Slipped into yesterday's news about the new 'subscription only' versions of QuickBooks 2022, Intuit announced that 2022 would also be 64-bit compliant... saying "clients on older 32-bit computers will not be able to use the 2022 version, which requires a 64-bit compatible Windows operating system1..." and that QuickBooks will perform "up to 38% faster, (with) more reliable QuickBooks computing power (64-bit)1."
Insightful Accountant really hadn't planned to discuss 64-bit QuickBooks until the actual product release, but since Intuit has 'let the cat out of the bag' I felt I had to at least address the issue today.
QuickBooks 2022 will have enhanced computing power which means that it can better utilize 64-bit processors found in most of today’s computers, allowing them to access over four-billion times the physical (RAM) memory of legacy 32-bit processors. We all know that QuickBooks has always been a 'RAM intensive application', old Murph has always told you to 'buy as much RAM as your computer could support and you could afford and one way or another he would help you make use of it with QuickBooks.' We have written numerous articles in the past about 'boosting' the amount of RAM QuickBooks would use on both the Database Server and your Application workstations. But even with 'tons of RAM' the 32-bit limitations of QuickBooks meant that the application itself could only make use of the RAM limitations which 32-bit Windows applications could address.
Now, with a 64-bit version of QuickBooks, the amount of RAM which the application can support will be far greater This should mean quicker completion of QuickBooks especially when running larger Company files. Intuit says that their testing shows the new 64-bit QuickBooks 2022 platform provides enhanced computing power up to 38% faster performance based on lab testing vs. prior QuickBooks Desktop (32-bit) versions using a 1GB average file size1; their testing was made on the 'average speed improvement observed' when running a “Profit and Loss Detail Accrual” Report. The 31% improvement occurred on a 400MB file when running the “Custom Transaction Detail Accrual Report.”1 Of course they are first to note that individual results may vary.
But it is important to remember that 'performance' of any application is not simply dependent on 32-bit vs. 64-bit, nor even the amount of RAM the application is supporting or has available to it. Other factors associated with 'the application' like 'single-thread vs. multi-thread' process design-support are also at the core of performance, and while there is a lot more that can be said for the plus of 64-bit (which I will), it isn't a cure-all by itself. At some point down the road I will write a feature about the aspects of 64-bit processing, multi-thread, multiple-processors, and multi-core processors, but that's better left for mini-series, not tonight (or this morning).
But 64-bit does mean that QuickBooks 2022 will be compliant with modern operating system standards, like Windows 11 (soon to be released). Microsoft is in the process of discontinuing support for 32-bit apps on its operating systems and is pushing all developers to move to the 64-bit standard which will be required for Windows 11. In addition, many 3rd-party applications are in the process of sun-setting support for 32-bit applications and will only offer versions of their software that work with 64-bit applications, so the transition of QuickBooks from 32-bit to 64-bit helps with regard to compliance from a preferred developer standpoint.
64-bit will be the standard for all QuickBooks Desktop 2022 Pro and Premier ‘Plus’ versions, QuickBooks Desktop Accountant, and QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions versions. All supported 'country versions' of these products will be 64-bit, outside the United States contact your 'country representatives' determine availability.
Some source content quoted or otherwise adapted from: "Upcoming changes: 2022 QuickBooks Desktop updates", Firm of the Future Blog, September 7, 2021 by Intuit's Firm of the Future Team