Folks, this is a FAQ, so I thought it's worth spending a bit of time.
Q: Do I get better performance in 64 bit?
Short A: Yes.
Long A: 64 bit computing allows for certain optimizations. More and more code is being optimized for 64 bit. Sometimes the same program could run a bit faster in 32 bit, but those that run faster in 64 bit can run a real lot faster. This is similar to using a multi-processor system: more and more code is being written (multi-threaded) to exploit that. On top of that, 32 bit ubuntu is compiled for older processors for compatibility, while the 64 bit uses all the optimization flags for recent processors.
Here is a recent comparison in phoronix:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...sx_64bit&num=1
Don't look at the graphics performance too much, as this is using an Intel IGP which suffered a regression in 9.04. But look at the rest, 64 bit trounces 32 bit by scandal
If anyone is interested in what kind of optimizations you can get in 64 bit, this is a good read:
http://bmagic.sourceforge.net/bm64opt.html
Go ahead, run your 64 bit Ubuntu and you'll come back to thank me (and dibl, who has been advocating this for years ;-) )
Cheers!
Q: Do I get better performance in 64 bit?
Short A: Yes.
Long A: 64 bit computing allows for certain optimizations. More and more code is being optimized for 64 bit. Sometimes the same program could run a bit faster in 32 bit, but those that run faster in 64 bit can run a real lot faster. This is similar to using a multi-processor system: more and more code is being written (multi-threaded) to exploit that. On top of that, 32 bit ubuntu is compiled for older processors for compatibility, while the 64 bit uses all the optimization flags for recent processors.
Here is a recent comparison in phoronix:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...sx_64bit&num=1
Don't look at the graphics performance too much, as this is using an Intel IGP which suffered a regression in 9.04. But look at the rest, 64 bit trounces 32 bit by scandal
If anyone is interested in what kind of optimizations you can get in 64 bit, this is a good read:
http://bmagic.sourceforge.net/bm64opt.html
Go ahead, run your 64 bit Ubuntu and you'll come back to thank me (and dibl, who has been advocating this for years ;-) )
Cheers!
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