On Tuesday 19 December 2006 15:38, Randall R Schulz wrote: > > The reason for 64bit processors is NOT simply address space. > > If one has no need for 64 bit anything, it's all a waste.
Not really. Its faster. How can that be a waste? > > Drive controllers move data to memory at what ever speed and chunk > > size they are designed to use, but your access to that data in 32bit > > chunks that take just as long to load as 64bit chunks is slower > > because it takes more clocks. > > Driver controllers are DMA. The processor is not involved in each > individual data word transfered. True, but not relevant to the point of my paragraph. Moving data in memory in 64 bit chunks is faster than moving in 32 bit chunks. > > > Look, I've done this exact same thing, loaded the i386 kernel on a > > Pentium D (also a 64bit dual well processor, in spite of the Pentium > > name). > > Why would results for an ancient Pentium-D imply anything for a Core 2 > Duo, which is an entirely different implementation of the x86 > architecture? Penitum-D is not ancient. It was only announced in 2005 and the Presler 915 was released in the 1st quarter of 2006. Its a curret processor with emt64 and it works faster with a x86_64 kernel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_D > Which leaves us with the original accusation--that I made a 32/64 > choice. I just stuck the disc in and installed. Just exactly what disk did you stick in? Unless you have the boxed set (and I know you don't), you downloaded EITHER a 32bit OR a 64 bit distro. When downloading you can't get both on one DVD. So you made the choice at download time. The installer did not have the choice of picking the optimal kernel. Given a choice (such as when your boxed set arrives with its double layer disk) yast would choose the x86_64 kernel. Randall, run what you want, its your machine. The only reason I commented was you seemed unaware that the core 2 was a 64bit cpu. If you knew that already why not just say you consciously made a choice to stay with 32bits instead of getting all defensive about it? -- _____________________________________ John Andersen
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