64Bit OS on 32Bit Architecture... Whhaaaa

[litewarez]

x86-64 is an extension of the x86 instruction set.

It supports vastly larger virtual and physical address spaces than are possible on x86, thereby allowing programmers to conveniently work with much larger data sets. x86-64 also provides 64-bit general purpose registers and numerous other enhancements.

The original specification was created by AMD, and has been implemented by AMD, Intel, VIA, and others. It is fully backwards compatible with 32-bit code.

Because the full 32-bit instruction set remains implemented in hardware without any intervening emulation, existing 32-bit x86 executables run with no compatibility or performance penalties,[2] although existing applications that are recoded to take advantage of new features of the processor design may see significant performance increases.

After launching the architecture under the "x86-64" name, AMD renamed it AMD64 in 2003;[3] Intel initially used the names IA-32e and EM64T before finally settling on Intel 64 for their implementation. x86-64 is still used by many in the industry as a vendor-neutral term. The term x64 is used by some vendors as shorthand for x86-64.

The AMD K8 core was the first to implement the architecture; this was the first significant addition to the x86 architecture designed by a company other than Intel.

Intel was forced to follow suit and introduced a modified NetBurst family which was fully software-compatible with AMD's design and specification.

VIA Technologies introduced x86-64 in their VIA Isaiah architecture, with the VIA Nano.

The x86-64 specification is distinct from the Intel Itanium (formerly IA-64) architecture, which is not compatible on the native instruction set level with either the x86 or x86-64 architectures.

[snowmanrene]

NoVa has it.

and EvilGenius, you were probably able to do that because the CPU supported 64bit architectures.

and no 4 cores does not constitute 128bit.

[CuraHack]

Im sure you can run x64 or x86 with any system that has more than one CPU core

Not true! i have a few SuperMicro Server laying in my bedroom with 2 procesors each, they can't run any 64x OS

[snowmanrene]

the processors probably do not support 64bit architectures nor virtualization.

[NucleA]

Its not that the dual core server handles 32 bit and 32 bits..

Processor architecture depends on their instruction set and their word.

A 32bit processor instruction set has arithmetic operations such as ADD, SUB, MUL, etc.. and logic operations such as OR, XOR, AND, Shift left, shift right, etc..It can process 32 bits - word at a time.

A more advanced processor would have more complex instruction sets such as Square Root and its word contains more bits.

Logically speaking, 64 bits processor would handle complex processes more rapidly than a 32 bits processor.

Now, for a 32 bits processor to be able to handle features of a 64 bit software, it would then need to use its simple instructions to do complex instructions.
For example, to do a square root, it would have to do a series of simple Additions, subtractions or multiplications.

I don't think there are such mathematical formulae..

So, I don't think its possible for a 32bit processor to run 64 bits software. Correct me if am wrong.

Note: For those who don't know, Add, sub, mul, sqr root are Assembly Language Codes.

Any high level language(C, C++, Php, html, whatever) --> Assembly --> 0's and 1's for your computer to understand.

[samipk]

Most of the Dual core processor support 64 bit architecture so it can install both 32 and 64 bit OS

also the main difference between 32bit os and 64 bit os is that 64-bit version of Windows can use more memory—4 GB (gigabytes) or more—and a 32-bit version of Windows is limited to about 3.5 GB or less Ram.
here is an excerpt from microsoft

Computers with a 64-bit processor can run either a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows just fine. So it doesn’t matter too much which version of Windows you install on most PCs with a 64-bit processor—unless you want to be able to use more than 3.5 GB of memory.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...64-bit-windows

[NucleA]

As i said, 64 bits processor has more complex instruction set in addition to simple instructions.

so a 64 bits processor can run 32 bits software but it does not work the other way round. A 32 bit processor cannot run 64 bits software.

Also, the main difference between a 64 and 32 bits processor is not their memory capacity but their complexity and performance.

[samipk]

Also, the main difference between a 64 and 32 bits processor is not their memory capacity but their complexity and performance.

if you read carefully i am not talking about processors when referring to memory but about Windows