What does computer word length mean?

The computer word length refers to the number of binary digits that the CPU can process in parallel at one time. The word length is always an integer multiple of 8. Usually the word length of the PC is 16 bits (early), 32 bits, and 64 bits. When a computer is storing, transmitting or operating, a set of binary codes as a unit is called a word, and the number of binary bits in a word is called the word length.

The operating environment of this tutorial: Windows 7 system, Dell G3 computer.

What does the computer word length mean?

Computers use binary encoding to represent numbers, characters, instructions and other control information. When a computer is storing, transmitting or operating, a set of binary codes as a unit is called a word, and the number of binary bits in a word is called the word length.

The word length is one of the main technical indicators of the CPU. It refers to the number of binary digits that the CPU can process in parallel at one time. The word length is always an integer multiple of 8. Usually the word length of the PC is 16 bits (in the early days ), 32-bit, 64-bit.

The PC can process numbers of any size through programming, but the larger the number, the longer the PC will take to calculate. The maximum number that the PC can process in one operation is determined by the PC's word length.

Let’s first take a look at how the human brain performs calculations. For example, for 5×6, you can immediately get the answer to be 30, but for 55×66, it is impossible to get the correct answer immediately, which means 55 Or 66 has gone out of the "word length" of the human brain. In order to get results, complex problems (such as 55×66) must be decomposed into easy-to-handle problems (such as 55×66 can be decomposed into 50×60, 50×6, 5×60, 5×6), and then combine them to get the result.

Similarly, PCs also deal with problems in this way. A PC with a 16-bit word length can directly handle numbers within 2 to the 16th power (65536). Numbers exceeding 65536 need to be decomposed. method to deal with. The reason why a 32-bit PC is superior to a 16-bit machine is that it can process larger numbers in one operation. A PC with a 32-bit word length can directly handle up to 4 billion numbers (2 to the 32nd power). The higher the number, the fewer operations are required, making the system more efficient.

Most CPUs are 64-bit, but most of them run with 32-bit word length, and they fail to show the superiority of its word length, because it must be compatible with 64-bit software (such as 64-bit operating systems, etc.) ) complement each other, that is to say, the word length is restricted by the software system. For example, in a 32-bit software system, a CPU with a 64-bit word length can only be used as 32-bit.

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