A question about PhotoshopCC and 32bit vs 64bit architecture

[bernie west]

Hi.  I need help in resolving a debate about whether PhotoshopCC will run on 32bit hardware.  In the minimum system requirements on the Adobe site it seems to suggest that you need 64bit hardware, but you can install either a 32 bit or 64 bit version of the software.  I would have thought that 32bit software will run on 32bit hardware.  Anyone know the correct answer for this?

[AlterEgo]

I would have thought that 32bit software will run on 32bit hardware.  Anyone know the correct answer for this?

64bit intel cpu can execute your 32bit code natively... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_microprocessors , you don't have 32bit cpu in your computer, do you ?

[bernie west]

I know that.  What I want to know is whether PhotoshopCC will run on 32bit hardware.

[AlterEgo]

I know that.  What I want to know is whether PhotoshopCC will run on 32bit hardware.

32bit code can use for example SIMD instructions (for example SSSE3) present only in "64bit" CPUs... so if PS CC is designed to use them it can't technically run on "32bit" CPUs while even it is compiled to be a 32bit code...

[fdisilvestro]

There are different versions of Photoshop CC:

- Photoshop CC 2015 (the newest) - 64 bits only
- Photoshop CC 2014 - 64 bits only
- Photoshop CC 32 & 64 bits

Photoshop CC 32 bits should run in 32 bits HW, but you have to search in the previous versions.

Edit: The above information is not correct, all versions come in 32 bit but may not work in 32 bit HW

[bernie west]

There's 32 bit versions for all CC up to and including 2015.

So are you saying that all 32bit Photoshop CC's should run on 32 bit hardware?  Does anyone actually have a definitive answer?

[fdisilvestro]

Sorry, I had the wrong information about the CC version.
Anyway the 32 bit version should work in the 32 bit HW

[AlterEgo]

There's 32 bit versions for all CC up to and including 2015.

So are you saying that all 32bit Photoshop CC's should run on 32 bit hardware?  Does anyone actually have a definitive answer?

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/system-requirements.html

for CC2015

Windows : Intel® Core 2 or AMD Athlon® 64 processor; 2 GHz or faster processor

Mac OS : Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support

for CC (old one) & Photoshop CC 2014

Windows Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® 64 processor (2 GHz or faster)

Mac OS   Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support

Pentium 4 is 32 bit CPU and is listed by Adobe as OK for PS CC (original and 2014) on Windows platform... so those 2 shall run (but then you need not to update CC versions)

[AlterEgo]

Anyway the 32 bit version should work in the 32 bit HW

only if 32bit binaries are not using instructions absent in old 32bit CPU - see above about SIMD SSSE3 for example... in this case while 32bit binaries are not using regular x86-64 bit instructions they can't find those SIMD instructions anywhere but in 64bit CPUs (starting from Core2 for example).

[fdisilvestro]

only if 32bit binaries are not using instructions absent in old 32bit CPU - see above about SIMD SSSE3 for example... in this case while 32bit binaries are not using regular x86-64 bit instructions they can't find those SIMD instructions anywhere but in 64bit CPUs (starting from Core2 for example).

Thanks for the clarification and it seems that Photoshop does needs those instructions. The following is the error reported when trying to install it on old hardware

Fatal Error: This program was not built to run on the processor in your system.
The allowed processors are: Intel® Core™ Duo processors and compatible Intel processors with supplemental Streaming SIMD Extensions 3 (SSSE3) instruction support.

[bernie west]

That looks like the answer then.  Cheers!

Edit:  Just to clarify, Francisco, was that trying to install the 32bit version on a 32bit system?

[fdisilvestro]

Well, change again. It seems that you can install and execute Photoshop CC 2015 on a 32 bit Hardware, as long as it supports the instructions set extensions as AlterEgo mentions.

I remembered that I had a small notebook with an Intel Atom N270, which is a 32 bit processor that includes support for the SSE2, SSE3, and SSSE4 extensions (according to Intel) and it actually allowed the installation of PS CC 2015 32 bits and it works. Having said that , this is more a test than something of practical application because the performance is very bad as the Atom was not intended for this use (it is a low power processor used in small notebooks)