Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is designed to meet the demands of
customers who require large amounts of memory and floating point performance
in areas such as mechanical design and analysis, 3-D animation, video editing
and composition, and scientific and high-performance computing applications.
Top 5 Reasons to Upgrade
 |
High performance platform for the next generation
of applications
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is a rich platform that
enables the next generation of high-performance computing. 64-bit native
applications can deliver more data per clock cycle, making them run faster
and more efficiently. |
 |
Large memory support
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition will currently support
up to 128 gigabytes (GB) of RAM and 16 terabytes of virtual memory,
enabling applications to run faster when working with large data sets.
Applications can preload substantially more data into virtual memory,
allowing rapid access by the 64-bit processor.
|
 |
Flexibility
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition provides a rich
platform to integrate 64-bit technical applications and existing 32-bit
business applications using the Windows on Windows 64 (WOW64) x86
emulation layer, providing customers with the ability to move to 64-bit
computing without having to sacrifice their existing investment in 32-bit
software and Windows expertise. |
 |
Multiprocessing and multicore
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is designed to support
up to two single or multicore x64 processors for maximum performance and
scalability. |
 |
Same programming model
Developers with 32-bit skills will be comfortable and
quickly productive in the 64-bit Windows environment, finding it virtually
identical to the development environment for 32-bit Windows.
|
Technical Overview
The ever-expanding data and performance needs of business, academic,
engineering, and scientific organizations push the limits and the capabilities
of existing information technology (IT) platforms. Today, gigabytes or even
terabytes of data need to be accessed in real time by millions of users
worldwide, and new technology is needed to meet this demand.
A new generation of sophisticated users adept at making home movies, altering
digital photographs, ripping music files, and playing 3-D games are also pushing
the limits of existing 32-bit PCs. As 64-bit applications and device drivers
become available, consumers who use their PCs for much more than word
processing, e-mail, and Web surfing will require the same processing power and
memory once demanded only by workstation users in scientific and technical
fields.
Advances in processor technology by AMD and Intel have brought the power of
64-bit computing to these PC users. Extending the capabilities of the x86
architecture enables a customer to use a 64-bit operating system to either
seamlessly run 32-bit and cutting edge 64-bit applications or continue to use
today s standard 32-bit operating system and applications. Microsoft is
developing a new 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional, called Windows XP
Professional x64 Edition, to take full advantage of this new architecture.
The initial release of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is primarily
designed for customers who are pushing the memory limitations of 32-bit systems
today. With Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, customers can take advantage of
the new 64-bit technology to improve their PC or workstation performance.
Additional Performance and Scalability
Large Memory Support
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition will
support up to 128 gigabytes (GB) of RAM and 16 terabytes of virtual memory,
enabling applications to run faster when working with large data sets.
Applications can preload substantially more data into virtual memory, allowing
rapid access by the x64 processor. This reduces the time for loading data into
virtual memory or seeking, reading, and writing to data storage devices, thus
making applications run faster and more efficiently.
Comparison of 64- and 32-Bit
Architectures
| Adress Space |
64-Bit Windows |
32-Bit Windows |
| Virtual Memory |
16 Terabytes |
4 Gigabyte |
| Paging File |
512 Terabytes |
16 Terabytes |
| Paged Pool |
128 Gigabytes |
470 Megabytes |
| Nonpaged Pool |
128 Gigabytes |
256 Megabytes |
| System Cache |
1 Terabyte |
1 Gigabyte |
Single Desktop for 64-Bit and 32-Bit Applications
Compatibility
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition provides a
rich platform on which to integrate both new 64-bit applications and current
32-bit applications using the Windows on Windows 64 (WOW64) x86 emulation
layer. The WOW64 subsystem isolates 32-bit applications from 64-bit
applications, including preventing file and registry collisions. Both
console and graphical user interface applications are supported, as are
service applications. The system provides interoperability across the
boundary between 32-bit and 64-bit applications for scenarios such as cut
and paste and COM. However, 32-bit processes cannot load 64-bit dynamic link
libraries (DLLs), and 64-bit processes cannot load 32-bit DLLs.
A unique feature of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition processor
architecture is its ability to run 32-bit and 64-bit applications equally
well. For example, PCs running Windows XP Professional x64 Edition performs
as well as or better than a 32-bit processor for many native 32-bit
applications, while allowing customers to run native 64-bit applications as
they become available. This provides users with tremendous flexibility in
both the 32-bit and 64-bit worlds. They can take advantage of today's huge
ecosystem of 32-bit Windows-based applications while arming themselves with
plenty of power for next-generation 64-bit applications as they are made
available.
Familiar Environment
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition can
be managed using the same tools as 32-bit Windows systems. Customers will
find their 32-bit Windows knowledge to be fully transferable to the 64-bit
Windows environment. Setup, configuration, and administration will be
essentially the same.