32-bit computing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:50, 5 April 2005

Revision as of 12:20, 6 April 2005

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'''32-bit''' is also a term given to a generation of computers, during which time 32-bit processors were the norm.

The range of [[integer]] values that can be stored in 32 bits is [[0 (number)|0]] through [[4294967295 (number)|4294967295]], or -2147483648 through [[2147483647 (number)|2147483647]] using [[two's complement]] encoding. Hence, a processor with 32-bit [[memory address]]es can directly access [[Gigabyte|4GB]] of [[byte-addressable]] memory.

The external address and data buses are often wider than 32 bits but both of these are stored and manipulated internally in the processor as 32-bit quantities. For example, the [[Pentium Pro]] processor is a 32-bit machine, but the external address bus is 36 bits wide, and the external data bus is 64 bits wide.