Difference between Windows Server X64 and I64

[Former Member]

Hello,

What is the command to find out if my Windows 2008 Server version is X86, X64 or IA64?

I know winver command, but it is gives the Windows version and SP Level. It does not tell me, if my windows is X64 or IA64.

Does anyone know the command to find out the difference? (Please note that in service.sap.com/swdc, we have different support packages for SAP Netweaver components, that are installed on X64 and IA64).

Also what is the difference between x64 and IA64?

Thanks,

Haleem

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I will answer this although this is more for Google,

In Windows desktop right click on My PC or My Computer, then properties and you will get OS version and it express if X86 or IA64.

You could also use the command SYSTEMINFO in a command prompt window

Now differences between them:

X86 This is Intel based 32 Bits Processors

X64 This is Intel Based 64 Bits Processors

IA64 This is Itanium 64 bits Processors

Regards

[Former Member]

>

> Also what is the difference between x64 and IA64?
> 
> Thanks,
> Haleem

There still seems to be a bit of confusion over the identity of 64-bit processors for Windows operating systems. Windows runs on two types of 64-bit processor, identified as x64 and IA-64.

Going with the oldest first, IA-64 stands for Intel Architecture, 64-bit and was Intelu2019s attempt to move to a 64-bit architecture. It remains compatible with 32-bit user-mode code through hardware emulation, but this hardware emulation performs so poorly relative to a genuine x86 that all operating systems shipping for IA-64 now include a software x86 emulation called IA-32 EL. IA-64 is the instruction set; the family of processors which implement it are named Itanium (which youu2019ll see critics refer to as Itanic, suggesting that itu2019s sinking) and so youu2019ll sometimes see code written for them referenced as Itanium Processor Family or IPF. You need a new operating system to run any code on an Itanium u2013 it cannot boot a 32-bit operating system.

x64 is actually a Microsoft term and stands for Extended 64. It is implemented by both AMD and Intel who respectively call it AMD64 and EM-64T (Extended Memory 64 Technology). AMD invented it as extensions to the existing x86 architecture. An x64-capable processor natively implements x86 in hardware u2013 it is an x86 processor, with additional modes. It boots up in the same 16-bit u2018real modeu2019 that an x86 does. It can run existing 32-bit operating systems. You may well have an x64-capable processor without realising it. All AMD Athlon 64 and <a href="http://techtalk4you.com/">Opteron</a> processors, and Intel Pentium 4, Pentium D and Xeon processors built within about the last year, implement x64. To check whether your Intel processor supports x64, use Intelu2019s Processor Identification Utility.

Itanium had the early lead and for a while held the general performance crown, but the relentless increase in x86 clock speeds eventually had AMDu2019s Opteron overtake it for integer calculation performance. Itanium still leads for floating point performance but has been stuck at 1.6GHz for about two years, if I recall correctly. Itu2019s liable to be beaten by Intelu2019s own u2018Woodcrestu2019 Xeon-replacement later this year, in my opinion, if it remains stuck at this (now relatively low) speed.

Itanium is now pretty-much reserved to big-iron datacentre servers. Itu2019s good for highly computationally-intensive applications. If you just need lots of memory, go with x64. Itanium used to have an advantage in number of supported processors too, but IBM recently started selling the xSeries 460 which supports up to 32 dual-core Xeons. This hits Microsoftu2019s limit of 64 logical processors which applies to both architectures.

[Former Member]

Thanks plus2plus.