what is the best architecture for my cpu?
 

Hi, i have a laptop dell xps 1640, the cpu is Intel Centrino 2 P8600

what is the best architecture for my cpu?

AMD64 also known as x86-64 is the best architecture for that system.

The 32-bit x86 architecture (under a variety of x86 names or IA-32) is very nearly as good. I think that model laptop has 4GB of RAM. If so, you would want a PAE kernel if you use 32-bit x86 architecture.

There are lots of long threads on the relative merits of 32-bit x86 vs. x86-64. That adds up to a big discussion over a small difference. (We are talking about Linux correct? 32 bit Windows has some extra flaws not found in Linux, so for Windows there are stronger reasons to select a 64 bit OS).


Stay away from software in IA-64 architecture. That is not an architecture supported by your CPU. That is a 64 bit architecture supported by a different kind of Intel 64 bit CPU. Your Intel 64bit CPU supports AMD64 architecture and also supports IA-32 architecture.

Very old IA-32 CPUs might support only some of the x86 software architecture sub types. Your CPU is new enough to ignore all those differences and treat all 32 bit x86 architectures as simply different names for the same thing.

hey johnsfine, thank you for your reply =)

good stuff johsfine

if you are new to linux 32bit aka i386 may be easier for you. 64bit linux in some areas require more knowledge and some work arounds. To get the best hardware performance you would get x84_64 aka 64bit.