What Does x64 and x86 Mean?
 

What does the x64 and x86 part mean with operating systems?

I thought it was for how many bit the OS is so Vista would be x64 for example but I have a folder for x86 programs but what is that?

x86 is the generic name for 80286 microprocessors family of Intel. It also refrs to the instruction set for this family.

x64 is actually x86-64, which is 64 bit version of x86.

SO, your old 32 bit OS used x86 while your latest OS will be using x86-64.

64 bit OS can run softwares that require 32 bit or 64 bit while 32 bit OS can run only 32 bit supporting software. The folder x86 is created for those sofwares that are compatible only with 32 bit OS.

x86 is 32 bit and x64 is of coarse 64 bit. the reason we went to 64 bit is because of memory limitations of 32 bit. most programming is still 32 bit but works fine on 64 bit computers.

First of all, if you are seeing a folder Program Files (x86) it means that you are running a 64 Bit Operating System. That folder contains the programs installed that are 32 bit versions.

What is the difference between 64 Bit Version programs and 32 Bit version programs?

Usually whenever a program is running a process will be created and it will be allocated some amount of RAM for running. Amount of RAM and the memory address allocated depends on the Operating System and will be handled by Process Controller Block ( PCB ). Here the memory address depends on the type of Operating System and also the type of program, ie 32 bit or 64 bit.

x86 is 32 bit and x64 is of coarse 64 bit. the reason we went to 64 bit is because of memory limitations of 32 bit. most programming is still 32 bit but works fine on 64 bit computers.

X86 is 32 bit machine (Processor ) and x64 is 64 bit machine (Processor ) , x86 is drived from 8086 processor .

Technically x86 simply refers to a family of processors and the instruction set they all use. It doesn't actually say anything specific about data sizes.

x86 started out as a 16-bit instruction set for 16-bit processors (the 8086 and 8088 processors), then was extended to a 32-bit instruction set for 32-bit processors (80386 and 80486), and now has been extended to a 64-bit instruction set for 64-bit processors. It used to be written as 80x86 to reflect the changing value in the middle of the chip model numbers, but somewhere along the line the 80 in the front was dropped, leaving just x86.

Blame the Pentium and it's offspring for changing the way in which processors were named and marketed, although all newer processors using Intel's x86 instruction set are still referred to as x86, i386, or i686 compatible (which means they all use extensions of the original 8086 instruction set).

x64 is really the odd man out here. The first name for the 64-bit extension to the x86 set was called x86-64. It was later named to AMD64 (because AMD were the ones to come up with the 64-bit extension originally). Intel licensed the 64-bit instruction set and named their version EM64T. Both instruction sets and the processors that use them are all still considered x86.

There will be an entry under System called System Type listed. If it lists 32-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 32-bit (x86) version of Windows. If it lists 64-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 64-bit (x64) version of Windows.

There will be an entry under System called System Type listed. If it lists 32-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 32-bit (x86) version of Windows. If it lists 64-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 64-bit (x64) version of Windows.

There will be an entry under System called System Type listed. If it lists 32-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 32-bit (x86) version of Windows. If it lists 64-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 64-bit (x64) version of Windows.

There will be an entry under System called System Type listed. If it lists 32-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 32-bit (x86) version of Windows. If it lists 64-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 64-bit (x64) version of Windows.

There will be an entry under System called System Type listed. If it lists 32-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 32-bit (x86) version of Windows. If it lists 64-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 64-bit (x64) version of Windows.

x86 and x64 are the names of the cpu architectures. There is more to a cpu architecture than just the number of bits per register.

x64 takes is name because the jump to 64 bits is the biggest change in the architecture from x86, but that jump is far from the only change.

x86 gets it's name from the venerable 8086 processor and family, which included 80286, 80368, 486, etc. At the time that x86 became established as a name for the architecture, 32 bits per register was not considered an important enough feature to justify building it into the name.

oh nice info

Thank you very much for sharing it.