On Nov 27, 2007 5:10 PM, Orlando Andico <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Nov 27, 2007 4:34 PM, Michael Tinsay <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > .. > > A 64-bit processor means that it can fetch memory 64 bits at a time > compared > > to a 32-bit machine which fetches 32 bits at a time. Offhand, fetching > from > > main memory to cache should take less time. > > Yes -- but -- ultimately you are limited by how wide is the bus width > to main memory. Even 32-bit Intel CPU's have a 64-bit bus width to the > main memory. > > Also, working on 64 bits at a time means that a machine word consumes > 8 bytes instead of 4 bytes. So you can only store half the number of > words in the cache. This is why I said the cache is effectively > halved. >
You're talking mostly of the code stream...however, when it's data stream you're talking about, like heavy sorting and the like, 64 bit is going to fly. -- --- Kelsey Hartigan Go Registered Linux user #5998
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