64 bit systems when compared to 32 bits system can be explained in its most rudimentary form as the system’s capability of handling the number of bits simultaneously. The 64 bit system will process the 64bits of data in parallel or we can say that the bus size of such system is capable of carrying 64bits of data. Thus the 64bit system shall have capability to process the larger number of bits at on go when compared with the 32bit system. The data bus provides mechanism of transportation of data between various sub systems in the computer. The ‘data bus’ carries data around inside a computer. Basically, it makes connection of key memory to the rest of the system including the processor, which makes all the processing and calculation. In 32-bit computer system the size of the data bus is of 32-bits wide, whereas a 64-bit bus can carry twice the data in parallel and can move twice as much data for processing which makes it much faster. A 32 bit system has 4GB (gigabytes) of space for addressing means that the 32 bit system has a limit of 4GB RAM to process data where as the 64 bit operating system has 2^64 bits of space to address and supports 16 hexabytes of RAM to process data.
Further, the system in most common term differs in its capability of addressing the amount of memory which it going to use for processing. Through a simple mathematical calculation it can be made clear that a 32 bits processor can address numbers (2^32) from 0 to 4,294,967,295 and a 64-bit machine can have address (2^64) from 0 to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615. Apparently it indicates that a 64bit system can handle larger numbers (memory space) and shall therefore be much efficient than that of 32bit system.
Earlier 64-bit systems hardware are being used for supercomputers since 1960s and in RISC-based servers and workstations since the early 1990s. In 2003 these high speed system were also introduced in personal computing arena.
Change from 32-bit to a 64-bit architecture thus is fundamental leads to requirement of extensive changes in operating systems and other application softwares to take advantage of the new architecture. The 64-bit architectures are since capable of handling double the bits makes it very efficient for handling large data sets such as data sets associated with digital video applications, scientific computing, multi-tasking application and clustering—for HPC (high-performance computing). These application requires high speed processing of data and results of such processing are used by other process in chain or in parallel when used in cluster. The mitigate the abruptness in the change in architecture many companies are working on backward compatibility. It means that the new architecture is capable of running all software and applications which are designed for the older architecture of 32-bit systems. Systems based on Althon 64 bit processor are such system having backward compatibility with their 32bit system.
Presence of 64 bit system is definitely driving the software market for development of new applications which are tangibly beneficial to the normal computing. They off course provide a edge for application requires high speed processing of data such as gaming and video processing
