CNET reviews the first two desktop PCs running AMD’s new 64-bit Athlon XP 2400+ processor, iBuyPower’s Zillion-FX (yes, we know the name sounds like it was picked by a kindergarten class) and Polywell’s Poly 900NF3-FX1 (Apple’s new G5 was the first desktop with a 64-bit chip). The big deal about 64-bit chips is that they double the amount of data that can be processed during a clock cycle and also raise the ceiling on the maximum amount of RAM a computer can have way past the 4GB that 32-bit systems currently max out at now. The upshot of all this will be programs that can take advantage of all that extra processing power and memory; Microsoft is even planning a 64-bit version of Windows XP specifically for use with the new chips. Eventually we’ll all be using 64-bit systems, but Intel is a little late to the game and won’t have a 64-bit chip for PCs ready for another few years. CNET says that both desktops they tested delivered impressive results.
