[Solved] Is x86 32 bit or 64 bit?

[Random_User123]

My processor is x86 so is it 32 bit? Or is it 64 bit. 
Which one do I download for Windows?

[emosun]

x86 usually refers to 32bit and x64 is 64bit

[DigestingEnergy]

x86 is a shorter way of saying x86-64, so 64 bit.

[jeffmeyer5295]

Just now, emosun said:

x86 usually refers to 32bit and x64 is 64bit

Naaaailed it.

 

You want 64bit.

[Coaxialgamer]

x86 defines an entire family of processors , from the 16 bit CPUs of the late 70's up to today's 64bit chips .What you need is chip that supports the x86-64 extension (commonly referred to as x64 ), which will allow you to run 64bit software . Basically every processor made in the last 10-15 years supports this. What model CPU do you have ? (core i3 ,5 ,i7 , pentium , celeron ,etc )

[DigestingEnergy]

Just now, emosun said:

x86 usually refers to 32bit and x64 is 64bit

32 bit is either i386 or 32 bit. x86 stands for x86-64, meaning it is 64 bit.

[Coaxialgamer]

Just now, DigestingEnergy said:

x86 is a shorter way of saying x86-64, so 64 bit.

No . x86 refers to an ISA .There are plenty of non-64 bit x86 chips out there.

[Coaxialgamer]

Just now, DigestingEnergy said:

32 bit is either i386 or 32 bit. x86 stands for x86-64, meaning it is 64 bit.

i386 refers to x86 with protected mode support . X86 is in no way short for x86-64

[jeffmeyer5295]

Just now, Coaxialgamer said:

No . x86 refers to an ISA .There are plenty of non-64 bit x86 chips out there.

Doesn't matter lol, that's just where the name came from originally. It has nothing to do with 86-64.

[Random_User123]

1 minute ago, Coaxialgamer said:

x86 defines an entire family of processors , from the 16 bit CPUs of the late 70's up to today's 64bit chips .What you need is chip that supports the x86-64 extension ( commonly referred to as x64 ), which will allow you to run 64bit software . Basically every processor made in the last 10-15 years supports this. What model CPU do you have ? (core i3 ,5 ,i7 , pentium , celeron ,etc )

Ryzen 3 1200

[emosun]

1 minute ago, DigestingEnergy said:

32 bit is either i386 or 32 bit. x86 stands for x86-64, meaning it is 64 bit.

and yet the x86 folder is full of 32bit programs , what a mystery

[DigestingEnergy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_80386

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64

 

i386 is the abbreviation of the first 32 bit cpu, the intel 80386

[DigestingEnergy]

Just now, Random_User123 said:

Ryzen 3 1200

64 bit then

 

[jeffmeyer5295]

1 minute ago, Random_User123 said:

Ryzen 3 1200

You want 64bit.

[Coaxialgamer]

Just now, Random_User123 said:

Ryzen 3 1200

That chip has full support for 64 bit software .

Just now, jeffmeyer5295 said:

Doesn't matter lol, that's just where the name came from originally. It has nothing to do with 86-64.

What are you getting at exactly ? He said that x86 = 64 bit , which is clearly false.

[NumLock21]

x86 is 32bit and x64 is 64bit.

 

 

[Coaxialgamer]

1 minute ago, DigestingEnergy said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_80386

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64

 

i386 is the abbreviation of the first 32 bit cpu, the intel 80386

Yes , and the i386 , ia32 and x86 denominations are commonly used interchangeably to refer to 32 bit architectures. While the last one is dubious , the i386 denomination SPECIFICALLY refers to 32 bit x86 processors ( these 2 things aren't mutually inclusive ) with support for protected mode .

[emosun]

4 minutes ago, DigestingEnergy said:

x86 stands for x86-64

no , if it's a wikipedia war you want , it's a wikipedia war you'll get

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86

[DigestingEnergy]

Just now, Coaxialgamer said:

Yes , and the i386 , ia32 and x86 denominations are commonly used interchangeably to refer to 32 bit architectures. While the last one is dubious , the i386 denomination SPECIFICALLY refers to 32 bit x86 processors ( these 2 things aren't mutually inclusive ) with support for protected mode .

i836 is used for 32 bit and x86-64 is for 64 bit. Literally look it up.

 

[Tabs]

7 minutes ago, Random_User123 said:

My processor is x86 so is it 32 bit? Or is it 64 bit. 
Which one do I download for Windows?

x86 is an architecture type. It generally refers to 32-bit processors, since 64bit are generally referred to as x86_64, AMD64 or Intel64.

 

However, this is not a hundred percent accurate, since technically 64-bit processors are simply running x86 code with a 64-bit depth.

 

If you check System on your pc (About on latest versions of Windows 10), you'll see what configuration you're running.

 

You could be running a 32-bit operating system on a 64-bit processor, which would mean you can only run 32-bit code. You need to make sure both your processor and operating system are 64-bit if you want to run 64-bit code. All modern processors are 64-bit. the image below shows what it will look like if you're fully 64-bit.

 

[jeffmeyer5295]

2 minutes ago, Coaxialgamer said:

That chip has full support for 64 bit software .

What are you getting at exactly ? He said that x86 = 64 bit , which is clearly false.

I misread his comment. I thought he was talking about where the name came from not being true (old cpu's ending in 86 that ran 32bit) not that x86 meant 64bit. Didn't realize people thought that at all lol.

[Coaxialgamer]

Just now, DigestingEnergy said:

i836 is used for 32 bit and x86-64 is for 64 bit. Literally look it up.

 

that's literally what i said .

But it's clearly not what you said :

Quote

32 bit is either i386 or 32 bit. x86 stands for x86-64, meaning it is 64 bit.

x86 can very well be 32bit . x86 does not imply 64 bit in any way

[emosun]

man i feel bad for the op , opened up a whole can of worms trying to explain to a random user that x86 isn't short for x86-64 lol

[NumLock21]

10 minutes ago, DigestingEnergy said:

x86 is a shorter way of saying x86-64, so 64 bit.

There is no short way of saying it. To make it easier most say x86 for 32bit and x64 for 64bit.

[Tabs]

Holy crap, what happened in this thread in the time it took me to take that screenshot?

 

Jesus guys, calm down. The original poster didn't want semantics arguing, he just wanted an answer.