Re: 32 bit processors / 64 bit processors

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PAE (Physical Address Extension) expands the _physical_ address space
to > 32 bits, but the _virtual_ address space stays the same at
32-bits, and the virtual address size is what I mentioned as qualifies
the processor as 32-bit or 64-bit.

1. Addressable physical memory / physical address size does not decide
whether a processor is 32-bit / 64-bit, there is no processor (AFAIK)
which can address 64 bits of physical memory. I suppose sizeof(void*)
gives you the size of the _virtual_ address, so yes, I suppose that
should be 64 bits on a 64-bit processor (and using a 64-bit compiler)
2. Register size does not decide whether a processor is 32-bit / 64-bit.

C

On Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 10:05 PM, Rajat Jain <Rajat.Jain@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
>> 1. The size of the processor's internal address bus (virtual address
>> space) is what qualifies it as a 32-bit / 64-bit processor.
>
> Well, in that sense, isn't Pentium a "36-bit" processor (since it gives
> the option of PAE to use 64 GB of memory - it must be having atleast 36
> address lines)?
>
> On this topic and in this thread, we have had following responses to the
> question on what is called a 32-bit or 64-bit processor:
>
> 1) Addressable Physical memory (=sizeof(void*))
> 2) Register Size (=instruction size)
>
> Are the above two independent of each other? If yes, then how do we
> deine a processor as 32-bit / 64-bit?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rajat
>
>
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