Whereas there was for 64-bit. A primary reason for increasing word size is to address more memory without the kind of segmented-memory shenanigans we had in the 80s/90s.
It's worth writing this stuff out, to truly appreciate the difference.
2^32 bits of memory = 4 GB (4,294,967,296 bits)
2^64 bits of memory = 17,179,869,184 GB (18,446,744,073,709,600,000 bits)
Context: to hit the ceiling at current RAM prices, you'd need about 134 million 128 GB memory modules, the largest available now. They're about £1500 a pop. So let's call it about £200 billion, yeah?
There is a lot of headroom in 64-bit.
It's worth writing this stuff out, to truly appreciate the difference.
2^32 bits of memory = 4 GB (4,294,967,296 bits)
2^64 bits of memory = 17,179,869,184 GB (18,446,744,073,709,600,000 bits)
Context: to hit the ceiling at current RAM prices, you'd need about 134 million 128 GB memory modules, the largest available now. They're about £1500 a pop. So let's call it about £200 billion, yeah?
There is a lot of headroom in 64-bit.