On Mar 5, 2008, at 12:13 AM, Tyrion wrote:
I have downloaded the 64 bit version and burned a CD but
before I get into the whole reinstall, I wonder if someone could
tell me
if it's worth it.
This is the rule:
Do you have 4GB of RAM or more? If so, then yes, install 64 bit.
If not, then stay with 32 bit.
64 bit code is not just inherently faster than 32 bit code. Given
daily use, in some cases it is actually slower (longer word size to
shuffle around all the time), but that is offset by improved integer
math speed for stuff like cryptography and media encoding (apps that
can take advantage of the extra registers of a 64 bit CPU, assuming
they're compiled to do so).
The primary speed advantages of the newer AMD and Intel 64-bit capable
chips come from fundamental architecture changes that benefit both 32
and 64 bit code, so simply having the processor is usually enough
unless you also need to load it with 4GB+ of RAM.
Also, would I need to do a full reinstall, or would
changing the kernel be sufficient?
Kernel is not sufficient, you need a bunch of libraries as well. In
theory you could do it, but a reinstall is much much easier.
--
Joshua Penix http://www.binarytribe.com
Binary Tribe Linux Integration Services & Network Consulting
--
[email protected]
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