Windows XP       Windows® XP Professional 64-Bit   Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is a near feature-complete version of Windows XP Professional that runs on x64 processors. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition supports 128 GB of RAM and 16 terabytes of virtual memory address space, as compared to 4 GB of both physical RAM and virtual memory address space for 32-bit Windows XP Professional.       Product Overview   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 supports 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 applications and existing 32-bit 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.       System Requirements   Computer with a supported processor: AMD Athlon 64, AMD Opteron, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium 4 with Intel EM64T support 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available hard-disk space (additional space may be required if installing over a network) CD-ROM or DVD drive Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor Keyboard, Microsoft Mouse, Microsoft IntelliMouse, or compatible pointing device       Product Information   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.   Performance benefits for specialized, technical applications The performance of 64-bit computing offers advantages in fields such as automobile or airplane design, by allowing engineers to create larger, more complex models. With such systems, engineers can use simulation software to analyze the effects of airflow, stress, and heat on materials of a car or plane, and then study the results to improve product design. Likewise, 64-bit computing is a benefit for digital content creators, including 3-D animators, digital artists, and game developers who can significantly reduce the time spent to digitally render three-dimensional models. In the areas of scientific and high performance computing, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition will aid in oil and gas exploration, seismic analysis, computational fluid dynamics and scientific visualization, among other applications.   Very large memory support, familiar Windows desktop Windows XP Professional x64 Edition runs on the AMD Athlon 64, AMD Opteron, Intel Xeon with EM64T, and Intel Pentium 4 with EM64T as the platform for customers who are reaching the memory limits of 32-bit systems. The key difference between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows XP-based computing lies in the 64-bit version’s ability to use much more system memory. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition initially supports up to 128 gigabytes (GB) of RAM and up to 16 terabytes of virtual memory. Physical memory support will grow in the future as hardware capabilities expand. Data in memory is accessed thousands of times faster than it is on a disk drive, offering a tremendous performance benefit for applications that are developed to use this greater system memory.   Single desktop for technical and business applications Windows XP Professional x64 Edition provides a single desktop for technical and business applications, eliminating the need for technical workstation users to maintain a PC for business applications and a separate workstation for high-end technical applications. Most Windows-compatible 32-bit applications run "as is" in a subsystem of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition with comparable performance to 32-bit Windows. Workstation users can take advantage of rich integration capabilities and productivity tools on the Windows platform. Designers can build a model and easily share it with others in the company, copying it in to a Word document for the finance group or adding it to a PowerPoint slide deck for the marketing team. If you use only 32-bit applications and work with data sets not larger than 2 GB, you will find that 32-bit, Windows XP Professional is the best desktop system for your applications. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition systems can be added to existing Windows-based networks and managed alongside 32-bit systems with the same administrative tools, making life easier for the IT department. Overhead costs for maintaining and administering two systems are reduced.   Increased reliability and security on the desktop Built on the Windows Server 2003 SP1 code-base, Windows XP Professional x64 provides increased reliability for business critical desktop computing. Users can now experience the stability and security of a server product on their PC. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition also includes the security features of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) providing better protection against viruses, hackers, and worms, and includes Windows Firewall, Pop-up Blocker for Internet Explorer, and the new Windows Security Center. With Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, users can confidently run their most mission critical applications with increased reliability, security, and performance.   Best platform for new generation of applications Developers with 32-bit Windows skills will be comfortable and productive creating the next generation of application for Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. Developers will find the development environment virtually identical to the development environment for 32-bit Windows; the Microsoft Win64™ application programming interface (API) is the same as the Microsoft Win32® API. The existing APIs have been modified where necessary to allow them to reflect the precision of the platform on which they are running. The result is programming simplicity and a short learning curve for the developer—writing code for 64-bit Windows is just like writing code for 32-bit Windows. The 64-bit Windows development environment supports the same feature set as 32-bit Windows, including UI and programming models, networking, security, graphics, multimedia, directory service, Plug and Play, and tools features. Many of the functions have been modified to reflect the computational precision of the platform on which an application is run.