64, AMD's original name and commonly used in open source tools. And amd64, AMD's next name and commonly used in Microsoft tools. Intel's own names for it (EM64T and 'Intel 64') never caught on.
x32 is a fuzzy term that's not associated with hardware. It tends to be used to mean '32-bit' or '32-bit pointer architecture', Linux has an ABI by that name.
Hans and DarkDust answer covered i386/i686 and amd64/x86_64, so there's no sense in revisiting them. This answer will focus on X32, and provide some info learned after a X32 port.
x32 is an ABI for amd64/x86_64 CPUs using 32-bit integers, longs and pointers. The idea is to combine the smaller memory and cache footprint from 32-bit data types with the larger register set of x86_64. (Reference: Debian X32 Port page).
x32 can provide up to about 30% reduction in memory usage and up to about 40% increase in speed. The use cases for the architecture are:
- vserver hosting (memory bound)
- netbooks/tablets (low memory, performance)
- scientific tasks (performance)
x32 is a somewhat recent addition. It requires kernel support (3.4 and above), distro support (see below), libc support (2.11 or above), and GCC 4.8 and above (improved address size prefix support).
For distros, it was made available in Ubuntu 13.04 or Fedora 17. Kernel support only required pointer to be in the range from 0x00000000 to 0xffffffff. From the System V Application Binary Interface, AMD64 (With LP64 and ILP32 Programming Models), Section 10.4, p. 132 (its the only sentence):
10.4 Kernel Support
Kernel should limit stack and addresses returned from system calls between 0x00000000 to 0xffffffff.
When booting a kernel with the support, you must use syscall.x32=y
option. When building a kernel, you must include the CONFIG_X86_X32=y
option. (Reference: Debian X32 Port page and X32 System V Application Binary Interface).
Here is some of what I have learned through a recent port after the Debian folks reported a few bugs on us after testing:
- the system is a lot like X86
- the preprocessor defines
__x86_64__
(and friends) and__ILP32__
, but not__i386__
/__i686__
(and friends) - you cannot use
__ILP32__
alone because it shows up unexpectedly under Clang and Sun Studio - when interacting with the stack, you must use the 64-bit instructions
pushq
andpopq
- once a register is populated/configured from 32-bit data types, you can perform the 64-bit operations on them, like
adcq
- be careful of the 0-extension that occurs on the upper 32-bits.
Windows 10 X86 Download
If you are looking for a test platform, then you can use Debian 8 or above. Their wiki page at Debian X32 Port has all the information. The 3-second tour: (1) enable X32 in the kernel at boot; (2) use debootstrap
to install the X32 chroot environment, and (3) chroot debian-x32
to enter into the environment and test your software.
Windows Xp X86 Vs X64
x86
means Intel 80x86 compatible. This used to include the 8086, a 16-bit only processor. Nowadays it roughly means any CPU with a 32-bit Intel compatible instruction set (usually anything from Pentium onwards). Never read x32
being used.
x64
means a CPU that is x86
compatible but has a 64-bit mode as well (most often the 64-bit instruction set as introduced by AMD is meant; Intel's idea of a 64-bit mode was totally stupid and luckily Intel admitted that and is now using AMDs variant).
So most of the time you can simplify it this way: x86
is Intel compatible in 32-bit mode, x64
is Intel compatible in 64-bit mode.