[CentOS] Silly question x64 vs i386

[John R Pierce]

Scot P. Floess wrote:
> I have a really silly question... but just want to ask...
>
> I have one box on my home network that is x86_64 capable...  My other 
> boxes are all i386.  As this x86_64 machine can, at most, house 4 GB of 
> RAM (currently only has 1 GB) - is there any advantage to my running 
> x86_64 on that machine instead of i386...  Long story as to why I am 
> asking - but before I go off and moveit down to i386 - just wanted some 
> opinions :)
>   

on most 64bit capable x86 CPUs, 64bit code is faster, because the x86_64 
mode has more registers than the traditional i386.   On the first gen 
Intel x86_64 CPUs, that would be P4's that had 64bit added to them, I'd 
probably stick with 32bit, but on any AMD or Intel Core CPU, I'd 
probably use x86_64 by default.