For Intel Core 2 Duo, should I upgrade my x32 with x64 Linux? [closed]

Solution 1:

In my experience using a 32 and 64 bit variants of FreeBSD on the same hardware, I have seen a measurable (but not huge) benefit to running 64 bit. 64 bit has been around long enough that active projects don't have issues. The one area this is not necessarily true is for compiled commercial apps (doesn't sound like an issue for your workload).

If you were installing from scratch, I'd recommend 64 bit for your workload, but if you've got a working solution in place, I don't think it's worth changing it.

Solution 2:

The x86_64 architecture has a few other advantages than just the memory space. The most imporant one is the increased number of registers, which allows the compiler to generate more efficient code.

It's unlikely to make a big difference in the performance of your system though.

Solution 3:

Unless you are in need of the full 4gig memory, you probably don't need to go through the pain of performing a full reinstall of your OS. Everything would need to be recompiled to receive the benefit.

Solution 4:

The only advantage to moving to 64bit is the ability to address greater than 4GB memory. AFAIK, there aren't any performance benefits to moving to 64bit when working with 4GB or less.

In addition to this, 64bit is still relatively new in the sense that it has not achieved mainstream adoption. (relative compared to the long history of 32bit systems) You could/can run into compatibility issues running 64bit.