Difference between 32 bit and 64 bit processor
To find out which Processor and Operating System is installed on your computer:
Go to Start
Right click on Computer
Left click on Properties.
The next window will display the system
The display will show either 32-bit or 64-
bit.
What is the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows?
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.
64 bit processor can handle twice the amount of data compared to 32 bit processor.
32 bit processor can process 32 digits at a time whereas 64 bit can handle 64 digits.
What is a bit?
A bit, short for binary digit, is the smallest unit of measurement used for information storage in
computers. A bit is represented by a 1 or a 0 with a value of true or false, sometimes expressed as
on or off. Eight bits form a single byte of information, also known as an octet. Thus, the difference
between a bit and a byte is size, or the amount of information stored.
For example, it takes eight bits (1 byte) to store a single character. The capital letter “A” is
expressed digitally as 01000001. A small case “a” is represented in binary code as 01100001.
Notice the third bit is different in each octet. By rearranging the bits within the octet, a byte is
capable of producing 256 unique combinations to form letters, numbers, special characters and
symbols.
It can get confusing keeping units of storage straight, but if you have trouble remembering which is
a bit and a byte, note that the smaller word is the smaller unit of storage. Once the difference
between a bit and a byte is understood, this helps to remember the difference between greater units
such as the kilobit and kilobyte.
64 bit = 8 bytes
What is a cpu ?
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is responsible for interpreting and executing most of the commands
from the computer's hardware and software
The CPU could be considered the "brains" of the computer. A CPU has four primary functions: fetch,
decode, execute, and writeback.
What are the main problems encountered if buying a new computer with 64bit Operating system?.
The main problems which are encountered are any peripherals such as Printers, Scanners, any other
hardware you may have, which is 32-bit. These will not run on a 64-bit machine.
What can we do?
In most cases (unless the device is very old) 64-bit Drivers can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s
website. These Drivers are installed in your computer, NOT in the device. This enables the Device and
the computer to “talk to each other”.
What is a Driver?
A driver is a small piece of software that tells the Operating system and other software how to communicate
with a piece of Hardware. For example, all printers come accompanied with drivers to install that tell the
operating system exactly how to print information on the page.
Can we use Programs which are in 32-bit on a 64-bit machine?
In most cases Yes. However if the program is very old, it may not work.
What you will find in the Programs Folder, will be a folder for the 32-bit and a folder for the 64-bit programs.
Below are two graphs to help you understand what is compatible, with 32-bit and 64-bit if you are thinking
of upgrading an existing computer.
WHAT IS COMPATIBLE IF I HAVE A 32-bit COMPUTER.
32-bit
Processor CPU 32-bit 32-bit 32-bit
Operating System 32-bit 32-bit 64-bit 64-bit
Program (ie. Microsoft Office) 32-bit 64-bit 32-bit 64-bit
Yes NO NO NO
WHAT IS COMPATIBLE IF I HAVE A 64-bit COMPUTER.
64-bit
Processor CPU 64-bit 64-bit 64-bit
Operating System 64-bit 64-bit 32-bit 32-bit
Program (ie. Microsoft Office) 64-bit 32-bit 32-bit 64-bit
Yes Yes Yes No
Created by Peggy 2012
