Windows x64 or x86 - what to put?

A lot of users when installing on their personal computer operating system Windows sincerely wondered which version of the platform to choose - x64 or x86? And in general, what do these abbreviations actually mean?

Programs with x64 or x86: the difference is

As already mentioned above, operating systems, as a rule, are accompanied by strange abbreviations. However, you can see them and during the download of various programs, which also often give the user the right to choose the version of x64 or x86. Let's try to figure out all the numerical riddles together. To begin with, in the world of computers there are different types of processors that have different architectures. The expression on motion by leaps and bounds approaches the industry of computer chips as best as possible, but processors began to develop especially quickly and improve in the last decade.

Where has it come from

Once, at the beginning of their journey, computing chips allowed the user to work
With operating systems and programs on a 16-bit basis, later they were helped by more advanced 32-bit analogs, but now progress has already been able to touch 64-bit architectures and even seriously spread them around the world.
You, dear readers, are unlikely to find computers that support 16-bit programs, and new PCs are usually manufactured with the most modern architecture and are already supplied with 64-bit operating systems.


A pioneer in the development of 64-bit computing chips is AMD. Therefore, software developers generalize similar processors under the common name "Amd64". It is important to understand that such a designation does not mean that games in which the amd64 point is specified will not be run on computers running Intel's 64-bit processors.

In the case described, we are talking about the usual generalization, which managed to become firmly established in practice. The cuts x64 or x86 themselves correspond to different processor architectures - 64 or 32 respectively. If we talk about the application of these designations to modern operating systems, then they denote the capacity.

How to learn x64 or x86 OS installed on a PC?

Often, users try to determine which bit capacity or, in other words, the type of operating system installed on their computer at the moment. To solve the task, you must hover the cursor on the computer icon on the desktop (standard for Windows) and right-click on it once.

Then in the opened context menu, select "Properties". After the done actions, you should open a window with a complete list of the characteristics of your computer, as well as the operating system installed. Thus, you can see one of a pair of options: 32-bit operating system or 64-bit.

In this simple way, we figured out how to check whether x86 or x64 programs should be installed. Further it is necessary to say that the peculiarity of 64-bit programs lies in their incredible performance, but on the other hand they are too demanding with respect to memory. Here it is, confirmation of the rule that everything is good in moderation: installing a 64-bit operating system on a weak laptop with a pair of gigabytes of RAM and a 32-bit classic processor is a mistake, but on the other hand, 32-bit programs and systems do not I can see over 3 GB of RAM. In case you have a personal computer with a RAM of 4 or more gigabytes, you can safely install a 64-bit Windows platform, respectively, programs must also be 64-bit. Programs of this type use the resources available on the computer to the maximum, In fact, the actual question about what is better - windows x86 or x64, is not quite correct, as both platforms are good, and the choice of the required is determined by the configuration of a single computer.

Windows x64: pitfalls

Currently, due to the unresolved issues that are being hammered by developers and engineers around the world, it turned out that the most advanced Windows x64 platform, besides the many undeniable advantages that we talked about
Above, there are a number of shortcomings, which also should not be forgotten. To begin with, if you have been using your computer for a long time and have a number of components that have not let you down for many years, there is a possibility that when you move to a 64-bit version of the operating system, finding drivers for these devices can be quite problematic. The fact is that developers of all kinds of gadgets are not very eager to release updates for products that were removed from production, thereby trying to encourage customers to purchase new equipment. And then very few people will heed the argument that your scanner or printer is the best in the world.

We have already noted that Windows x64 consumes more resources, but it should be said that all programs for the 64-bit environment also begin to "desire more." Finally, if you decide to install an unsigned driver, this will require a number of additional steps.

On the other side of the scale is access to all resources installed on the computer RAM. In the presence of Windows x64, even some 32-bit programs can take advantage of access to 4 GB of RAM, for example games "Stalker" and "Gothic". For comparison: in a 32-bit operating system environment, games and programs get access to 2 GB of memory, and in extremely rare cases - to 3 GB.

Some authors argue that, regardless of which platform - x64 or x86 - the user chooses, the performance of the programs will remain at the same level. It is very difficult to disprove this opinion completely, because the performance indicators depend on a number of circumstances and factors, but it has been proven by practice that programs for audio and video processing, as well as archivers and a number of professional programs begin to behave much more actively.

If with the dilemma "x86 or x64: what to put" you finally decided in favor of the latter, but do not want to part with the good old programs, you should know that 99 percent of 32-bit applications work in a 64-bit environment without any performance degradation and any problems . As for performance in games, it primarily depends on the performance of your video driver.

PS: everything that was not mentioned above

We already know exactly how to determine x86 or x64, but there were a number of trivia about which it is also worth mentioning. For example, we have already learned almost everything about bit depth, except for the definition of this term, so note that bit capacity is the ability to process simultaneously a certain amount of information, which is measured in bits.

Unattainable boundary

Interestingly, 64-bit architecture also has its limits regarding perceived RAM: x64 can not see more than 192 GB of RAM. Another interesting point: the natural volume of 64-bit applications, like
Usually 20-40% more than for 32-bit analogs, but do not immediately run after a new hard drive, because this rule does not apply to entertainment materials such as movies (movies) or music.

Number of doubt - 4

Separately, we should discuss the fate of the PC with 4 gigabytes of RAM. Here's the thing: on the one hand, 32-bit OSs see only 3 GB of memory, and the choice in favor of 64x seems obvious, but do not forget that Windows x64 just to force yourself to work will require twice as much RAM as its The 32-bit "sister", and the victory in this case seems very ambiguous. In such conditions, the choice should be determined not by mathematical calculation, but by your needs and those tasks that you intend to put before the computer. And do not wait for external effects, because in terms of design 32 and 64-bit operating systems are identical.

News from Adobe

If you are an artist or a designer, we will upset you or please with the recent announcement by Adobe that all modern Adobe CS5 applications will become exclusively 64-bit. In other words, Dreamweaver CS5, Photoshop CS5 and similar famous applications will be able to run exclusively on a 64-bit system. The 32-bit platform simply does not recognize them.

Everything turned out to be simple

So we figured out how to find out if the x64 or x86 system is installed and which option to choose. As you can see, everything turned out to be not too difficult and only took a few minutes of your time. It is important to understand that in this case the differences are exclusively internal, and determine with maximum accuracy what exactly you want from a personal computer, that it is for you - a working tool or friend that gives you entertainment. If the PC is tuned in the best way, its capabilities will change.