64-bit technology has been around for over ten years in the desktop arena, but it is finally making its way into our pockets with the Tegra K1 Denver, Snapdragon 808 and the Samsung Exynos 6 and Exynos S. The shift to 64-bit technology in the mobile sector brings with it some technical advantages which have been a staple of desktop PCs and mainframe architecture for a long time. But how exactly will 64-bit processors make our smartphones better? We can give you a handful of reasons.
The increased address space that is associated with 64-bit architecture opens the gates for exponentially greater usable memory. Whereas the limit was previously set at 4 GB of RAM, 64-bit chips can support 16 exabytes, that is 16 billion GB. Needless to say, the RAM limits are endless with 64-bits. Once new devices have been established with eight or even 16 gigabytes of memory, the true advantages will truly be felt. Because the data throughput of the memory is much higher than that of the flash memory, working with multiple open apps will feel significantly faster. If operating systems are refined even more to be even more power efficient too, we are again looking at exponential speed improvements.
Thanks to the support for very large numbers, incredibly complex encryption is also possible, which are going to be much harder to crack than what we currently have. Therefore, 64-bit chips will allow you to better encrypt your data against unauthorized access than anything you have seen before.
New instruction set architectures allow for intelligent management of many concurrent commands. This is particularly useful when playing high definition content, because those processes are performed in parallel. In 64-bit environments, the architecture will allow 4K videos to play liquid smooth even with simpler processors because they can leverage their resources better. The reverse is also true this: the recording and real-time compression of your videos will be made easier on your processors in a 64-bit environment.
More detail in games
The same rules that apply for video also applies for games: graphics processing will be optimized for parallel computations. Here the new processors will be able to play to their strengths. Both graphically and in gameplay, the effects of 64-bit chips will be felt in a greater level of detail or more AI opponents. Games will not only be more beautiful, but also more jam-packed with in-game content.
Talk about 64-bit chips revolves around reduced power consumption and longer battery life for good reason: firstly, calculation times can be reduced, since many complex processes can be divided into fragments run in in parallel; and secondly, the CPU load is reduced, as more applications than ever before can be permanently parked in RAM. Therefore, both your CPU and flash memory can go to sleep for longer periods than before.
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