Confused about 64bit and 32 bit Installation

[f.law]

Hi.
I have a HP9704tx Laptop. I use fedora i386. can anybody help me in selecting a proper Fedora (i386/i686/x86_64) What are these and Can I use 64bit Fedora ?

My Laptop Specification :

Processor type Intel® Centrino® Duo processor technology
• Intel® Core™2 Duo processor T7250
• 2.0 GHz , 2 MB L2 Cache, 800 MHz FSB
• Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection

Standard memory 2048 MB

Memory type DDR2 667MHz

Memory layout (2 x 1024 MB)

Maximum memory Supports up to 4GB DDR2 memory (Dual Channel Memory Support; For 4 GB memory configuration, up to 1 GB may not be available with 32-bit operating systems due to system resource requirements)

Internal drives Internal hard disk drive
250 GB
Hard disk controller SATA Hard Disk Drive
Hard disk drive speed 5400 rpm
Optical drive type LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±RW with Double Layer Support



Thanks

[Lo Zeno]

You have an Intel Core 2 Duo processor: that's a 64 bit processor. You can safely use the x86_64 version of Fedora.

If you install the i386 version (32 bit) though, you will have no problem making it work: 64bit processors can run 32 bit software (but not the opposite), it just won't be as performant.

[f.law]

What is the differnce between these two version i.e 32 and 64 bit ? Do I do the same as I do for 32 bit for installation or is it different ? Also the drivers and other usage.

[Lo Zeno]

http://docs.fedoraproject.org/install-guide/f9/en_US/sn-which-arch.html

This is what you need.
The difference between 32 bit processors and 64 bit processors is a difference in "architecture", meaning a difference in their structure. Simplifying the concept, 64 bit processors can calculate numbers "twice as large" as 32 bit processors; they can also manage twice the maximum RAM that 32 bit processors can manage.

You can safely consider 64 bit processors are descendant of 32 bit ones, in any case, so they can safely run software made for 32 bit processors because a 64 bit processor can do anything a 32 bit processor does PLUS MORE. The opposite doesn't work: a 32 bit processor can't run a 32 bit software.

The installation process of Fedora is identical, you just have to choose which version to download, but once you burn it into a DVD and start installing it's absolutely the same for you. About drivers, software and so on: when available, install 64 bit version of any software you may need; if there is no 64 bit version, then install 32 bit version of the software, it will work just as well (see above: 64 bit processors can run 32 bit software with no problem at all)

[andre227]

Hey my processor is a Celeron M54o 1.8Ghz . Should i use i386 or x86_64?
Thanks...

[Lo Zeno]

See the link posted above, it already contains your answer. Or, visit http://www.intel.com

I'm fairly sure it's a 32 bit processor, though (so, i386 for you)