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32-bit or 64-bit?

  • 12-06-2008 11:55PM
    #1
    colm_c
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,011 ✭✭✭


    A couple of new dell servers have landed in work and need to get them setup, our desired OS is centOS, but just looking at the downloads -- there is a 64-bit and 32-bit version.

    The processors are Quad-core Xeons I believe, I'm thinking 64-bit here? Does it really matter? Are there any apps that won't run on the 64-bit version compare with the 32-bit version?


Comments

  • #2
    cmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 59 ✭✭cmo


    colm_c wrote: »
    A couple of new dell servers have landed in work and need to get them setup, our desired OS is centOS, but just looking at the downloads -- there is a 64-bit and 32-bit version.

    The processors are Quad-core Xeons I believe, I'm thinking 64-bit here? Does it really matter? Are there any apps that won't run on the 64-bit version compare with the 32-bit version?

    Hmm what xeon processor is it?


  • #3
    colm_c
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,011 ✭✭✭colm_c


    Not quite sure, according to the quote/invoice the machines are:

    PE2950 III Quad-Core Xeon E5320 1.86GHz/2x4MB 1066FSB


  • #4
    niallb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,780 ✭✭✭niallb


    Check the requirements of the apps the machines were bought to run.
    That should be your bottom line in this choice.
    If those require a 32 bit environment, probably best to go that route.
    Otherwise 64 bit is nice, and you can always have a 32bit chroot
    for stragglers. The performance hit isn't massive.


  • #5
    colm_c
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,011 ✭✭✭colm_c


    These are light file servers which are going to be running samba and a couple of bash scripts, so 64-bit should be good here, in fact it the server will be overkill!


  • #6
    leeroybrown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,562 ✭✭✭leeroybrown


    If they've got more than 3GB of RAM then go for 64-bit unless you've got a specific 32-bit requirement. Otherwise you'll be left with a choice of not accessing all memory or reduced memory performance.


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  • #7
    Khannie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    leeroybrown wrote: »
    If they've got more than 3GB of RAM then go for 64-bit unless you've got a specific 32-bit requirement. Otherwise you'll be left with a choice of not accessing all memory or reduced memory performance.

    From experience I can confirm this. :) While there is a "largemem" option available in the kernel to allow 32bit OS to address more than 4GB of ram, it does come with a performance penalty.

    I've just switched to 64bit in work and it's pretty much bang on. Some minor teething issues with it, but tbh the switchover was pretty painless.


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