The evolution of computing has seen a progression from 8-bit to 16-bit, then to 32-bit, and finally to 64-bit CPUs. However, the leap to 128-bit CPUs has not yet occurred. The term “bit” in computer vocabulary refers to a unit of information in computing, representing either a ‘0’ or a ‘1’. In the context of CPU architecture, bit-width commonly refers to the size of the memory addresses that the CPU can handle. For example, a 64-bit CPU can address 16 exabytes of memory, which is far beyond the needs of even the largest supercomputers today.
Doubling the amount of bits results in being able to handle numbers that don’t just double in size but are orders of magnitude larger. Yet, even though 128-bit computing would enable us to work on much larger numbers than 64-bit computing can, we still don’t use it. The reason for this is that the current 64-bit CPUs are more than capable of handling the computational needs of today’s technology. The move to 128-bit CPUs would only be necessary if there was a demand for processing significantly larger data, which is currently not the case.
Despite the potential advantages of 128-bit CPUs, the transition has not happened, even though it’s been nearly three decades since the first 64-bit chips hit the market. This is not just about video games; everything improved with more bits. Moving from 256 possible values in 8-bit to 65,536 in 16-bit meant tracking time more precisely, displaying more colors, and handling larger files. However, the need for 128-bit CPUs is not yet apparent in the current technological landscape. Therefore, for now, 128-bit CPUs remain a concept rather than a reality.
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