More recently, a note was published on the blog site to help those who are going to upgrade their computer or buy / assemble a new one. Namely, it talked about how much RAM a computer needs, depending on the tasks that are set by the front ones: How much RAM do you need?
Our next note on the plan was an article about support for various amounts of memory on the part of the operating system - about the bitness of the operating system; that not all memory sizes are supported by all versions of Windows. Special thanks to all readers who mentioned the topic of bit depth in the comments on the blog: after reading them, I realized that a short blog post on this topic is not enough. We need detailed material on this topic.
That is why it was decided to write an article (educational program, if you like) on this issue and post it here on ITexpertPortal.com - in an archive of free training materials and articles on important topics of computer literacy.
So, back to the main topic, to the bitness of operating systems and to support for various amounts of memory. First, let's answer the question:
What is bit depth in general?
Scientific definition: In computer science, the capacity of an electronic (in particular, peripheral) device or bus is the number of bits (bits) simultaneously processed by this device or transmitted by this bus. The term is applied to the constituent parts of computing, peripheral or measuring devices: data buses of computers, processors, etc. The bitness of a computer is called the bitness of its machine word.(source - Wikipedia).
I think everything is simple and clear. Bit depth - the ability to simultaneously process a certain number of bits, to put it simply.
In fact, everything is not so simple, and no article will be enough to fully cover this issue and "in a scientific way". Therefore, we will not delve into the course of PC architecture, but we will touch on the purely practical points that we have to deal with and that are important for us - users.
What does the amount of RAM have to do with it?
There are two versions of the Windows operating system (at least for now, only two). It doesn't matter what exactly we take from modern and current systems: XP, Vista or 7.
All of these systems are available in two flavors - 32-bit and 64-bit. For example:
Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit (or х86 - equivalent designations)
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit ( or x64 - equivalent designations)
Windows Vista Ultimate x86 (x86 - this is the designation of the 32-bit version)
Windows Visa Ultimate x64 (respectively - 64-bit version)
There are, of course, architectural differences between 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows. You can talk about them for a long time, but it's useless, believe me. 🙂
The most important features and differences that directly relate to the user and that have to be faced:
1. The maximum amount of RAM.
2. Bit depth of the operating system.
3. The bit capacity of the processor.
We will talk about this in more detail ...
The maximum amount of RAM.
A 32-bit operating system can address (ie, can use, "see") no more than 4 GB of RAM. This is the most important difference, and the most significant one. If your computer has, say, 2 GB installed, then a 32-bit operating system works fine with that amount.
If you install 4 GB of memory and run a 32-bit OS, then it simply won't see that amount. All she can use is roughly 3.5 GB out of 4 GB. It cannot provide the rest of the volume for running programs. Of course, if you install 8 GB of memory in your computer, say, and at the same time stay on a 32-bit system, then it will also not see more than 3.5 GB of the total installed volume.
A 64-bit operating system can handle much larger amounts of memory - up to 192 GB (for Windows 7). Those. if, say, you wanted to install 8 GB of memory, then you definitely need to switch to a 64-bit OS, otherwise, you simply cannot use such a large amount of available space.
We have considered, one might say, "extremes", up to 2 GB and 8 GB or more. And what about the golden mean? What if you already have it installed or plan to increase the storage to 4GB? Do I need to switch to a 64-bit OS in this case so that the computer can use not 3.3, but all 4 GB of memory?
Not everything is so simple ... 64-bit versions of the OS use noticeably more memory. All variables are no longer 32-bit, but 64-bit. Usually, this increases the volume of applications by 20-40%, which leads to a corresponding increase in the amount of memory occupied. File formats such as music or video are not affected.
Install 64-bit versionWindows, in order to better use 4 GB of memory, it makes no sense, even if the 32-bit version only recognizes up to 3.5 GB of memory. The problem lies in the fact that you will get missing memory, but you will immediately lose it for the reason that the 64-bit version requires more memory for itself. So the transition to 64 bits is relevant only with a larger memory size: 6, 8 GB or more.
So, if you decide to install a lot of memory, and here you need a 64-bit OS for sure, then perhaps you are interested in the question:
What features does 64-bit Windows Vista / 7 have?
Visually - none. Those. outwardly, it is an ordinary OS that does not differ in any way from the 32-bit version. You can determine whether it belongs to the 64-bit architecture only by going to the "system properties" item in the control panel - the bit depth is indicated there.
Technically, there are slight differences. The first, in fact, is that a 64-bit OS "sees" large amounts of memory and knows how to work with them. Second, it allows you to run 64-bit applications.
A 64-bit OS allows you to run regular 32-bit programs as well. In the usual way, no settings are required for this. Everything as usual. It's just that a 64-bit system has a subsystem for executing 32-bit applications. Therefore, you can successfully install and work with both 32-bit and 64-bit applications.
Now there are few such x64 applications, although their number is constantly growing. This is especially true for resource-intensive programs - graphics and video editors, and so on. Those. all programs that need, first of all, large amounts of memory available for work. For example, so that some video editor could use more than 4 GB of available memory in its work.
For example, Adobe has stated that modern applications in the Adobe CS5 series will only be 64-bit. This means that, say, Photoshop CS5, Dreamweaver CS5 etc. will be able to run only on a 64-bit system. They simply won't start on a 32-bit OS. Why?
because 32-bit applications can work in a 64-bit OS, but not vice versa!
The next technical point is 64-bit OSs require 64-bit drivers. As a rule, all modern (no more than two years old) PC devices, laptops and peripherals have two driver versions on the accompanying installation disc - 32 and 64-bit. Therefore, there will be no problems with modern devices - as usual, we insert the disk with the driver into the drive and start the installation, the installer will itself determine the Windows version and launch the driver corresponding to the bitness.
If there is no disk or there is no 64-bit driver on it, you need to visit the official website of the developer of a specific device to download such a driver. The same applies to legacy equipment.
ALWAYS check for 64-bit versions of ALL the required drivers BEFORE starting to install the 64-bit version of Windows!
Bit processor.
Where can I get / how to identify 64-bit applications?
64-bit software can be easily identified. The system requirements on the packaging usually indicate that this program is 64-bit. The same can be indicated separately on the packaging.
If you purchase some software via the Internet, then belonging to the 64-bit architecture is also indicated.
Here's an example: my licensed boxed version of Windows Vista Ultimate. The set includes two installation discs - 32 and 64-bit OS versions:
Do not pay attention to the "English language" in this case, just the OS was bought in the United States.
But that's in this case - Vista Ultimate (only Ultimate) was shipped like that, in two versions. As a rule, the same Windows, for example (or any other program) is sold OR 32-bit OR 64-bit, as indicated on the box, as I mentioned.
This is where the differences and features of 64-bit Windows operating systems that are significant for the user end.
Otherwise, everything is exactly the same as on the usual 32-bit Windows XP / Vista / 7.
A simple computer user can work with the installed Windows operating system for a long time and not even think about its bit depth. However, time will pass, and he will need to install a program on his computer that can only work with a 64-bit version of Windows, and here problems will arise if the current operating system is x32 or x86. In this regard, the question may arise: how to find out the bitness of Windows? Let's answer it and take a closer look at the differences between 32- and 64-bit versions of the operating system.
Table of contents:
Basic versions of the Windows operating system have been developed for a long time, and with the release of new software options from Microsoft, they were only being finalized. In fact, 32-bit (32-bit) operating systems are a thing of the past, and they are rarely used, only in those cases when the hardware of the computer does not support 64-bit Windows.
The bits themselves, in relation to the Windows operating system, are the way the computer's central processing unit processes information. RAM is used as the processed information, and 32-bit Windows can work with no more than 3.5 GB of RAM, while on 64-bit this limit is about 200 GB. With the development of the power of programs and their requirements for RAM, computers began to en masse move to a 64-bit operating system.
The main disadvantage of a 64-bit system is its demand on the computer's central processor. If the PC has a 32-bit central processor, it will in no way be able to work with a 64-bit version of the operating system, that is, it does not support more than 3.5 GB of RAM.
Many computer users who choose the bitness of the operating system when installing Windows are confused by the lack of a 32-bit version. This is due to the fact that the 32-bit version of Windows for a 64-bit processor is designated as x86, not x32. You can figure out what this is connected with only if you study the processes of interaction between the operating system and the computer hardware. The user just needs to remember that 32-bit and 86-bit operating systems are practically the same, and only the 64-bit version of the software can handle more than 3.5 GB of RAM.
If the central process of the computer supports the 64-bit version of Windows, then it must be selected during installation. It should be understood that the 32-bit version of the operating system is the last century, and here are just some proofs of this:
After the release of a 64-bit version of Windows, you should install a 32-bit version only if the processor or drivers for it do not support work with a 64-bit operating system.
How to find out the bitness of Windows installed on a computer?
You can determine the bitness of the version of Windows installed on your computer using a dozen third-party applications. There are ways to find out the x32, x64 or x86 version of the operating system installed on a computer using standard Windows tools.
The first way
You can find out the Windows bit depth on your computer through the system information menu:
Second way
Third way
View the bitness of the system through the "System Information":
You can see that it is quite simple to find out the bitness of the operating system, and this must be done if there is a desire to expand the amount of the computer's RAM. Also, knowledge of the bitness of the operating system will be required if you wish to reinstall the operating system.
Video instruction
Quite a common question - How to find out what bit depth my computer or system has? In this article I will briefly describe what it is and how to find out how many bit system is. On examples of Windows XP, 7 and 8. Those. on those about which articles are contained on this site.
What is bit depth?
In computer science, the capacity of an electronic device or bus is the number of bits (bits) simultaneously processed by this device or transmitted by this bus.
To put it simply, bit depth is the ability to simultaneously process a certain number of bits.
You can often find such concepts as x32, x64 or x86. And some are even confused. If we take Windows 7 as an example, then
Windows 7 32-bit (or x86 - equivalent designations)
Windows 7 64-bit (or x64 is equivalent)
That is, 32 and 86 are the same (of course, this is for ease of understanding).
What is the difference between x32 and x64?
Probably the second most popular question after they find out what bit depth is and what it is.
So, the main difference is that a 32-bit operating system can address (ie, can use or "see") no more than 4 GB of RAM. If the computer has, for example, 2 GB of RAM, then the 32-bit operating system works fine with that amount. If you install 4 GB of memory and run a 32-bit OS, it simply won't see that amount. All she can use is roughly 3.5 GB out of 4 GB. Well, if you install 8 GB of memory in your computer, for example, and at the same time remain on a 32-bit system, then it will also not see more than 3.5 GB of the total installed volume.
A 64-bit system can see up to 192GB (for windows 7) of RAM, therefore, if you have more than 4GB of memory, it is recommended to install the OS of exactly that bit, or 32x, but only 3.5 GB will be used.
64-bit system can use and work on programs designed for x32. What gives her an advantage which, in principle, is obvious.
How to find out the bitness of the processor?
Also an important question that for some reason many people forget after the first two. Nevertheless, you need to know how many bit processor you have to install this or that version of windows.
Unfortunately, you cannot find out about the processor with standard features. A much better option would be to find out through the most popular program in this area - CPU-Z. It is free and understandable even for a beginner. You can download it from.
After installation and launch, in the tab Cpu in field Spetification and the bit capacity of your processor will be.
You don't need to know anything else about this article.
If you like the program, you can read about it on the Internet.
How to find out the bitness of the windows operating system?
So we have come to the most important question. Well, I won't torment you. Getting started.
For all versions of windows (namely, we are considering XP, 7 and 8 (vista, by the way, is also suitable)) you need to select the shortcut My computer(no matter where - on the desktop, in the Start menu, when you open the same My computer), right-click on it and select from the menu Properties.
I show it using the example of Windows 7 for better understanding.
1 - When choosing from Start
2 - If the shortcut on the desktop
3 - While on My Computer
A window with information about your system will open. There in the "section" System in field System type and your bit depth will be indicated.
18. 07.2018
Dmitry Vassiyarov's blog.
The bitness of the processor - digging into the essence
Hello my dear readers, and I continue the cycle of our conversations dedicated to the heart of any computer. Today the subject of discussion will be the bit capacity of the processor. Perhaps some of you did not pay attention to this indicator, and even successfully used a computer without this information. But since you have decided to increase the level of your knowledge, then let's figure out what it is, what it affects.
In order to get as close as possible to understanding the process, I consider it necessary to remember some concepts.
Information in the processor is presented in the form of digital, which in turn looks like a series of pulses with a certain sequence of signals (there is a voltage - "1", no - "0"). One pulse is a bit of information.
The signals are fed to the transistors of the logic circuits of the crystal with a certain clock frequency. If the chip reads each bit separately, it will be very long and inconvenient. It is much easier to process one or more symbols in one clock cycle, which represents quite specific information.
To make it more convenient for the processor to operate with data, registers are specially allocated in it to record the amount of information processed by the CPU in one. Each of them contains a set of 4, 8, 16, 32 or 64 characters of the code, called the "machine word".
I will try to describe this process in simple words and a clear analogy. It’s like teaching a child to read the alphabet. Spelling is long and incomprehensible, but syllables are easier. Moreover, first, the baby is offered words specially divided into one- or two-letter syllables. And when he masters this skill, you can read something more difficult by adding syllables of three or four letters.
Likewise, engineers have been improving microprocessors for years by continuing to "train" them to read longer "machine words." But for use in technical documentation, this term is not the best option.
Therefore, the value that indicates the size of the block of information processed in one cycle is called the bit capacity of the processor. This parameter, like the word, is measured in bits.
Processor bit progress
The very first serial chip was the 4-bit Intel 4004, designed exclusively for calculators. Using a combination of 4 zeros or ones, it was possible to encode 2 ^ 4 = 16 characters. And this was enough for 10 digits and 6 digits of basic arithmetic operations.
It was not in vain that I gave an example with a calculation to show that in reality, for the effective operation of the CPU in computers, a large bit depth is needed. Even 8-bit processors have significant limitations.
Therefore, chip makers actively worked not only on the technology for processing quartz crystals, but also on microarchitecture, which is a system of interaction between individual processor components and processed data.
As a result, the first 16-bit 8086 processor, running on x86, appeared in 1978, which proved to be very successful because it had enormous potential for continual improvement and refinement.
Its third generation allowed in 1985 to create a 32-bit Intel 80386 processor. Working already on the IA-32 architecture.
Progress does not stand still
Since the beginning of its existence, the x86 system itself has regularly received all sorts of extensions that added all the new features. And the need for this was constant: the volume of processed data and the size of the files used were constantly growing. And in solving complex problems, 32-bit processors were already powerless (a block of more than 4 GB in the CPU register no longer fit).
Intel tried to create a new IA-64 architecture with backward compatibility, but its performance was unsatisfactory.
Their direct competitors, AMD, have been more successful in solving this problem. They went the tried and tested path. And in 2003 they introduced a new extension for 32-bit architecture, calling it AMD64.
The solution implemented in the Opteron, Athlon 64 and Turion 64 processors was so successful that Intel acquired a license for a set of control instructions. On the basis of this, we have already created our own product: the EM64T architecture. Which is used in all of their processors today.
Such innovations have made it possible not only to speed up the operation of the processor itself. But they also made it possible to use the memory bus to move files of almost unlimited size.
Knowing that a 64-bit processor is a more advanced solution, you will probably want to find out if this is the CPU installed on your computer. I will tell you where to find this information.
In the latest versions of Windows, this can be done by opening the system parameters where the bitness of the OS and processor is indicated, which may differ. If your computer is not too old, then most likely you will make sure that the CPU on it is modern. It is also convenient for this purpose to use a small program CPU-Z, which will provide a lot of detailed information on the processor (including the designation of control instructions).
What affects the bitness of the OS and the processor
And here many people often have a question: “My percent is 64-bit, and the operating system on my computer is 32-bit. What is it, I do not effectively use the capabilities of the hardware of my computer? " I will definitely not answer you. Yes it is...
And here are the nuances of a 32-bit OS:
- Most of the popular programs and applications for PCs are offered for installation (download) either in two versions, or are universal. And they work successfully in systems with any bit depth. Even Windows is offered for installation in 32 or 64 bit form. Why are both options still popular? More on that later;
- Such an OS does not see RAM over 4 Gig. But there are obvious advantages in a 32-bit system: it processes information in smaller portions. This means less time will be spent on reading and transmitting one machine word. This allows for more efficient memory management. And also with simple applications and small files;
A 64-bit system is great for gaming, video processing, and other high-volume programs. But for her it is better to have RAM with a margin. Why? Because it consumes more resources. After all, the efficiency of using its space with such an operating system may be lower than that of a 32-bit one;
Now that you have determined your OS preferences, let's go back to the processor bit. If it is 32-bit, then only the corresponding system can be installed. If you have a 64-bit CPU, you can run any version of the OS. But don't forget about the amount of RAM.
This completes our acquaintance with the processor capacity. I hope you can now show off your knowledge on this topic even in a conversation with experts.
See you on the new pages of my blog and good luck to everyone.
