A question that users most of the time ask is if they have 32-bit or 64-bit Windows. This is pretty easy to figure out if you guys already have Windows installed on your system. It’s only a matter of looking the information up as well. It’s also worth asking though, what determines which Windows you need to install? The 32-bit or 64-bit Windows installation is actually based on your processor’s architecture. In this artcile, we are going to talk about What is My Processor Architecture – 64-Bit or 32-Bit. Let’s begin!
Put simply, you have to check if your processor is 32-bit or 64-bit, in order to determine which Windows you have to install. Here’s how to check your processor’s architecture as well as how you guys can check if you have 32-bit or 64-bit Windows installed on your system.
Contents
- 1 What is My Processor Architecture – 64-Bit or 32-Bit?
- 1.0.1 Command Prompt along With No Windows Installed
- 1.0.2 Windows – 32-bit Or 64-bit
- 1.0.3 Windows 10 | what is my processor architecture
- 1.0.4 Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10
- 1.0.5 How to know whether your computer is 32-bit or 64-bit on Linux | what is my processor architecture
- 1.0.6 How can you tell if Ubuntu is 32- or 64-bit
- 1.0.7 Conclusion
32-bit vs 64-bit Systems: What’s the difference?
Processors in the early 1990s used 32-bit architecture actually. This means that their data bus actually had the capacity in order to handle 32 bits at a time. As the technology grew, 64-bit processors came on the scene too.
These newer processors have actually a data bus width of 64 bits. This means that they’re at least twice as fast as their 32-bit counterparts. In order to use the capabilities of 64-bit processors, operating systems began to release 64-bit versions as well.
One thing you have to remember is actually that a 64-bit processor can support either a 32-bit or a 64-bit OS. However, a 32-bit processor can only run a 32-bit OS. If you guys bought your PC in the last 7-8 years, you guys should have a 64-bit system. Don’t worry, I won’t force you in order to dig up and see when you bought your PC.
What is My Processor Architecture – 64-Bit or 32-Bit?
You have to open Command Prompt on your Windows machine. If you, understandably do not really have Windows installed and have to determine the processor’s architecture, we will get to that as well. In Command Prompt, you have to enter the following and click the Enter key.
echo %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%
If the Command Prompt returns AMD64, then it means your processor’s architecture is 64-bit actually.
Command Prompt along With No Windows Installed
You will need a bootable Windows 10 USB in order to do this. Now insert the USB and make sure it is the first boot device as well. You guys can change the boot device order from the BIOS. The Windows set-up will load as well. Choose your language, input method, and also time zone in order to proceed. Whenever you see the ‘Install Now’ screen, then do not click the Install Now button. Rather, look at the bottom left where you will see a ‘Repair your computer option. Choose it.
Then, choose the Troubleshoot option. Under Advanced Options, and then choose Command Prompt. Run the command in order to find out if your processor is 32-bit or 64-bit.
Windows – 32-bit Or 64-bit
Finding out if you guys have Windows 32-bit or 64-bit is pretty easy.
Windows 10 | what is my processor architecture
First, open the Settings app on Windows 10. Head to the System group of settings and select the About tab as well. Now scroll down, and it will tell you if you guys have 32-bit or 64-bit Windows installed as well.
Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10
This also works on all versions of Windows from Windows 7 to Windows 10 as well. You have to open the Control Panel. Head to System & Security. Then tap on the ‘View amount of RAM and also Processor speed’ option too. This will actually show you a comprehensive summary of your system. That includes what architecture Windows you have installed.
It’s really important that the Windows system type you install matches what your processor is actually built for. If it does not you guys will run into problems that will seemingly have to solution or also even an apparent cause. And if you’re installing an app and you guys have to select between x56 and x64. You will again have to know the system type in order to install the correct version of the app.
How to know whether your computer is 32-bit or 64-bit on Linux | what is my processor architecture
If you guys are using Ubuntu or any other form of Linux. Then it’s still really easy to find out if your system is 32-bit or 64-bit. Mind that we are talking about the processor here, not the OS itself actually.
You have to open a terminal and run the following command:
lscpuYou guys should see a result like this:
Architecture: x86_64 CPU op-mode(s): 32-bit, 64-bit Byte Order: Little Endian CPU(s): 4 On-line CPU(s) list: 0-3 Thread(s) per core: 2 Core(s) per socket: 2 Socket(s): 1 NUMA node(s): 1 Vendor ID: GenuineIntel CPU family: 6 Model: 69 Model name: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4210U CPU @ 1.70GHz Stepping: 1 CPU MHz: 1694.812 CPU max MHz: 2700.0000 CPU min MHz: 800.0000 BogoMIPS: 4788.66 Virtualization: VT-x L1d cache: 32K L1i cache: 32K L2 cache: 256K L3 cache: 3072K NUMA node0 CPU(s): 0-3 Flags: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx pdpe1gb rdtscp lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf eagerfpu pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 sdbg fma cx16 xtpr pdcm pcid sse4_1 sse4_2 movbe popcnt tsc_deadline_timer aes xsave avx f16c rdrand lahf_lm abm epb tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid fsgsbase tsc_adjust bmi1 avx2 smep bmi2 erms invpcid xsaveopt dtherm ida arat pln pts
Then you have to look for the line that starts along with CPU op-mode. As you can see in the above result, my CPU can actually support 32-bit and 64-bit. This means that I have a 64-bit CPU.
If you see only 32-bit under CPU op-mode, then you have a 32-bit system.
How can you tell if Ubuntu is 32- or 64-bit
So, we just saw how you can find out if our system is 32 bit or 64-bit. However, how can you learn if the Ubuntu you installed on your system is 32-bit or 64-bit? I mean, a 64-bit system can actually support both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems as well. So if you guys have a 64-bit system, it’s better (and recommended) in order to install a 64-bit OS.
In order to check whether the installed Ubuntu OS is 32-bit or 64-bit. Then we’ll use the same command that we used in the previous section:
lscpuIn the result, you have to look for the line starting with Architecture. This will basically tell you the OS architecture.
- x86, i686, or i386 means 32-bit Linux
- x86_64, amd64 or x64 that means 64-bit Linux
Well, in my case, I had x86_64 in the result, which means I have 64-bit Ubuntu installed.
Further | what is my processor architecture?
Just like that, you can use this command that we actually saw in an older article about finding your Ubuntu Unity version:
uname -mThe result will actually be x86, i686, i386, x86_64, x64, etc. And you guys can easily work out the OS architecture from it.
You can also use the arch command as well:
archThe output will indicate if your installed Linux system is 32-bit or 64-bit actually.
Conclusion
Alright, That was all Folks! I hope you guys like this “what is my processor architecture” article and also find it helpful to you. Give us your feedback on it. Also if you guys have further queries and issues related to this article. Then let us know in the comments section below. We will get back to you shortly.
Have a Great Day!
