{"id":23424,"date":"2023-09-28T14:32:46","date_gmt":"2023-09-28T12:32:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=23424"},"modified":"2023-09-28T14:32:51","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T12:32:51","slug":"x86-vs-x64-vs-arm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/","title":{"rendered":"x86 vs. x64 vs. ARM: Differences &#038; Which Is Best [2024 Update]"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>X86 vs x64 vs ARM: Which is Best? <\/strong>With a title like that, I gotta start diving into the meat of answering that question as concisely as possible without omitting key information.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll start by explaining what each of our competitors actually <em>are<\/em>, but you can feel free to skip around to your heart\u2019s content as necessary.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668449fe87dbc\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668449fe87dbc\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668449fe87dbc\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#A_Brief_on_CPU_Architecture_and_Instruction_Sets\" title=\"A Brief on CPU Architecture and Instruction Sets\">A Brief on CPU Architecture and Instruction Sets<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#What_is_x86_Architecture\" title=\"What is x86 Architecture?\">What is x86 Architecture?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#What_is_x64_Architecture\" title=\"What is x64 Architecture?\">What is x64 Architecture?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#What_is_ARM_Architecture\" title=\"What is ARM Architecture?\">What is ARM Architecture?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Which_Is_Best\" title=\"x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Which Is Best?\">x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Which Is Best?<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Memory_Capacity\" title=\"x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Memory Capacity\">x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Memory Capacity<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Processing_Power\" title=\"x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Processing Power\">x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Processing Power<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Power_Consumption\" title=\"x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Power Consumption\">x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Power Consumption<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Cooling_Requirements\" title=\"x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Cooling Requirements\">x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Cooling Requirements<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Pricing\" title=\"x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Pricing\">x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Pricing<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Conclusion\" title=\"x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Conclusion\">x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Conclusion<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#What_is_ARM64\" title=\"What is ARM64?\">What is ARM64?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#Is_x64_Always_Better_Than_x86\" title=\"Is x64 Always Better Than x86?\">Is x64 Always Better Than x86?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#Can_ARM_Run_x86_or_x64_Apps\" title=\"Can ARM Run x86 or x64 Apps?\">Can ARM Run x86 or x64 Apps?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#Can_x86_and_x64_Run_ARM_Apps\" title=\"Can x86 and x64 Run ARM Apps?\">Can x86 and x64 Run ARM Apps?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#Is_RISC-V_Better_Than_ARM\" title=\"Is RISC-V Better Than ARM?\">Is RISC-V Better Than ARM?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/x86-vs-x64-vs-arm\/#Over_to_You\" title=\"Over to You\">Over to You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Brief_on_CPU_Architecture_and_Instruction_Sets\"><\/span>A Brief on CPU Architecture and Instruction Sets<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>First, let\u2019s take a moment to talk about CPU architecture<\/strong>. Every CPU is a complex piece of precision machinery, with a unique \u201cmicro-architecture\u201d to itself and a related family of CPUs.<\/p>\n<p>Usually, this is a generational change as CPUs are updated within their own product lines, but there are actually <em>more<\/em> fundamental architectural changes, too.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23429\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors.jpg\" alt=\"ARM vs x86 Processors\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23429 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"ARM vs x86 Processors\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Processors.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>x86, x64, and ARM are all examples of CPU <em>instruction sets<\/em>, <\/strong>not <em>just<\/em> CPU architectures<strong>. <\/strong>This means they\u2019ve all been used for decades, and <strong>pretty much every CPU in a smart device or PC you\u2019ve used is built on top of one of them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>While <strong><em>micro-architecture<\/em> can change constantly<\/strong> within the walls of a CPU manufacturer, <strong><em>instruction set architecture<\/em> doesn\u2019t change <em>nearly<\/em> as frequently<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Below, I\u2019m going to dive deeper into the actual differences between these CPU instruction set architectures, but the difference in the use of the word \u201carchitecture\u201d was important to clarify there, too.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_x86_Architecture\"><\/span>What is x86 Architecture?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>x86 is a <strong>Complex Instruction Set Architecture (CISC)<\/strong> and <strong><em>was<\/em> the dominant mainstream micro-architecture of Windows PCs<\/strong> until the release of x64 in 2003. <strong>It launched in 1978<\/strong>, though, meaning it was dominant for well over 20 years before it was succeeded by x64.<\/p>\n<p>x86 is also colloquially known as \u201c<strong>32-bit<\/strong>\u201d, since it also has to operate within <strong>32-bit RAM limitations, <\/strong>meaning no more than 4 Gigabytes of system memory is visible to an x86 CPU.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23430\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU.jpg\" alt=\"Memory (RAM) Limitation on x86 32-Bit CPU\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23430 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Memory (RAM) Limitation on x86 32-Bit CPU\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-32-Bit-CPU.jpg\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_x64_Architecture\"><\/span>What is x64 Architecture?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>x64 is a Complex Instruction Set Architecture (CISC) and is the current dominant architecture of Windows and Linux PCs<\/strong>. It\u2019s actually called <strong>x86-64<\/strong>, as well, since it\u2019s built on top of the original x86 Instruction Set, rather than replacing it entirely.<\/p>\n<p>Seeing <strong>as x86-64 is used with the same operating systems that originally ran on x86<\/strong>, this evolution makes sense as a measure to preserve software compatibility between architectures.<\/p>\n<p>The biggest difference between x64 and x86 is that x64 now boasts <strong>64-bit RAM limitations<\/strong>. 64-bit math means that it\u2019s <em>theoretically<\/em> possible to reach 16.8 million TB of RAM, but <em>in reality<\/em>, the maximum RAM reachable by a modern OS is about 6 TB.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23431\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit.jpg\" alt=\"Memory (RAM) Limitation on x86 CPUs - 64 bit vs 32 bit\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23431 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Memory (RAM) Limitation on x86 CPUs - 64 bit vs 32 bit\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/Memory-RAM-Limitation-on-x86-CPUs-64-bit-vs-32-bit.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Windows 11 Home is limited to a \u201cmere\u201d 128 GB max RAM, though. <\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_ARM_Architecture\"><\/span>What is ARM Architecture?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>ARM is a <strong>Reduced Instruction Set Architecture (CISC)<\/strong>. This is the <strong>dominant standard used by smart devices<\/strong>, as well as an increasing number of low-power PCs and smart devices over the years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Even Apple has made the switch to ARM<\/strong> on their desktop Macs instead of just manufacturing ARM chips for iOS devices.<\/p>\n<p>Apple used to be on the same x86 and x64 architecture as Intel and AMD, too, which makes their change to ARM quite the ringing endorsement from the PC space.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Which_Is_Best\"><\/span>x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Which Is Best?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Memory_Capacity\"><\/span>x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Memory Capacity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>In terms of memory capacity, x86, unfortunately, lost the war as soon as desktop PCs with more than 4 GB of RAM became commonplace<\/strong>. While legacy x86 devices can still certainly be put to use, that 4 GB RAM limitation makes them unthinkable for daily use with modern software.<\/p>\n<p><strong>x64 and ARM have yet to reach their theoretical maximum limit, but both top out within the terabytes as of the present day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Even the most restricted version of Windows 11 supports 128 Gigabytes of system memory! ARM is just as good in this regard, so the winner, in this case, is actually...<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Winner<\/em>: x64 <em>and<\/em> ARM<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Processing_Power\"><\/span>x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Processing Power<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Processing power is also limited by memory capacity, so we\u2019re going to have to go ahead and toss x86 out of consideration.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In terms of processing power, this point is actually a little more nuanced than you might expect.<\/strong> While ARM does function on reduced complexity compared to x64, it\u2019s still remarkably useful for a wide variety of software and applications.<\/p>\n<p>Smart devices have been using ARM forever, and can pretty much do anything a PC can do in software, even if it\u2019s much slower due to battery and system limitations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>At the end of the day, though, x64 is the dominant complex CPU architecture and x64 CPUs still lead the cutting-edge of HEDT and server motherboards, not just consumer desktop PCs.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Software and hardware are at their best on x64, so long as you have the power and cooling budget to match.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Winner: <\/em>x64<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Power_Consumption\"><\/span>x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Power Consumption<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>As competitive as ARM devices are getting with x64 PCs in terms of functionality, you\u2019d think ARM devices would be just as power-hungry. <strong>This actually <em>isn\u2019t<\/em> the case.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23432\" style=\"width: 980px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23432\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-23432 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption.jpg\" alt=\"ARM vs x86 Power Consumption\" width=\"980\" height=\"551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption.jpg 980w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption-825x464.jpg 825w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption-594x335.jpg 594w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption-420x236.jpg 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23432\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-23432 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20980%20551%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"ARM vs x86 Power Consumption\" width=\"980\" height=\"551\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20980%20551%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption.jpg 980w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption-825x464.jpg 825w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption-594x335.jpg 594w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption-420x236.jpg 420w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/ARM-vs-x86-Power-Consumption.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-23432\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/newsroom\/2022\/06\/apple-unveils-m2-with-breakthrough-performance-and-capabilities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>ARM is fundamentally built around lower power consumption due to its Reduced Instruction Set<\/strong>, so an ARM smart device or PC is going to be much more power-efficient across-the-board than an x64 or x86 one.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Winner:<\/em><\/strong> <strong>ARM<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Cooling_Requirements\"><\/span>x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Cooling Requirements<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The lower power consumption of ARM <strong>also<\/strong> means less heat is generated by its operation.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, <strong>ARM generates so <em>little<\/em> heat<\/strong> that most ARM devices don\u2019t even require an actively-spinning cooling fan like an x64 PC does.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Winner: <\/em>ARM<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Pricing\"><\/span>x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Pricing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>For device manufacturers, ARM is actually <em>much<\/em> cheaper to license than x64 or x86.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This helps make profit margins higher on ARM devices, and fills the lower-end of the market with fairly cheap and powerful ARM devices as well, like the Raspberry Pi or budget smartphones.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Winner<\/em>: ARM<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"x86_vs_x64_vs_ARM_Conclusion\"><\/span>x86 vs x64 vs ARM: Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>As it turns out, ARM is actually quite the worthy competitor to x64<\/strong>. It may not ever reach the same heights of pure processing power, but with the developer support and constant iteration of ARM devices, it also doesn\u2019t really have to.<\/p>\n<p>ARM dominates its space within the smart device and low-power PC market for a very good reason.<\/p>\n<p><strong>x64 doesn\u2019t seem like it\u2019s going anywhere anytime soon, though<\/strong>. Considering the needs of heavy-duty professional editors, animators, and gamers, anyway.<\/p>\n<p>For web browsing and other relatively lightweight applications, ARM is rapidly starting to establish itself as a \u201cgood enough\u201d solution for most people outside the PC space.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall, it\u2019s hard to draw a definitive winner here.<\/strong> ARM and x64 both serve a vital purpose in today\u2019s hardware marketplace.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s really just x86 that\u2019s fallen to the wayside due to obsolescence, but even then its software lives on within x64 and even certain ARM devices.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_ARM64\"><\/span>What is ARM64?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>ARM64 is a refresh to the ARM architecture that debuted in 2011\u2014 ARM has been 64-bit for over a decade, in other words<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This doesn\u2019t actually change any points made in the article above, though, since 32-bit and 64-bit processing isn\u2019t the be-all, end-all of what x86 and x64 offer.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_x64_Always_Better_Than_x86\"><\/span>Is x64 Always Better Than x86?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong><em>Yes<\/em><\/strong>. The only reason to still use an x86 CPU and operating system is if your motherboard literally doesn\u2019t support anything else.<\/p>\n<p>And considering the rapidly-dropping support for those older systems on the Windows front, I\u2019d definitely consider upgrading to Linux if you\u2019re still stuck on a 32-bit machine and want to make the most of it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_ARM_Run_x86_or_x64_Apps\"><\/span>Can ARM Run x86 or x64 Apps?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Yes.<\/strong> In fact, both Windows and Mac OS can be run on ARM architecture and support x86 and x64 emulation within.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>However,<\/em><\/strong> the quality of those experiences is <em>very<\/em> different. Windows on ARM <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/windows-on-arm-guide\/\"><strong>doesn\u2019t perform very well in x86 applications<\/strong><\/a>, at all.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mac OS actually has a fairly compelling experience with ARM architecture, though<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Apple has actually been producing ARM chips since 2009 and began switching Macs over to their own ARM architecture in October 2016. It turns out <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/guide-apple-arm-architecture\/\"><strong>Apple\u2019s ARM architecture<\/strong><\/a> is <em>also<\/em> incredibly good at emulating x86 and x64 applications.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_x86_and_x64_Run_ARM_Apps\"><\/span>Can x86 and x64 Run ARM Apps?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Through emulation or virtualization, yes\u2014 and quite well!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>x86 won\u2019t be able to run 64-bit ARM applications, but x64 is more than well-specced enough to run ARM emulation through Virtual Machine software like VirtualBox.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_RISC-V_Better_Than_ARM\"><\/span>Is RISC-V Better Than ARM?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>RISC-V is an open-source alternative CPU architecture to ARM<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Like ARM, it\u2019s a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set) architecture aimed at low-power devices. Unlike ARM, it isn\u2019t owned by a specific company so it doesn\u2019t require the same licensing fees that ARM does, which is generally why RISC-V exists at all.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23433\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23433\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23433\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing.jpg\" alt=\"RISC-V Liscensing\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23433\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23433 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"RISC-V Liscensing\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/07\/RISC-V-Liscensing.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-23433\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/riscv.org\/news\/2020\/12\/open-source-vs-commercial-risc-v-licensing-models-roddy-urquhart-semiconductor-engineering\/attachment\/codasip_open-source-vs-commercial-risc-v-licensing-models-fig1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Riscv<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Compared to ARM, though, RISC-V has very little market adoption or software support<\/strong>. I wouldn\u2019t consider it a true competitor in this race yet, at least not for the time being.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_You\"><\/span>Over to You<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>And that\u2019s all, for today!<\/p>\n<p><strong>I hope this breakdown of x86 vs x64 vs ARM helped clear up the differences between these three fundamental CPU architectures<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s competition between x64 and ARM largely serves to benefit the consumer, and the advancements of some ARM devices (especially Apple\u2019s) at emulating x64 applications have proven truly remarkable.<\/p>\n<p>The sheer power and flexibility of the x64 instruction set and architecture shouldn\u2019t be underestimated, though, as proven by the capabilities of current PC hardware.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Have any other questions about CPUs or PC hardware? Feel free to ask them in the <a href=\"#comments\">comments<\/a> section below<\/strong>. Also, consider heading to <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\"><strong>our Forums<\/strong><\/a> for a more in-depth discussion on your own projects or various tech topics alongside our expert community.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Until then or until next time...happy computing!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>X86 vs x64 vs ARM: Which is Best? With a title like that, I gotta start diving into the meat of answering that question as concisely as possible without omitting key information. I\u2019ll start by explaining what each of our competitors actually are, but you can feel free to skip around to your heart\u2019s content...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2339,"featured_media":23425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[74],"tags":[117],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23424"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2339"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23424"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24159,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23424\/revisions\/24159"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}