64 bit Processors

[Tithis]

I'd like to know what the main advantage is of having a 64 bit over a 32 bit processor. Does it mean it had double to processing power of an 32 bit processor at the same speed. I've asked people before but never really got a good answer.

I want to know because I have a 2.0Ghz AMD64 processor and wondered how it stacks up to most other processors. Like my friend has a pentium 4 at 2.5 ghz, is mine actually more powerfull?

[Cricket]

64 bit computing.

To take full advantage of your Athlon 64 you need a 64 bit operating system. If you're using a 32 bit operating system your computer isn't "more powerful" than your friends computer. Of course there are other factors involved like how much RAM each of you has, which video card you're both using, etc...

Cricket

[TwoRails]

Another thing is that the AMD 64s, even though they are '64s,' are a very fast 32 bit CPU. Even if you don't plan to (as I don't) upgrading to a 64 bit OS any time soon, it's still a very good processor of choice, simple because it is a fast line of CPUs. If you do upgrade to a 64 bit OS down the road, then are ready.

[Tithis]

Originally Posted by Cricket 64 bit computing. To take full advantage of your Athlon 64 you need a 64 bit operating system. If you're using a 32 bit operating system your computer isn't "more powerful" than your friends computer. Of course there are other factors involved like how much RAM each of you has, which video card you're both using, etc... Cricket

I know but I was just talking about processors, he has more ram but I have a better graphics card. That and my board has a higher bus speed.

I would only get a 64bit operating system after they improve the drivers.

[Cricket]

Run a few benchmarks on each computer and compare the results.

Cricket

[doctorgonzo]

If you want to know which computer is "more powerful", you can certainly download a program like SiSoft Sandra and run the benchmarks on both computers to see which number is higher.

A 64-bit processor does not have twice the processing power as a 32-bit processor. It means that it can handle data in 64-bit chunks instead of 32-bits. Since in normal use most people aren't using programs that require numbers larger than 32 bits (which is about four billion), most programs aren't going to see a huge benefit from moving to a 64-bit platform. However, databases, encryption, and other things that use large numbers can see better performance on 64-bit platforms.

[glc]

What is your processor model? If it's say, a 3200+, it would have roughly the same computing power as a 3.2 GHz Intel Prescott P4 5xx series. It's at the point now where it's hard to figure equivalence from just numbers and you have to look at published benchmarks. Even those won't be conclusive because it depends which exact benchmarks you run, Intels do certain things better than AMD and vice versa.

[Panama Red]

Originally Posted by Tithis I want to know because I have a 2.0Ghz AMD64 processor and wondered how it stacks up to most other processors. Like my friend has a pentium 4 at 2.5 ghz, is mine actually more powerfull?

You can't fairly compare an AMD cpu with an Intel strictly based on GHz regardless of whether they are 64bit or 32 bit processors. Each manufacturer uses it's own architecture. As glc has inidicated, the naming of the AMD processors tends to show some relationship with the speed of a corresponding Intel cpu. A 3200+ is roughly equivalent to a 3.2 GHz P4. But the only way to clearly tell which machine is faster is to run a set of benchmarks. 3DMark will compare video cards while PCMark will benchmark the overall system.

[David M]

You will be able to run your 64 bit CPU as a 64 bit CPU when you have the correct operating system, correct drivers and are running software written for 64 bits. Untill then, it does not make much sense until there is more 64 bit software available. A version of Far Cry is written for 64 bit operation but thats pretty much it for the more popular software. Vista may help to popularize 64 bit systems some more but we will have to see about that.

To me there seems to be a bit of a standoff. People are not interested in upgrading to 64 bit until there is more 64 bit software and software writers are not interested in writing 64 bit software until there are more 64 bit machines out there. At least thats my perception of the situation.

[blue60007]

From what I've heard, 64 bit OSs and apps offer little if any peformance boost over their 32 bit counterparts.