Many people have come to ask this question at a certain point in their lives, because they have found a great difference in the working efficiency of a friend's personal computer with your own. Talking about 32 or 64 bits in the past could have represented having to interfere in the architecture of personal computers, something that is currently a very easy and simple topic to understand.
We should mention that most personal computers nowadays already have a 64-bit architecture, which is not exclusive to Mac computers but also to those in which we have installed Windows; Through a few tips and tricks, we will suggest why you should use a 32-bit or 64-bit computer.
Why use a 32-bit architecture computer?
The primary and primary reason for a person to be guided to use a computer with a 32-bit architecture and operating system is in the low resources of the team; This means that if our computer (laptop or desktop) has little RAM, reduced hard disk space and simple applications to work with, it will not be needed beyond this type of architecture.
If we are talking about a Windows computer, in order for the operating system to work effectively on this type of computer (with 32 bits) it will be necessary at least 1 GB of RAM, being recommended to have double. The applications that we get to run in this work environment will have to be simple and straightforward, although if we are going to choose one with a professional tint (such as Adobe Photoshop) we will have to look for a version compatible with that architecture. Unfortunately not all professional applications are compatible with 32 bits, something that you will be able to realize if at a certain moment you want install the latest version of Adobe Premiere, which is only compatible with 64-bit platforms.
Why use a 64-bit architecture computer?
If we are going to carry out a more specialized job, this will involve the use of a computer with greater resources, which will directly represent more RAM memory, a larger hard disk space and of course, large-scale professional applications.
This could involve an additional investment for those who have a 64-bit computer, since the operating system will not work effectively if we only have 4 GB of RAM. At least 8 GB of RAM is needed in both Windows 7 as the latest version of the operating system proposed by Microsoft; Now, if we are still in doubt about the type of architecture to use on a computer with the different applications that we have at this time, then we will suggest a few practical examples of the most important differences that exist between these two platforms.
Basic differences between 32 and 64 bits
- RAM memory. A computer with 32-bit architecture cannot use more than 4 GB of RAM, while one with 64 bits breaks the barrier of 8 GB to use, being compatible with up to 128 GB of RAM.
- Operating systemor. In a 64-bit computer you can install an operating system with similar characteristics as well as one with 32 bits; The opposite situation cannot be given, because a 32-bit operating system cannot be installed on a 64-bit computer, but only the 32-bit one.
- Application compatibility. Applications compatible with either of the two architectures can be run on a 64-bit computer and operating system. On a 32-bit computer and operating system, 64-bit professional applications cannot be run at any time.
- Work efficiency. In a 64-bit computer, there will be better work performance for any application, which far exceeds what a 32-bit computer would offer.
Regarding the last item that we have mentioned, those who feel happiest in choosing a 64-bit computer are the fans of video games, since those entertainment applications run and tThey work with a fairly wide fluency compared to a 32-bit computer.
How do I identify a 32 or 64 bit system?
When talking about the system we are referring to the entire computer and its installed operating system; If we want to know the architecture of our computer, we must try to identify the type of processor that we have installed in the computer.
To do this, we should only enter the BIOS and search the first screen for the type of architecture it has. Right there we will be informed if we have one with 32 bits or another with 64 bits in our hands.
If we have a computer with 32-bit processors, inescapably we will be forced to install a 32-bit operating system. If instead we have a 64-bit processor, on this computer we can install a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system, being a hybrid feature proposed by Microsoft for this type of case.
Once the operating system is executed we will have the possibility to review the type of version of the OS that we have installed, because for this we only have to enter Windows properties. The image that we have placed in the upper part clearly shows us the type of operating system (the software part) that our computer has, being there very well identified at 64 bits. If this feature is present, then we must be sure that our processor also has 64 bits.