Security
Features such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and PatchGuard improve security by helping to prevent malicious code from executing on a server.
Reliability
Based on the same code base as Windows 32-bit editions, the Windows x64 editions offer the time-tested reliability of the Windows Server platform while providing a platform for both your new, high-performance native x64 applications and the legacy 32-bit applications that are still critical today.
No Price Premium for x64 Performance
The vast majority of new servers sold today contain x64 processors—only a few are available with 32-bit processors. Windows Server x64 editions are priced and licensed identically to their 32-bit counterparts. The best way to take full advantage of your new server hardware—at no additional cost—is to deploy servers with Windows Server x64 editions.
Technical Benefits
Compatibility
Unlike other 64-bit platforms, such as those based on Intel’s Itanium architecture, x64 systems can run 32-bit applications without emulation, resulting in comparable performance on 32-bit and 64-bit systems. This key benefit allows you to transition to x64 applications at a pace that makes sense for your own organization.
Access More Physical Memory
Native x64 applications, combined with Windows Server x64 editions and suitable server hardware can access up to 2 terabytes (TB) of physical RAM, empowering today’s most demanding server applications.
Relieve Virtual Address Limitations
On 32-bit systems, connection-oriented applications require the operating system kernel to utilize a portion of its 2-gigabyte (GB) memory space. As applications such as terminal server scale to support more users, this memory allocation can become a bottleneck regardless of the system’s physical RAM capacity. Windows x64 editions provide an 8-TB virtual address space for the kernel, and for each process on the system.
Improved Performance
While 32-bit applications perform similarly on Windows Server 32-bit editions and Windows x64 editions, native x64 applications can see significant performance improvements, particularly for computationally intensive applications.
Data Execution Prevention
Windows x64 can help prevent buffer overflow exploits with Data Execution Prevention. Whether via software or the hardware support of AMD and Intel processors, memory that is used for data can be marked as data, preventing it from being treated as executable code, thus helping to prevent such exploits.
PatchGuard
Windows x64 editions support PatchGuard technology, which prevents third-party programs from patching the Windows kernel. This can help improve security by helping to eliminate rootkits and other potentially damaging software.