The 64-Bit Question
from the who-needs-it? dept
When it comes to technology, people seem to love numbers, and bigger is always better. That explains part of the reason why AMD has been doing quite well lately with their 64-bit chip. However, Simson Garfinkel explains all of the details about 64-bit (and 32-bit) computing to explain why, unless you're doing some massive data mining or working on specific scientific applications, the only people 64-bit computing (by itself) is really helping out are the marketers who tell you need to buy a 64-bit computer. While there are performance benefits to 64-bit chips, for the most part, the benefits are because the chip is newer and made with better, more modern technology - and don't have anything to do with its 64-bitness.
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neverming the 64bit-ness
Nevermind that fact that an opteron is 64 bit. It runs 32 bit apps faster,cooler and is cheaper than similar 32 bit chips (from amd and intel).
pfft. Why wouldn't someone get one?
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Re: neverming the 64bit-ness
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Sun Microystems went through this years ago
The average userland application compiled for 32-bits runs fine under Solaris Sparc 64, if just a bit slowly.
About three years ago, Sun ago started to ship "64-bit only" UltraSparc III platforms; newer systems such as the 280R and V480 offered 900Mhz and 1.1Ghz CPUs, and could address significantly more than four gigs of RAM, but would only boot 64 bit Solaris 8/9.
For most Solaris shops, the processors have been 64-bit capable for many years, but the driving factor behind using the capability wasn't about perceived or actual performance gains, but rather that the latest, fastest, and most scalable Sun hardware would no longer boot 32-bit kernels, could no longer interoperate with 32-bit device drivers.
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