Opera 32 or 64 bit?

Opera 32 or 64 bit?

Hi,

there are substantials differences between x86 and x64 Opera versions?

I have Windows 7 64bit, if I install 64 bit version Opera runs faster? or there are other advantages?
About memory usage there are differences?

Thank in advance.
Paolo.

One of the main things about 64-bit is that the application can access more memory. 32-bit applications are limited to about 3 GB RAM.

I don't think most people will notice a major difference, but people with a huge number of tabs running advanced web applications may appreciate that there's more memory available.

We may do a post on this on the desktop team blog (or some other official blog) in the future.

Personally, I see no real point in running 64bit version of anything (Either programs, Drivers or operating systems), As from what i can see, The only benefit you get is a tiny increase in speed (And access to a larger amount of RAM), For a much larger footprint in memory and hard drive allocation space.

Personally i don't see the point and is not worth the trade in extra cost and resources in my opinion.

One of the other befits is the possibility to have safer pointers, granting you major stability and security. The overall system would be more stable too since your OS can grant a wider address space unlocking more resources to your software. Complex javascript code with lots of dependencies and big data structures would run a lot better.

eg: now I'm able to parse a very big JSON ( about 5000 composite objects) data without having the browser stuck for 5 seconds

Some advantages of 64-bit software (aside from allowing use of more memory than 32-bit software):

• For x86-64 compared to IA-32, there is twice as many registers, which allows compilers to generate better code.
• On most operating systems, the 64-bit ABI allows the generation of better code than the 32-bit ABI (by passing parameters on registers instead of on the stack, for instance).
• Some things which are extensions on IA-32 are always present on x86-64, so programs can use them without needing to code a fallback (for instance a certain level of SSE).
• Last but not least, 64-bit time_t, which will be more and more important as we get near 2038.

From http://superuser.com/a/9121/10259

So no real benefit for the average user then, Unless you are someone who compiles their own programs ?.

Still not worth the extra cost and resources, Considering 64bit support has been around in Linux and most CPU architectures
for absolutely years and years. Just took Microsoft ages to implement it in Windows, And is only just being offered as standard
in shops over 32bit versions of Windows in the last year or so. Pffft!!!

I think I will continue to use x64 as my main browser just because I have on average 40+ tabs open at a time and so MAYBE x64 will benefit me.

Originally posted by frankdd89:

eg: now I'm able to parse a very big JSON ( about 5000 composite objects) data without having the browser stuck for 5 seconds

Is that true?

I frequently have to view overly large XML and HTML documents, and Opera is simply the worst at this. I frequently kick myself for thoughtlessly using Opera in those situations as it can lock up for a lot longer than 5 seconds. Chrome, however, won't break a sweat with the same data.

If 64 bit means better performance with large DOMs, I'll definitely switch.

Originally posted by LinuxMint7:

So no real benefit for the average user then, Unless you are someone who compiles their own programs ?.

Still not worth the extra cost and resources...

Not a programmer, but I know Opera is compiled. If you're referring to my post, then better code and compiler features will also benefit the average user (aside from better use of a 64-bit CPU and allowing use of more memory than 32-bit software). You certainly don't need to be compiling your own program to benefit from 64-bit software.

'Extra cost and resources' used is minimal. If you already have a 64-bit CPU and >= 2 GB RAM, using 64-bit software will actually make better use of your resources.

For Opera? Well, I often have many many tabs open (>100) and it only uses about 1.3GB max, so I don't think it's hitting the 32 bit limit for the app. In general? 64 bit is the way to go. Computers out for years now can go to 24GB ram in a workstation. New ones go to 128GB. You're not going to be able to even start to use 8 or 12GB (Which is cheap now, and what I run) on a 32 bit MS OS. Linux might if you set it up right, but in both cases, just go 64 bit and you can use it all.

And if you do Photoshop / image editing, 3d design , hell run Windows + Office + tabbed web browser and AV and you can suck 4GB of RAM right there.

Hopefully not hijacking and on-topic, I'm in the same situation as the first comment, so maybe a sticky, a recap or upgrading FAQ would be nice, also some questions.

- Always backup the preferences dir as a precaution (usually: 'C:\Users\username\Appdata\Local\Opera\Opera )
- from win7 x64 with opera x86 -> to opera x64; Opera uses the prog folder name in tandem with the prefs folder name.

How about plugins ?

- In the flash download page just says windows 7 / vista / xp ... etc but no 32 or 64 bit, nice, but what about quicktime, windows media, java x86 or x64 or others plugins?

- About differences, well, mainly technical but they improve performance and as stated before (thanks intergalacticninja) registers, pointers, security etc.



Also found this nice post:

http://my.opera.com/desktopteam/blog/2012/06/14/twelve-under-the-hood-improvements-in-opera-12

Originally posted by shaktiIIIgta:

Hopefully not hijacking and on-topic, I'm in the same situation as the first comment, so maybe a sticky, a recap or upgrading FAQ would be nice, also some questions.

- Always backup the preferences dir as a precaution (usually: 'C:\Users\username\Appdata\Local\Opera\Opera )
- from win7 x64 with opera x86 -> to opera x64; Opera uses the prog folder name in tandem with the prefs folder name.

How about plugins ?

- In the flash download page just says windows 7 / vista / xp ... etc but no 32 or 64 bit, nice, but what about quicktime, windows media, java x86 or x64 or others plugins?

See this post: How do I upgrade to 64-bit Opera 12 (and keep all my 32-bit 11.64 settings)?