64Vs32 lets break it down.

[Solaris17]

all right lets see. i whant to know about alot of the differences between 64 and 32 bit and company readme's arent really cutting it. i whant to know through user exp.

i know these things

64b is faster though i dont get how
64b is stabler no idea how their

and can someone throw me the basics of hyperthreading? i know thats faster etc but...........

[bikr692002]

I dunno, more memory available or something, idk, but i know theres more mem for assembler i think

[wtf8269]

Well I can't explain the 64bit vs 32bit thing, but HyperThreading is basically Intel's archetecture that allows the processor to process more than one (in this case two) threads at once. Which is similar to, but not as fast as dual cores and dual CPUs.

[Solaris17]

so amd's version hypertransport is more or less the same as hyperthreading really correct?

[wtf8269]

Not at all. HyperTransport Technology or HTT is AMD's replacement for the frontside bus. On socket 754 it runs at 800mhz, on 939 it runs at 1ghz. The big thing is that it is full duplex. This is like having a two lane road as opposed to a 1 way. Intel's FSB is half duplex thus information has to wait to go another way while another set of information is using the one way. Because of this full duplex sometimes you will see them say 1.6ghz or 2ghz. They do not actually run that fast. They only run at 800mhz and 1ghz, but because intel is still half-duplex some people will call it 1.6ghz or 2ghz in order to compare.

[Aevum]

the 64bit vs 32bit is a question which alot of people have not been able to answer,
the reality of the issue is that there isnt really alot of x86-64 software out there, some linux programs have been recompiled, oracle runs smooth as silk in 64bit mode, and windows XP 64 will probobly die when its delayed past the vista date of release, so dont expect any significant windows software for x86-64 untill the curse of vista arrives, and after seeing what happens to direct X and all the new DRM implemented in vista, not sure i´d want to upgrade,

what really makes the Athlon64 superior is as mentioned the Hypertransport system improving CPU interface on a protocol and bandwidth level, aswell as the integrated memory controler,
Intel just realized that the netburst arquitecture was a mistake and that their future depends on a recycled P3 tualatin (the first penitum M), more mhz at the cost of intructions per cycle using a kilometric pipeline made intel processors power hungry highly inefficiant pieces of junk, but the yonah has shown to equal the athlon64, not becuase of 64 bit extensions, but becuase of a optimized pipeline and using a sane FSB,

and thats what makes the Athlon64 more efficient per mhz, not 64 bit extencions, its the optimized pipeline, the improved bus system AKA hyper transport and the integrated memory controler,

[ejr_1]

INTeL sucks. Their FSB is slow and they bottleneck like crazy! Athlon for the win!!!

[AMDCam]

I agree with ejr although it sounds like a fanboy comment.

Also just to explain it another way, Hyperthreading (Intel) is a virtual dual-core, but it still uses only 1 core and if a 3.2ghz has HT then (according to all logic) processing 2 threads with it would make each thread get processed around 1.6ghz.

Also about 64-bit, 32-bit processors can only address up to 8gb of system memory, and 64-bit systems can handle WAY more, but really who cares about that, I mean most of our mobo's can't handle more than 4gb, nobody needs more than that (usually), and servers are really the only things that I would assume can use that feature to the fullest.

[djbbenn]

Also just to explain it another way, Hyperthreading (Intel) is a virtual dual-core, but it still uses only 1 core and if a 3.2ghz has HT then (according to all logic) processing 2 threads with it would make each thread get processed around 1.6ghz.

HT actually doubles certain parts of the die. It does not cut the frequency in half for each thread. So it can take in 2 threads at once, does some stuff, and then send it off the rest of the cpu where it goes through the same stage as a non-HT cpu. So basically, it gives more for the cpu to do. With HT, it helps make sure that all parts of the cpu are being used at all time. This makes it more efficient, hence better at multitasking. That's HT explained very basically.

Where there are not two physical cores, just certain parts of the core doubled, it does not have the same performance as a dual core. Also, the program must be written to support multi threading for HT to take advantage of it. When programs are written for HT, dual cores can take advantage of it as well. HT is quite the design, and it helps quite a bit in Windows.

64Bit... still pretty much useless atm. Until it becomes mainstream, and all programs are written for it. Dual core is the next big thing, then quad core... they hit a point of diminish and return with cpu's, so multiple cores is the awnser. But not much is write for dual core either atm.

-Dan

[AMDCam]

Dahhhh, thank you for that Djbbenn. I didn't want to sound like I knew for a fact which is why I put "(according to all logic)", but thanks for that. So you couldn't just activate a P4 without HT to have HT if it doesn't physically have the "doubled" hardware components in it. Awesome.

[zAAm]

I guess the only thing really better for a 64bit CPU is that it can process more data per clock cycle. Since it's registers are twice as big, more data can be held in them and more processed at a time. It's true that 64bit CPU's use 64bit memory addresses which means it can handle 16 Terabytes RAM easily but since that isn't really a problem today it's not going to do much.

And I think all the new cores have HT built in but the extra circuits are disabled in non-HT CPU's. It wouldn't make sense to make a whole different core just to leave out the HT components.

[AMDCam]

Yeah, I was kinda thinking about that when I remembered how graphics cards can be upconverted if they have the same core and stuff like that. So never mind, but thanks for explaining.

[Solaris17]

wew thanks guys that was awsome realy opened things up now time to asimilate.

[Aevum]

i still think that untill vista comes out, or unless you decide to use linux with a AMD64, the 64bit instructions are usless, the real proformance advante that current AMD cpus have are due to the shorter, more efficient pipeline and the integrated memory controler.

the yonah Pentium M fallows the same philosophy for the pipeline and it matches a Athlon64 in alot of areas with the same clock frequency