A 64-bit version of the swExplorer client is also available on an as-needed. It has the same operating system, processor, and disk storage requirements as the 32-bit client as described in SystemWeaver Client - System Requirements. However, we recommend the use of the 32-bit client for all system users. This article outlines important guidelines, things to consider and the memory requirements for the 64-bit client.

Guidelines

  • The 64-bit client requires about 50% more memory to run compared to the 32-bit client, for performing the same operations. This is because pointer size is doubled in a 64-bit application compared to a 32-bit application.
  • The 64-bit client is only recommended on an as-needed basis for users who would benefit from it for specific tasks which normally result in an out-of-memory error when using the 32-bit client.
  • The 64-bit client is not recommended for use by all system users. It may cause more frequent memory problems compared with the 32-bit client, or they may not have enough memory on their machine to run a 64-bit client especially with other applications running.

Things to Consider

  • 64-bit Windows operating systems can run the 64-bit or 32-bit client. You do not need to run a 64-bit client simply because your operating system is 64-bit. 
  • The main advantage of running a 64-bit client is that it can address more memory than the 32-bit client (a maximum of 3-4 GB for a 32-bit client, while for a 64-bit client, only the physical memory installed in a computer sets the limit). So unless there is a minimum of 8 GB memory installed, there is no use in running a 64-bit client.
  • Most user operations in SystemWeaver never even come close to using the maximum 4GB memory usage of a 32-bit client. This means that the majority of users and user activities don't use enough memory to need the 64-bit client. You only run into the need for 64 bits of address space when a single operation needs to access more than approximately 3.5 GB of memory.
  • A 64-bit client is not necessarily faster than the 32-bit version. Expect performance to be equivalent to or slightly faster than the performance of the 32-bit client.
  • It is still possible to run out of memory when using the 64-bit client.

Memory (RAM)

In general, the load in SystemWeaver is designed to be on the clients, as opposed to the server. Computers running the SystemWeaver 64-bit client should have a minimum of 8 GB RAM to benefit from its use.