32-bits vs 64-bits -- thoughts, issues, etc.

Hi,
I wanted to setup DVR/CCTV (eg zoneminder) and server (apache/sql/ftp/etc)
I have found 2nd hand 64bit pc, much cheaper etc. So my question is (after reading all of this posts . .. :) )
if ZoneMinder is for 32bit, can I compile it on the 64bit machine and run it? I think i can ,but then it won't be using the full 64bit ?

CCTV requires lots of processing power, and i found cheap dual core 64bit, so i though why not? . . .
Pls advise, i have never run even seen 64bit chips!

thank you!
 
32bit OS vs 64bit OS

[ thread merged in - Mod ]

Hello

I'm just about to install a FreeBSD on a server that would never have more than 4GB of RAM.

I am interested in arguments why is better a 64 bit OS (as a database and web server), rather than 32 bit. I will go for 64 bit, but are there any advantages (huge performance increase) on 64 bit over 32?

I know that 64 is better because:
- I can use more than 4GB of RAM
- I's faster but by very little (I've done some benchmark for kernel compilation on both cases and (intel atom 330: make -j4, on i386 I got 1948 seconds and on amd64 I got 1926 seconds).

Are any arguments on choosing 64 bit except the following ones?
- 64 bit is newer (cooler)
- I use Video/audio encoding or graphic processing that make use of 64 bit.

I've read somewhere a post by a FreeBSD port maintainer that said that many FreeBSD AMD64 application from ports (this fact is also true on Linux) are taken from i386 source and make to be compiled and run under 64 bit but the cod do not make use of 64 bit features, so that's why is not faster. Those aps should probably be rewritten from scratch to make use of 64 bit.

That's what I've read, I want to learn more about this topic, what is your opinion regarding 64 bit over 32. From now on I'll probably install only 64 bit OSes but I want to know if I can make better use of them.

thanks
 
>I am interested in arguments why is better a 64 bit OS (as a database and web server), rather than 32 bit. I will go for 64 bit, but are there any advantages (huge performance increase) on 64 bit over 32?

Search the forums, the web ... there is no absolute answer, just try it and if you don't experience any disadvantages stay with it, otherwise ...
 
One advantage of running on amd64 is that there are twice as many general purpose registers available, the the're twice as big as those on i386.
The obvious disadvantage to this is that pointers are twice as big, but this is not really an issues unless you have very little ram.
I'd say that if you have more than 1G of RAM, and you don't have any special reasons to do otherwise, use amd64.

I've read somewhere a post by a FreeBSD port maintainer that said that many FreeBSD AMD64 application from ports (this fact is also true on Linux) are taken from i386 source and make to be compiled and run under 64 bit but the cod do not make use of 64 bit features, so that's why is not faster. Those aps should probably be rewritten from scratch to make use of 64 bit.

Unless you're writing assembly, the compiler should know how to use and take advantage/optimize for the target architecture.
 
The only disadvantage I've found on 64bit was not properly working as desktop (nvidia drivers), but that was solved. There might be some apps in ports that are not working on 64 bits, I don't know.

I did some google/forums research but I could not came to a conclusion. I've seen some benchmarks 64 vs 32, for usual apps performance improvement is very little. Somebody was asking (himself) on a forum why now when all hardware supports 64 bit (even intel Atom), there are a lot of users that still use 32 bit.

Ghirai@ I'll use your advice, I'll go for 64. I've been using FreeBSD 64 bit on a server for a year now and I had no problem with it (Apache,PHP,MySQL).

oliverh@ >there is no absolute answer I want to know what you guys think of that topic (which is best for you and why?)
 
OK, this thread has established that most apps will work on amd64. And it was always a given that amd64 gets you access to more memory.

It seems to me that the only remaining open issue(*) is performance. But nobody's offered any hard data from benchmark testing or otherwise. A couple of commenters have observed that the performance difference seems negligible; can that be fleshed out with more data?

(* Not counting, of course, the diversions into open vs closed source and other irrelevant stuff.)
 
The only disadvantage I've found on 64bit was not properly working as desktop (nvidia drivers), but that was solved. There might be some apps in ports that are not working on 64 bits, I don't know.

so just to clarify, Nvida drivers are now 64bit compliant? or they still dont work? if not do ATI drivers work? I just ask because Im anout to get a new video card and was under the impression that there was still no 64 bit support for either?

Thanks
 
webtc said:
The only disadvantage I've found on 64bit was not properly working as desktop (nvidia drivers), but that was solved. There might be some apps in ports that are not working on 64 bits, I don't know.

so just to clarify, Nvida drivers are now 64bit compliant? or they still dont work? if not do ATI drivers work? I just ask because Im anout to get a new video card and was under the impression that there was still no 64 bit support for either?

Thanks

ATI driver works fine here (8.0 amd64)
Code:
 ATI Technologies Inc RS690M [Radeon X1200 Series] rev 0,
x11-drivers/xf86-video-radeonhd (& -devel) lock up for me, but the ol' radeon driver from x11-drivers/xf86-video-ati works fine, & if you set WIHOUT_NOUVEAU=yes the newer Mesa stuff actually provides some 3d accel.
 
webtc said:
so just to clarify, Nvida drivers are now 64bit compliant? or they still dont work? if not do ATI drivers work? I just ask because Im anout to get a new video card and was under the impression that there was still no 64 bit support for either?

Thanks

They're working! I'm running amd64 with a GeForce 8800 GTS G92 here.
 
volatilevoid said:
They're working! I'm running amd64 with a GeForce 8800 GTS G92 here.

Ye, and now there is a second release fixing some major issues with new Nvidia cards on amd64.
 
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