A 32-bit system architecture refers to a processor or operating system that processes data and memory addresses that are represented using 32 bits (4 bytes). The 32-bit designation indicates the width of the CPU’s general-purpose registers, memory bus, and instruction set. A 32-bit processor can directly address up to 4 GB (2³² bytes) of RAM without special techniques like Physical Address Extension (PAE). This architecture was standard in most consumer computers during the 1990s and early 2000s. Modern software and operating systems have largely shifted to 64-bit to support more memory and improved performance.
