How to know if my processor is 32 or 64 bits

Knowing if my processor is 32 or 64 bits will help a lot to know more or less the age of the computer, and to install the correct programs in addition to the system on it. Currently we can say that 100% of the computers sold are 64-bit, so this article will become more relevant for those users who want to review old computers in their possession.

Index of contents

In any case, almost all current programs are available in 32 and 64-bit versions, since it is also possible that we have decided to install a 32-bit operating system, for example, some Windows XP or Linux of the previous generation.

What is and how the processor works

Before looking at how to identify our processor, it is advisable that we know in a basic way how it works, in order to know more exactly what it means to be 32 or 64 bits.

The processor or CPU is an element made up of an integrated circuit on a silicon chip that is made up of millions of transistors. It is the brain of the computer that is responsible for processing all the instructions necessary to operate the operating system, programs and peripherals. It decodes and executes the instructions that are loaded in the main memory and coordinates and controls the different components.

The processor is installed on a socket or socket directly on the motherboard. This socket varies with the passing of the CPU generations, so it will be very important to know the compatibility between the processor itself and the motherboard. This is even more important than knowing whether it is 32 or 64 bit.

How to know my processor socket and compatibility

Basic operation of a processor

A processor is based on the execution of instructions and this is where the difference between one of 32 and another of 64 bits lies. A program is made up of a set of these instructions, each one of them is executed in an operation cycle, and we already know that for every second it is possible to make millions of instructions. The more GHz, the more instruction cycles per second. The execution of an instruction occupies several phases:

• Instruction search: The CPU requests the instruction from the main memory by identifying the memory address where it is stored. Then the instruction is moved by memory registers that can be 32 or 64 bits as we will see later. Decoding of the instruction: when the instruction reaches the processor, it is divided into simpler codes to be executed. Search for operands: with the instruction loaded in the CPU, it is also necessary to search for the operand assigned to the instruction itself, it can be addition, subtraction, multiplication, division or a logical operation. Instruction execution: the necessary logical or arithmetic operation is performed. Result storage: Each operation generates a result and is cached in memory and then passed back to RAM.

Through this process, as a CPU works, each of its cores repeats these steps over and over again.

What is a processor and how does it work (full explanation)

Difference between a 32 and 64 bit processor

We already know in a basic way how a CPU works, although we have not yet clearly seen what is the difference between these two numbers that occupy this article.

All information that circulates through our computer is based on electrical signals that in turn are represented by zeros and ones, current / non-current, as simple as that. These numbers are called bits and, as we say, it marks whether or not current passes through a transistor. To form complex instructions, these bits create consecutive strings of ones and zeros called words, and this is how the binary language is performed.

Obviously, we do not understand ones and zeros, but letters and numbers, so a processor must translate this basic machine language into understandable elements. With the passage of time, the power of computers increased, and the Byte began to be used, which is nothing more than an eight-bit grouping (01100110 for example).

Both the instruction strings and the memory addresses are generated with a combination of bits measured in Bytes, as long as the string is larger, as more combinations can be made. For example, with three bits (000), we can make 8 combinations (2 ³), with 8 bits (2 ⁸ = 256) and so on. More states also means more information so in 63 bits (8 × 8) it will fit twice as much information and states as in 32 bits (8 × 4) right?

Then we can affirm that a processor that is capable of working with 64-bit words and addresses will have greater computing capacity than one with only 32 bits. Let's say that the information highway is wider. Another very important question that we can get out of here is that, the greater the number of bytes, the greater the number of memory cells can be addressed and thus the capacity of a 64-bit CPU increases considerably.

Capacity differences between 32-bit and 64-bit CPUs

In addition to the greater capacity to process information of a 64-bit CPU, another of the fundamental differences is that it is also capable of managing a greater amount of RAM, let's explain this.

The memory is divided into cells, in each of which a data is stored. The CPU must know which cell the data is in, so a binary code will be associated with it. If we have a 32-bit CPU, it will only be able to read 2 ³² combinations of numbers, that is, 4, 294, 967, 296 cells of memory, or what has been 4 GB of RAM. Meanwhile, a 64-bit CPU will theoretically be able to read 2 ^64- cell data, about 16 million Terabytes.

In any case, the current operating systems and the available hardware are not capable of reaching these figures due to physical limits. What's more, Windows 10 Pro is capable of addressing just 512 GB of RAM. In any case, a PC made up of a CPU and a 32-bit operating system only supports 4 GB of RAM, and this does affect us directly.

Another difference that follows from the above is that the allocation of virtual memory will also be limited. While with 32 bits you can only allocate 2 GB per application, with 64 bits you can allocate up to 8 TB, this is very important in the world of servers. As you can see, not only the CPU, but the operating system also greatly influences the final capacity of the computer.

Know if my processor is 32 or 64 bit

The first thing you should know about 64-bit processors is that they have been with us for about 16 years, specifically on desktop computers.

• AMD: In 2003 the AMD64 architecture was born, and the brand launched its Opteron and Athlon 64 series for desktops. Apple: Also in 2003, IBM's new 64-bit PowerPC 970 was released for Mac desktops. Intel: In 2004 Intel started to renew its desktop range with the EM64T extension in both the XEON family and Pentium 4. However, it had already developed 64-bit processors with the Itanium family for servers.

That being said, if you have a 2003-to-2003 computer you will practically be sure it is 32-bit, whereas from 2003 onwards it will be interesting to know whether it is 32- or 64-bit. With the arrival of the Intel Core and AMD Bulldozers in 2010, the 32 architecture ceased to make sense in the current era.

NOTE: It is very important to know that a 64-bit CPU supports 32-bit operating system and applications as well. While a 32-bit CPU DOES NOT ACCEPT 64-bit systems or programs.

First way: from Windows system

From Windows, it is an easy task to know the architecture of our CPU and operating system. We have two different ways.

We open the run tool with the key combination (Windows + R) and write MSINFO32. We will be shown a fairly complete list of hardware in which we will have to locate the line "System type ".

" X64-based PC " will mean that at least our operating system is 64-bit, which is enough to know that the CPU is too. In case you put x86-based PC or similar, it will mean, at least that the system is 32-bit, but this does not mean that the CPU is also.

The second way is to open the system properties by clicking on " Computer " or " My Computer " and on the " properties " option from Windows XP onwards.

We are shown clearer information in the new version of Windows 10 build 1809. So we are shown the architecture of the system and also that of the CPU.

Second way: using CPU-Z software

CPU-Z is a small free software that we install on our computer to collect a lot of useful information about our computer hardware. Among this hardware, you will find all the information related to the CPU. Even if we have a 32-bit system installed, we will be able to know for sure what architecture our CPU has.

You can download it from its official website without problems or advertising.

Here we have several examples of different processors from Intel and AMD. Note that, in the case of AMD, we see " X86_64 " in the instruction list, that means it is a 64 bit CPU. In the case of Intel we will have to search for " AM64T ".

Instead of these captures we can see that none of the above appears in the set of instructions. This will mean that it is a 32-bit CPU.

Know if my processor is 32 or 64 bit on Linux

In Linux it is also an easy task to know the architecture of the CPU, and we will also have two ways of doing it.

The first is through the command terminal. We just have to place the command " uname -a " with any user and information about the installed operating system and CPU will appear.

The second is through the system details panel. To access it, we are going to go to the task bar and click on the arrow on the far right. Inside, we will access the configuration panel to go to the last option of " details ". Here we will be shown the information about the CPU and the operating system.

Look at CPU architecture from the data sheet

If these methods do not convince us too much, we will always have the option to go directly to the manufacturer's website and look at the characteristics of our CPU model. In the previous methods, we will be able to know CPU brand and models. So the next thing is to go to ark.intel.com or AMD.com to find one of their processors.

We will look for the set of instructions in the case of Intel and compatible with OS in the case of AMD. We will already know for sure what architecture our CPU has.

Conclusion about 32 and 64 bit processors

Knowing the architecture of the CPU is a simple task, but we wanted to go a little further and explain briefly the implications that this architecture has on the capacity of our computer and operating system.

Today, there is practically no sense in installing a 32-bit operating system or applications, since for more than 10 years we have been using 64-bit CPUs almost continuously, so we would only be limiting the possibilities of our computer..

We leave you with some interesting tutorials on CPU and our most important hardware guides in case you have decided to take a step forward and renew your PC.

If you have any questions, problems or want to point out something, we are always willing to listen to them in order to improve, so leave it in the comment box.