64 bit processes run at the same (or usually slower clock speeds) the advantage is not that the buses are faster but wider. Think of a local motorway, that has maybe X lanes, now compare the traffic throughput if you increase the size of that motorway to 2xX. Twice the width, twice the traffic throughput, more people happy cause they get where theyre going faster. Well thats sort of how it works.
The processor can handle calulations on 64 bits of data in each of its pipelines and at each step. This effectively doubles the throughput of the proc. The bus size is also the number of physical copper wires running around on the mobo. Thus the bus size is the size of each number transferred from the processor to the northbridge to the ram and so on.
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| 64 bit is just the advanced version of 32 bit. it has something to do with the size of your BUS. your local BUS can transfer data at twice the speed. the only disadvantage (at this moment) is that not all the hardware is available in a 64 bit edition. |
Hardware is not an issue, 64 bit chipsets go on 64 bit motherboards with 64 bit northbridge chipsets (or whatever config the mobo manufacturer uses.
The IA-64 code uses 64 bit instruction sets and then runs 32 bit code by simulating a 32 bit proc. As opposed to x86-64 which runs x86 code whether that be 64bit or 32 bit, as x86 code. (x86 code has been around since 286's? or thereabouts, and started as 8 bit code, I think)
The reason they are expensive is low throughput (sales) for a very special market. Servers and high speed computing, usually to match the needs of mainframes or low end supercomputers etc. and as a result many end up multiprocessor systems.
the reason many paople do not have 64 bit tech on their desktops apart from that they don't need the power and the price is too high is OS support. few OS's support 64 bit well. XP has a version but apparently is doesn't actually optomize for 64bit very well and Longhorn will be the 64 bit desktop if MS have their way. I haven't really looked into Linix or other to see what their options are like, but knowing them, will be pretty good, if hard to get used to.
