If I install 32bit Windows on 64bit processor will the 32bit software work?

Someone plz answer
I want to know if i install 32 bit window on 64bit processor like xeon quad core and will it run all 32 bit software like feko and cst
please answer as early as possble
waseem

can you put 32 bit os on a 64 bit computer

It should work with out any problems...
The os will be 32 bit and so will the program...

On a side note i heard that 32bit programs should work on a 64bit OS.....
Right guys/gals ??
thought i would use google just to make sure

feko work better on vista or xp

Yes, it will work, but you will loose a lot of performance of EM simulation.

memory needed for 64 bit os

Hi e_m_c,
why it will loose a lot of performance of DM simulation?

Thanks

can xeon operate at 32 bit

feko and **broken link removed** for example have both 64-bit optimised cores. When you install 64 bit OS on your Xeon computer you can use both - 64 bit and 32 bit cores. When you install 32-bit OS you can use only 32-bit cores. Using 64-bit cores you operate with most effectivelly optimised executables utilizing all resources of the installed OS and CPU, having also possibility to solve large problems using whole installed memory, while 32-bit cores have limitation up-to 2 GB only (actually even lower).

So if your problem might require 7 GB RAM and your Xeon computer is eqipped with 8 GB using 64-bit OS and cores you can solve the problem in-core (in memory only), while using 32-bit OS and cores you need to use out-of-core solution writing matrix partially on HDD and solving it by parts (automatically done by software of-course). Out-of-core solution is reasonable significantly slower compared to direct incore solution. Also specific optimisations available for 64-bit CPU can not be used in 32-bit software environment.

If you operate only with small problems you will probably not feel big difference, but in this case you do not need to use Xeon at all

As 64-bit OS I mean Win XP Pro, thus Vista will eat a lot of resources for own needs. But anyway even Vista 64-bit will be more effective comparing to Win XP 32 bit.

xeon processor can i install 32bit

Many Many Thanx e_m_c

32-bit simulation on 64-bit

Hi Guys

I was in confusion about using xeon 64 bit processor on 32 bit softwares but guys the answer to this is, all 32 bit softwares work on 64 bit processors and on 32 bit operating systems.
hope solves
waseem,

64 bit and 32 bit

yes, and what e_m_c says is not totally correct...

Re: 64 bit and 32 bit

When you run 32bit software on a 64bit MS operating system, it runs in a virtual 32bit machine. MS calls the virtual machine WOW64 (Windows on Windows64).

It doesn't matter how much memory you have installed, you can only use 4Gb when running a 32bit program (2E32 = 4.295E9). Out of that 4GB memory space, you have to subtract the address space of the graphics card and any other hardware that requires addresses. You also have to subtract the address space of the video card mirrored memory when using DirectX -- it is equal to the amount of installed RAM on the graphics card. Finally, you have to subtract the memory needed by the operating system -- for Vista and WinXP that is about 1GB. For example, if you have a video card with 512MB of memory, it comes out 4GB-512MB-512MB-1GB-Other Hardware Addresses (say ~ 100MB). That leaves about 1.9GB address space for the application you are trying to run. That's only a little more than you would have running under WinXP32 or Vista32.

The biggest problem running 32bit programs in a 64bit OS is the quality of the drivers running on the 64bit hardware. The hardware interface has to be "thunked" from 32bit to 64bit, and some drivers aren't written very well for that.