What Is X64?
Many of you may don’t know about CPU architecture. However, you may know 32-bit and 64-bit. If you open File Explorer, right-click This PC icon, and choose Properties, you can check the System type information. Usually, it will tell you your OS is 32-bit or 64-bit.
Whether your PC can install 32-bit or 64-bit systems and software depends on the CPU type. If a CPU uses x86 architecture, it can support 32-bit systems and software; if a CPU uses x64 architecture, it can support 64-bit systems and software.
X64, also called x86-64, refers to the 64-bit extended CPU ISA (Instruction Set Architecture) based on x86, which is backward compatible with 32-bit x86 architecture and older 16-bit x86 architecture.
On the other hand, an x64 CPU is also called 64-bit CPU, meaning that the width of the general-purpose registers inside the CPU is 64 bits, and the CPU supports arithmetic and logical operations of 64-bit width of integers.
In addition to the above names, x64 also has other names like x86_64, AMD64, and Intel64. The 32-bit x86 architecture also has another name: i386.
What Is ARM64?
ARM, short for Advanced RISC (reduced instruction set computer) Machine, is a CPU architecture widely used in many embedded system designs. The RISC is a CPU design mode that will simplify the individual instructions given to the computer in order to realize a task.
With a RISC computer, a task might require more instructions (code) to realize, because the individual instructions are written in simpler code. However, simpler instructions will make it easier to implement an instruction pipeline. It can offset the need to process more instructions by increasing the speed of each instruction.
The ARM architecture has many advantages such as low cost, high performance, and low power consumption. Due to these advantages, the ARM architecture is widely used in the mobile communication field.
In addition, the ARMv8-A architecture released in 2011 added support for 64-bit spaces and 64-bit arithmetic operations.
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ARM64 vs X64
X64 CPUs are fast and powerful, but they require a lot of electricity. So, they are usually used in laptops. ARM CPUs are weak but low-power processors for smartphones and other mobile devices.
Apple has released M1/2 laptops based on ARM CPUs and they have strong performance. Many poeple think the future is moving to ARM CPUs.
The two processor architectures are mutually exclusive. A program that’s built for x86/x64 can’t run on ARM under any circumstances, and vice versa.
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Bottom Line
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About The Author
Position: Columnist
Linda has been working as an editor at MiniTool for 5 years. She is always curious about computer knowledge and learns it crazily. Her articles are simple and easy to understand. Even people who do not understand computer can gain something. By the way, her special focuses are disk management, data recovery and PDF editing.