Kernel Comparison: Linux (2.6.22) versus Windows (Vista)

CPU

*Hardware Architecture Support (PC)*	Linux	Windows
x86 (Intel)	Y	Y N (Starter not all)
AMD64/Intel64 (AMD/Intel)	Y	Y N (Starter)
IA-64 (Intel)	Y	N
*Hardware Architecture Support (current)*
PPC64 - PowerPC-64 (AIM)	Y	N
SPARC64 (Sun)	Y	N
ARM (ARM)	Y	N
PA-RISC (HP)	Y	N
Cell (STI)	Y	N
AVR32 (Atmel)	Y	N
Blackfin (Analog Devices)	Y	N
MN10300/AM33 (MEI/Panasonic)	Y (2.6.25)	N
Orion Feroceon (Marvell)	Y (2.6.25)	N
AS/400 - non-CISC (IBM)	Y	Y
Cray - Opteron (Cray/AMD)	Y	N
z/Architecture (IBM)	Y	N
ETRAX CRIS (Axis)	Y	N
H8 (Renesas/Hitachi)	Y	N
SH - SuperH (Renesas/Hitachi)	Y	N
SH64 - SuperH64 (Renesas/Hitachi)	Y	N
V850 (NEC)	Y	N
MIPS-64 (MIPS)	Y	N
MIPS (MIPS)	Y	N
*Hardware Architecture Support (non-current)*
PPC - PowerPC (AIM)	Y	N
SPARC32 (Sun)	Y	N
Alpha (DEC)	Y	N
Cray - pre-Opteron (Cray)	N	N
AS/400 - CISC (IBM)	N	N
m68k (Motorola)	Y	N
MIPS (DEC)	Y	N
S/390x (IBM)	Y	N
S/390 (IBM)	Y	N
m88k (Motorola)	N	N
*Hardware Architecture Support (game consoles)*
Wii (Nintendo)	Y	N
Xbox 360 (Microsoft)	Y	N³⁹
Xbox (Microsoft)	Y	N³⁹
PS3/Playstation 3 (Sony)	Y	N
PS2/Playstation 2 (Sony)	Y	N
Gamecube (Nintendo)	Y	N
*Hardware Architecture Support (other)*
others	Y	N

*Multiprocessor Support (architecture)*	Linux	Windows
Multiprocessor - SMP	Y	N (Starter, Basic, Premium) Y (Business, Ultimate, Enterprise)^'
Multiprocessor - NUMA	Y	N (Starter, Basic, Premium) Y (Business, Ultimate, Enterprise)^'
Hyperthreading (SMT)	Y	Y N (Starter)^'
Multicore	Y	Y N (Starter)^'

*Hyperthreading SMT (limits)*	Linux	Windows
Maximum number of hyperthreads - 32bit	2 (hardware limit)	0 (Starter) 2 (hardware limit) (others)^'
Maximum number of hyperthreads - 64bit	2 (hardware limit)	0 (Starter) 2 (hardware limit) (others)^'

*Multicore (limits)*	Linux	Windows
Maximum number of cores - 32bit	2 (hardware limit)^'	0 (Starter) 2 (hardware limit) (others)^'
Maximum number of cores - 64bit	4 (hardware limit)^'	0 (Starter) 4 (hardware limit) (others)^'

*Multiprocessor (limits)*	Linux	Windows
Maximum number of CPUs - 32bit SMP	32 (logical)^'	1 (Starter, Basic, Premium) 2 (Business, Ultimate, Enterprise)⁴⁴^'
Maximum number of CPUs - 32bit NUMA	32 or 1024?^'	1 (Starter, Basic, Premium) 2 (Business, Ultimate, Enterprise)⁴⁴^'
Maximum number of CPUs - 64bit SMP	255 (AMD64/Intel64) 1024 (IA-64)^'	0 (Starter) 1 (Basic, Premium) 2 (Business, Ultimate, Enterprise)⁴⁴^'
Maximum number of CPUs - 64bit NUMA	>1024⁴³^'	0 (Starter) 1 (Basic, Premium) 2 (Business, Ultimate, Enterprise)⁴⁴^'