Build A 64 Bit Computer System

If you are still stuck up, it's time now to build a 64 bit computer system. The technology is changing fast. Computers today are used for a variety of purposes. Beginning with small gaming to very large business solutions, the computer today has become a part of daily life.

The advancement of technology has brought changes to the computer parts too. This improvement led to the development of faster processor which is the main component of computer system. So, some people call the processor as the brain of the computer system. Processing capacity and speed of the processor depends on how many bits of data the processor can handle at one instance of time.

Process 64bit data

The 64-bit processors can handle 64 bits of data at a given amount of time. It has got registers and ALU of 64-bit wide in length. Technically speaking, the register is used for temporary storing of data inside CPU, while performing the arithmetic or logic operations. After performing the requested operations, the CPU resets the contents of these registers after writing the results to the cache. The cache memory is a very fast memory placed between the CPU and main memory. The cache will update the values in the main memory. The length of registers has an effect on the total maximum amount of memory that a system can use. Memory locations are noted by their addresses. 64-bit processing means, 264 memory locations can be addressed by the system. This means one system can have memory size of 264 addresses. If one adds the memory beyond this range, the system will not recognize the additional memory installed.

History of 64-bit processing

During the early days of computing, processors were 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit. The most popular processor, Intel’s Pentium 4 is of 32-bit. During 2004, the 64-bit processors started to become common in servers. During 1991, MIPS technologies produced the first 64 bit processor. In 1999, processor marketing giants Intel releases its own instruction set, along with IA-64 architecture. Later during 2001, Intel releases the Itanium processors, aiming high-end servers. But, this becomes flop. So, Intel introduces another 64-bit processor and names it as Itanium 2, in 2002. In 2003, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) releases its 64-bit processors, Opteron, and Athlon 64 series. This becomes a huge success in the history of 64-bit processing.

64-bit processor the need of time

We need to have 64-bit operating systems to enjoy the full features of 64-bit processor. Otherwise, the processor will still work, but, without full new features. Software giant, Microsoft, released Windows XP Professional x64 Edition during 2005. To achieve good speed for some of the applications, programs may have to be rewritten and recompiled. Otherwise, the programs will run, but, comparatively at a low speed.

64 Bit Motherboard is different than 32 bit

The mother board is a main board in a computer. They hold the Processor, several logical chips such as Interrupt Controller, Programmable Peripheral Interface etc. and a variety of slots for connecting Hard Disks, CD-Drives, and Floppy Drives. The mother board of 64-bit processors is different from that of 32-bit processors. There are several motherboards available for 64-bit processors.

Here are the some of the motherboards that supports the 64-bit processors.

1. Abit NVIDIA nForce3 250 Socket 754 Main board NF8-V2, 1.6GHz HT, SATA RAID, w/ LAN & Audio.

2. Biostar NF4 4X-A7 AMD Socket 754 ATX Motherboard, NVIDIA nForce4-4X, Supports DDR400, PCI-E, SATA RAID.

3. Jetway K8M8MS Socket 754 Micro ATX Motherboard, VIA K8M800 Chipset, Video, Supports DDR400, AGP 8X, SATA, RAID.

4. ASUS Socket 754 Motherboard K8V-X SE, VIA K8T800, Support AMD Athlon 64 Processor, DDR400, SATA RAID, w/ LAN, USB2.0.

5. Biostar Motherboard K8T80-A7, Socket 754, DDR400, AGP8X, SATA RAID, LAN & Audio.

6. Gigabyte K8VM800M Socket 754 micro ATX Motherboard, DDR400, Video, 2x SATA, AGP8X, USB2.0, 6ch Audio & LAN.

There are many more 64-bit mother boards are available. The choice of mother boards depends on the requirements. One may need additional slots, which may not present in one motherboard, but may present in some other motherboards of different manufacturers. One needs to check what new features the mother board contains, before purchasing it.

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