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I have an intel i5 chip. Yesterday I visited and selected the 64-bit download option from the menu. The file which downloaded has the suffix '-amd64'. Is this going to work on my intel chip?

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Yep. Sure will. I have to spend thirty characters saying "yes" here. So, "yes". :)

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Thanks Jim. Any hints as to why it says 'amd' when it is for both amd and intel? –  Kim Prince Nov 18 '12 at 21:54
Because amd originally hit the market with 64-bit processors which could run either 32-bit (i686) or 64-bit code; Intel was busily pushing Itanium, which was a completely separate platform and failed miserably. After Itanium finished cratering, Intel responded to the market that was hungrily gobbling up amd64 chips by building their own. The other way you'll see this platform referred to is "x86_64", but in most places in the linux world it's still just "amd64" both because amd got there first and because it's easier to type. :) –  Jim Salter Nov 18 '12 at 22:04
and the 32-bit version will say i386 and you don't have a 386 either. –  mfisch Nov 19 '12 at 0:54

32/64 refers to addresses. 32 bits can only address ~4GB of memory. 64 bits can address a lot more.

Regardless of what OS you install, your CPU remains both 32-bit and 64-bit capable. If you install a 32-bit OS, you are limited to 4GB total memory, any more will be ignored, because the OS cannot address the memory.

If you install 64-bit OS, each process remains limited to 4GB, but the OS can handle as many as your installed memory will allow.

So don't worry, you have installed the correct OS bit.

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thanks linuxandunix, I understand all that. It just seems odd to me that the file says 'amd' when I have an intel chip. –  Kim Prince Nov 18 '12 at 21:54

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