Word size matters

Have you ever wondered what’s the deal with 32-bit and 64-bit computers?
32-bit or 64-bit actually refers to the “word size.” It basically shows how many bits a computer can use to represent a virtual memory address.

For example, a 32-bit computer can have \(2^{32}\) virtual memory addresses (which is about 4GB).
When a computer can handle more memory, it usually means it can process information faster (because accessing memory is quick). That’s why AI needs a ton of memory space.

So, how much memory can a 64-bit computer theoretically handle?
\(2^{64}\) is approximately 16 exabytes \(\approx\) 16 * 1024 PB \(\approx\) 16 * 1024 * 1024 TB.

Yeah, that’s huge.