We have heard that the greater part of the Computer Notebooks now days are 64 bit Architectural. What is the fundamental importance of 64 bit Architectural Systems and what are their Advantages and Disadvantages. Why they are called 64 bit? Should I remain with 32bit or upgrade to 64bit? Are there any systems which are both 32-64bit?
What are 32bit and 64bit systems?
The terms 32-bit and 64-bit refer to the way a computer's processor (also called a CPU), handles information. The 64-bit version of Windows handles large amounts of random access memory (RAM) more effectively than a 32-bit system.
To install a 64-bit version of Windows 7, you need a CPU that's capable of running a 64-bit version of Windows. The benefits of using a 64-bit operating system are most apparent when you have a large amount of random access memory (RAM) installed on your computer, typically 4 GB of RAM or more. In such cases, because a 64-bit operating system can handle large amounts of memory more efficiently than a 32-bit operating system, a 64-bit system can be more responsive when running several programs at the same time and switching between them frequently.
You can use the Upgrade option during Windows 7 installation, which preserves your files, settings, and programs, only if you're currently running a 32-bit version of Windows Vista and you want to upgrade to the 32-bit version of Windows 7. Similarly, if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows Vista, you can only perform an upgrade to a 64-bit version of Windows 7. If you want to move from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or vice versa, you'll need to back up your files and choose the Custom option during Windows 7 installation. Then, you'll need to restore your files and reinstall your programs
• To install a 64-bit version of Windows 7 on a computer running a 32-bit version of Windows, you'll need to start, or boot, your computer using a 64-bit Windows 7 installation disc or files.
• If you start your computer using a 64-bit Windows 7 installation disc or files, but your computer isn't capable of running a 64-bit version of Windows, you'll see a Windows Boot Manager error. You'll need to use a 32-bit Windows 7 installation disc or files instead.
• Windows Easy Transfer can't transfer files from a 64-bit version of Windows to a 32-bit version of Windows. If you're running a 64-bit version of Windows Vista but you plan to install a 32-bit version of Windows 7, you can move your files to an external location manually or use Backup and Restore in Windows Vista.
What are 32bit and 64bit systems?
If you are using 32-bit Microsoft Windows like me before, you are missing a lot. The 64-bit architecture gives you more power than what 32-bit architecture can give you. First is the memory capacity. With 64-bit, it allows you to have up to 17 billion GB RAM while with 32-bit, operating systems are limited to 3.25 GB RAM regardless of how much memory is installed.
This means if you have 32-bit Microsoft Windows and you have 8 GB RAM, only 3.25 GB is accessible to the operating system. The rest of the physical RAM is inaccessible and unusable. With 64-bit, you can install and run both 32-bit and 64-bit applications and operating systems. The 32-bit application runs in 32-bit compatibility mode.
Several of my applications that run on 32-bit Windows XP still runs on my 64-bit Windows 7. With 32-bit, only 32-bit applications can run and 64-bit applications are not supported. You can use a 32-bit processor on a 64-bit motherboard but it will run slower. The full capacity of the processor is not achieved.
