The first real 64-bit architecture was released by Intel with this Itanium processor. What we are now using is the ‘backward compatible’ 64-bit extension to the 32-bit architecture, developed ...

Here’s the key difference: 32-bit processors are perfectly capable of handling a limited amount of RAM (in Windows, 4GB or less), and 64-bit processors can utilize much more.

It's worth noting that Windows 11 does not have a 32-bit version, so if you're running Windows 11, your system is already 64-bit. Alternatively, you can type "msinfo32" in the search menu and ...

The 64-bit version of Windows has certain advantages. While the 32-bit version is limited to 4GB of RAM–and can’t really make use of all that–the 64-bit version can address up to 8TB.

Its successors, Windows 98, Windows XP, and Windows 7, all offered 32-bit versions. Mac OS X Leopard and earlier versions used a 32-bit structure on the Apple side.

Windows 10 can run on both 32-bit and 64-bit processor architectures. If you have a computer with a 32-bit setup, you can upgrade to the 64-bit version without acquiring a new license.

Last year, Microsoft pulled a similar move. It increased the minimum amount of storage that a Windows 10 PC can have from 16GB on 32-bit devices and 20GB on 64-bit ones, to 32GB across the board.